Keeping fish aquarium at home is awesome because it makes us feel relaxed and lively. Once you’ve decided to purchase a fish tank, you’ll have to make an important decision that will affect your fish’s happiness and longevity: the location of the fish tank.
Keeping Fish Aquarium at Home- The stakes are much higher when you choose a larger tank (because they’re not easy to move) and your choice of location will be usually permanent.
This is why it is important to choose the right spot from the start. It is key to find the right balance between practicality and aesthetics, but this requires a little bit of strategy. Never put your fish’s health ahead of aesthetics – you have a responsibility to them.
Here are 11 ideal locations that can keep your fish tank and your little pets happy for a long time to come.
Transform Your Fireplace into a Giant Aquarium
This is a good option for homeowners who don’t feel the need to light a roaring fire, but they can use the opportunity, instead, to become creative and put something more functional and aesthetic in place – like a fish tank.
It may be super expensive and you may have to hire expert craftsmen who know their way around aquariums. The glass will also have to be extremely durable and resist all kinds of wear and tear. For starters, the glass must be able to resist shock damage.
Another alternative is to add the fish tank into your fireplace if you don’t plan on putting it use.
A few things to keep in mind, however:
- Do this only if you don’t have small kids in your house who may decide to throw toys (or other stuff) at the fish tank. Pets may also become too curious and send your fish into shock as they play around.
- The maintenance requirements for this fish tank are going to be astronomical. You should know how to add food, change the water supply, and do perform regular aquarium husbandry.
- To compensate for the increased visibility of the fish, make sure to provide plenty of rockwork and caves so that your fish have a place to hide should they feel stressed.
Transforming the fireplace into a fish tank seems like a good idea, but it’s one that requires careful planning. We only recommend skilled fishkeepers (and craftsmen) to go for this option.
If your fish aren’t enjoying their new habitat, make sure to remove them right away to a different tank. Choose hardy fish that don’t mind being seen 24 hours a day.
You could go with lots of fish or use just a single aggressive fish specimen that doesn’t mind living in isolation, like the Lionfish, Jack Dempsey, and the Convict cichlid.
Stylish Under The Stairs Aquarium
Not sure what to do with all that precious real estate just lying under your stairway? Transform (read: terraform) all that extra space into a clever and stylish aquarium. Of course, where there’s stairs, there’s going to be endless foot traffic.
Experts recommend against placing your aquarium in the entryway of your house or high-traffic areas – and the space under your stairs happen to have them both.
A clever workaround is to properly soundproof your aquarium. Many auto stereo stores carry sound dampening insulating foam for use in car doors, trunks, and speaker boxes. You can ask them for insulation that can be added to the aquarium. Some soundproofing is better than no soundproofing – all that foot traffic will add to their stress levels.
Fish are very sensitive to outside stimuli, so add as much rockwork and caves to help them hide should they ever get spooked. Make sure to monitor their biological indicators of health to see if they’re enjoying their new home.
Keeping Fish Aquarium at Home-A Bar Aquarium
Bar aquariums look extremely cool but they must be built ‘like a tank’ to stay strong and sturdy when put to the test. Bar aquariums will make for a grand entrance and can provide several gallons of water for larger fish. But remember, water is heavy and the bar could collapse if it’s not sturdy enough.
It will definitely add personality and charm to your home, and could be the main talking point among guests as they ask “why even?”
They don’t sell bar aquariums in most pet stores though; this means you’ll have to get in touch with a professional aquaspacing specialist who knows their way around glass tanks and bars. All this architectural wizardly won’t come cheap though – so prepare to spend a fortune.
When everything is said than done, the bar aquarium will add an extra layer of luxury to your space and may well be worth the effort. Of course, it’s not going to be functional and the fish inhabitants inside may feel stressed out because of all that foot traffic. Remember: add more rockwork, plants, and caves to give them at least some semblance of privacy.
Wine Cellar Aquarium
If you’ve got a huge wine cellar, then transforming parts of it to an aquarium can finish off the job perfectly and make both parts stunning. Imagine having easy access to win racks while you ogle at your fish collection.
It makes for a cozy wine tasting experience while stylishly accenting your residential space. The best part about wine cellars is that you have to abide by certain rules, such as installing a vapour barrier and checking the room for air leaks.
