Everyone loves a custom aquarium. Aquariums have a calming effect on people sitting close by. That’s why they’re so popular for waiting rooms in doctor’s and dentist’s offices. After a hard day of work, it’s restful to spend a few moments relaxing near your own aquarium. Because the fish are in constant motion, your little slice of the underwater world never gets boring.
While everyone enjoys aquariums, not everyone has space in their home, condominium, or apartment for a big freshwater or saltwater aquarium on a large stand. Not a problem. If you’ve always wanted a custom aquarium with a bit of a wow! factor, all it takes is a little ingenuity and an eye for the unusual. Here are 5 unusual spots for your custom aquarium:
A Custom Aquarium In a Fireplace
Lots of houses have old fireplaces that are no longer safe or practical. Instead of walling that old fireplace up, or filling it with things like candle stands or flower baskets, why not use it for a custom aquarium?
Don’t make the mistake of filling the entire fireplace opening with the aquarium. You’ll need good access to things like the pumps and filters for regular aquarium maintenance. It’s better to build a frame inside the opening and place your custom aquarium inside the frame. The frame can contain hidden access doors to get inside and behind the aquarium.
One great benefit of using an old fireplace for a custom aquarium is the natural soundproofing you’ll get from the masonry. The sound of the pumps and filters will be muffled. Paint the back wall of the fireplace black to make the aquarium stand out more when you turn on the lights.
Built Into Shelving
If you’re afraid of losing precious floor space, building your custom aquarium into an existing piece of furniture is a great way to make room for your undersea world. If you’ve got a large shelving unit, you can build an aquarium right into it.
This approach is much easier if your cabinetry is built in. An aquarium filled with water is heavy, so you’ll probably need to beef up the structure to handle the extra load. If you’re using a freestanding piece of furniture, make sure it’s firmly anchored to the wall behind it to keep it from toppling over.
In a Wet Bar
Aquariums no longer need to be rectangular glass enclosures. Acrylic aquariums can be molded into almost any shape, including curves. They’re immensely strong, so you can mount things on top of them if you want. If you have a corner in your home that’s begging for a freestanding wet bar, it’s a perfect opportunity to add an aquarium that doesn’t need its own floor space. Build it right into your freestanding bar, or better still, make the entire bar into an aquarium.
Kitchen Backsplash
Putting an aquarium in your kitchen backsplash will turn a humdrum kitchen into a showpiece. Backsplashes between the upper and lower cabinets are a great place for long, thin aquariums. Instead of undercabinet lighting, you can turn on the aquarium light to shed a soft, even light over your countertops. The glass side of the aquarium is as easy to keep clean as subway tile.
In a Shower
Shower rooms are a great place for underwater and seaside themes. You can build in an aquarium to really make the room pop with color and motion. A saltwater or freshwater aquarium can be built right into a partition to lend an underwater feeling to both sides of the wall. It’s especially effective if one side of the aquarium serves as a wall in the shower. It’s a lot more fun to watch the fish swimming around than watching the water circle the drain.
Need Help? Ask a Pro
In a very real sense, the sky’s the limit with aquariums. The ability to mold acrylic to make any size or shape aquarium means that if you can imagine your aquarium, it can be built. Of course you’ll need to figure out where to place the equipment you need to keep your fish happy and healthy, and the water crystal clear.
Contact Aquatech Aquarium Service for aquarium design in the Los Angeles area. They’re experts at designing, setting up, and stocking custom aquariums. They’re great at aquarium maintenance, too. Their helpful tips during the design phase will save you money in the long run when it’s time to maintain your one-of-a-kind custom aquarium.