All these little ‘quirks’ can bolster your aquarium’s safety levels too. And that’s always a plus.
A word on humidity
If you’re serious about integrating your wine cellar with an aquarium, then a vapor barrier will be crucial.
This is because the vapor barrier protects the cold and warm side of the insulation of the wine cellar. Without one, pockets of humidity will condensate and create moisture, which leads to mold. This rot can ruin the finish on both your basement walls and even ruin the paper wine labels.
The build-up of humidity can be particularly damaging, especially because the wine cellar is in such close proximity to the fish aquarium. Whether or not it becomes a problem depends on the size and number of aquariums you have. You can reduce the humidity problem by using tank covers, dehumidifiers, and fans.
An Outdoor Wall Fish Tank
An outdoor fish tank is going to be one super-expensive project, the stuff usually reserved for the ultra-rich who also have a passion for aquarium keeping. An outdoor wall mounted fish tank will of course give you hours of enjoyment, but probably at the expense of your little fish buddies.
You’ll have to enlist the services of an expert, but you can learn the intricate process of how to anchor a fish tank to the wall as a home project.
An outdoor aquarium is not the same as a pond or a lake, so you’ll have to install more safety measures to prevent your fish from dying. A few things to watch out for (if you plan on going this route):
i) The Sun
Outside of your cozy home, the walled fish tank will be exposed to the sun. Waves upon waves of sunlight will mercilessly pour down on your fish. Most saltwater fish are not used to sunlight because they live in deep ocean water. This could be a source of stress and could lead to their deaths. Only use fish that have a natural affinity for raw, unadulterated sunlight, such as Bettas.
The biggest advantage of a wall hanging fish tank is that the exposure to sunlight will help the fish see, find food, and maintain a regular circadian rhythm.
Also, be prepared to install a beefy HVAC device to keep the temperature from fluctuating and preventing the tank from overheating. Both will kill your fish. Another to keep in mind is the growth of algae: this time it’s going to be a problem because where there’s sunlight and water, there’s algae.
ii) Noise
Another problem with the fish tank build into wall is noise. The outside world is brimming with ultra-high levels of noise, we’re talking birds chipping 24/7 and traffic from incoming cars. The vibration from noise alone can send little fish into shock and may lead to their deaths.
iii) Install Rockworks
Even though your aquarium has a purpose of drawing attention and being a crowd pleaser, your fish need their privacy just like all humans. Create a special place in your tank where your fish can retreat and seek refuge from the shocks of living outside their natural habitat.
The Kitchen
Installing an aquarium into your kitchen’s backsplash makes for an enchanting experience. If you’re not too pleased with the way your kitchen looks and want to add a tropical flair into your décor, then your fish will definitely keep you company. It’s a great artistic choice that will add to your food preparation experience.
And if you’re really determined, you could install a kitchen island to your scheme. Bonus points if you can build it into an L-shape, providing you with lots of room for a usable countertop, storage space, and functionality.
Other ideas include putting an aquarium above a cooktop or integrating it with your cabinetry. You could also turn the kitchen table into a fish tank – the list is endless.
The surprising health benefits of merely looking at fish are enormous. There’s something awfully peaceful about fish as they go about their business. It’s like they’re disconnected from the high-stress environments of offices and hospitals. Spending your time with fish as you chow down on your breakfast can help you manage your stress levels.
But you may want to stay off the seafood because it may not be too appetizing to eat sea creatures in front of sea creatures.
The Bathroom
The average bathroom has high levels of humidity anyway so adding a fish tank isn’t going to hurt. Our inspiration for this idea was, of course, Kanye West – the very tell-tale definition of what you would describe as an ‘eccentric billionaire’.
You could add a fish tank into your bathroom or integrate the tank into your bathroom walls. The latter will obviously cost you a bit more. And you may need to hire the services of an expert for maintenance and necessary aquarium husbandry.
Another great idea that is picking up steam is an aquarium sink, Moody is known for providing one. It’s a fully functional aquarium that is watertight and sits atop a chrome finish brass stand with a built-in towel rail in the front. You can feed the fish through the two spa dishes on either side of the sink.
The tank has water circulation, oxygenation, and filtration, all of which are delivered by the powerhead. This thing is going to cost you over $5000 depending on where you live. It’s one of the cheaper options.
So yeah, if you want an aquarium to stare at while bathing or shaving in the bathroom, you can do that with Moody’s Aquarium Sink.
Integrating the Fish Aquarium to a Wide Doorway
This type of architecture only works if you have an ultra-wide doorway space. This area is going to have lots of foot traffic because… it’s a doorway.
We recommend doing this in a room where there isn’t much foot traffic, like a library perhaps. It’s a stylish décor idea that may or may not be harmful to your fish. We recommend adding fish mates that aren’t as skittish and can handle the extra outside stimuli.
Obvious choices include the Lionfish and Damselfish – just make sure they have enough room to move around and can hide in caves and rockwork.
Build an Aquarium into a Shelving Unit
This is a pretty good idea if you have an extra shelving unit just lying around and not serving any functional purpose. You can also put the fish tank (if it is reasonably small) on the shelf. Just make sure the shelf is sturdy enough to support the weight of the tank. We recommend using a square steel frame and bolting it to the wall.
Alternatively, you can build a shelf that is specifically designed to hold a fish tank. Weight will always remain an important factor. Most shelves are only designed to hold books and will eventually fail to hold your fish tank. But a shelf built to hold a fish tank will definitely do well.
Do leave enough space behind the tank to help you drain waste from it. This clearance space allows your fish to grow in a thriving environment.
The Toilet That Houses Fish
This is a pretty neat idea, as outlandish as it may sound. The aquarium does not share a tank with the toilet, but it does make for a good prank (a $1,100 prank) as your guests will be too skittish to flush out of fear of killing all the fish inside.
This bizarre bathroom fixture will redefine your experience in the bathroom and add a touch of class to an otherwise dull space.
Two good products that come to mind are Fish n’ Flush from AquaOne and the Aquariass by Oliver Beckert.
The Bedroom Aquarium
Do fish sleep with their eyes closed? Do they float or sink to the bottom when they sleep? You can answer all these questions and more by integrating your bed’s headboard with an aquarium. Now your fish will always be by your side (bedside). It adds a new meaning to the expression, “sleep with the fishes” – and you’ll be doing that literally.
A few less extreme ideas are to simply bring in the fish tank into your bed room or building one into your bedroom’s fireplace (if there is enough space). It will cost you though, at least $10,000 or more depending on your specific requirements.
Bonus Content: Where to Place Fish Tank in Home?
The ideal spot for your fish tank has to be away from direct sunlight and traffic, where you can perform maintenance and care. Here are a few factors to consider before selecting the right location:
Visibility
If you want to build a thriving aquarium, you should put it in a spot where visitors can admire it. For obvious reasons, the tank will be the focal point of attention. But it’s not always a good idea to place your tank in the entryway of your house or in another high traffic area where it could be knocked over or bumped into.
Convenience
You should be able to conveniently locate your tank, feed your fish, turn the aquarium lights on, and perform routine maintenance tasks. Changing water, for instance, can become a major issue if you can’t maneuver around the sides of the tank.
The ideal location for the tank, therefore, is to leave enough space on all sides so that you have enough room to move around and accommodate maintenance requirements.
Sunlight
It’s tempting to place your fish near sunlight, but that’s not a good idea because sunlight can encourage the growth of algae. And that is bad because algae will compete for oxygen in the tank, which could lead to suffocation of your fish. If you do decide to place the tank near sunlight, be prepared to clean up the excess algal growth.
Heating and Cooling Vents
As hardy as fish species are, they’re not comfortable around fluctuating temperatures. They are ‘cold-blooded’ animals, which means they get their body temperature from the surrounding water.
This is why it is important to keep your tank away from vents (or a source of heat). Even if you’ve placed a high-quality aquarium heater in the tank, its temperature could fluctuate if there is a heating or cooling vent nearby. This could always cause problems.
Why Are My Fish Dying in My New Aquarium?
There’s a lot of reasons that could contribute to their demise. Maybe the location you chose is adding to the stress of their day to day lives. The food quality and outside stimuli (such as temperature and noise) could also make things worse. Make sure you constantly evaluate your fish for symptoms of disease, stress, and parasites.
