The underwater kingdom in your home – an aquarium in the interior

Recommendation points

• Varieties of aquariums
• Freestanding aquarium
• Built-in aquarium
• Aquarium decor
• Issue price

Today, an aquarium is increasingly turning from an ordinary fish house into a separate interior detail that plays a significant role in the design of a room. Designers often compare aquariums with fireplaces – in the interior they perform about the same role, becoming the center of the overall composition and a decorative highlight.

A huge built-in aquarium in the living room has already become a sign of luxury and prosperity for the owners, since this pleasure is not cheap. Extremists can even order an aquarium with a shark or piranhas, which will tickle both the pride and the nerves of the guests. But even the simplest and smallest “fish house” will transfer a quiet and incredibly beautiful corner of the underwater kingdom to your city apartment.

In addition, it has long been established that watching fish is excellent calming and stress relieving. Passionate aquarists are usually people who seek stability and peaceful resolution of controversial issues. Watching the fish, a person is transported to another world, distracted from everyday worries, becomes more balanced and calmer.

Sooner or later, the water from the aquarium gradually evaporates, which makes the air in the apartment more humid and beneficial for the body of the inhabitants of the house.

In general, no matter from which side you look, there is only one benefit from the aquarium. It is beautiful and useful, and has a positive effect on mental health. And silent fish, at first glance, bring much less trouble than a dog with which you need to walk twice a day, a cat that loves to sharpen its claws on furniture or a loud parrot.

How to create a corner of the underwater kingdom in your apartment? What are aquariums like? How to fit a fish house into your interior? And how much will such pleasure cost?

A large aquarium with green algae and colorful schools of fish can become the main highlight of the interior

Varieties of aquariums

By the material of manufacture, fish houses are divided into two main groups – made of silicate or acrylic glass. Aquariums made of acrylic glass are significantly more expensive – one sheet of such material, required to produce a container of 500 liters, will cost 1200 euros. But it is also worth considering the costs of the production itself. Acrylic is easier to scratch than ordinary silicate glass, but otherwise it has a number of indisputable advantages: aquariums made of acrylic glass are much lighter, their walls are thinner, the shape can be completely different, they are less demanding on the unevenness of the surface where they will be installed, less vulnerable to impact and the crack on such glass will not go further, which will allow you to save the fish in time.

It is not surprising that if manufacturers give a guarantee for just a year for ordinary aquariums made of silicate glass, then for acrylic products – more than five years.

In general, if you choose a small aquarium – up to 300 liters, then it is better to give preference to ordinary glass, since the price of an acrylic aquarium will be several times higher. But in the case of buying a spacious aquarium for 500-1000 liters, the cost of glass and acrylic products will be about the same, so it is better to prefer acrylic glass.

The sizes of aquariums can be completely different – from tiny glass aquariums of 5-10 liters to huge aquariums where a shark can easily fit.

Typical silicate glass aquariums are most often rectangular, square and round, but acrylic products can be given any shape and made taking into account all the wishes of the customer and the specifics of the installation site.

In appearance, all aquariums are usually divided into:

1. Hexagonal.
2. Rectangular.
3. Panoramic, that is, slightly convex.
4. Round.
5. Wall mounted.
6. Corner.
7. Decorative. These include an aquarium-glass, a house for fish in the form of a lamp with a lampshade and other unusual products, which the designer had a hand in making..

This is not to say that only a decorative aquarium can serve as an interior decoration. In this regard, the fish house is an ideal object for the embodiment of fantasy. Even an ordinary rectangular aquarium can become an art object if its bottom is decorated with a sunken ship, a real underwater castle, and among the inhabitants there are especially bright and beautiful underwater inhabitants.

According to the method of installation, aquariums are usually divided into free-standing and built-in ones. It is on the features of the location of the aquarium in the interior that we will dwell in more detail.

The aquarium has so organically blended into the interior of this luxurious dining room that it has become an integral part of the room’s decor. And to dine while admiring the underwater inhabitants is now much more pleasant

Freestanding aquarium

This is exactly what you most likely had in childhood and took pride of place on the desk, next to school textbooks. Ordinary, inexpensive, compact, free-standing, or, as they are also called, attached aquariums are still popular today..

If you decide to purchase just such a “water house”, experts advise choosing a rectangular product, since aquariums with round or convex sides slightly distort the image and can cause eye fatigue. However, if you like the round shape, please, they really look very original..

It is necessary to install the aquarium on a stand with a height of at least 70 centimeters (of course, unless you purchase a huge capacity of 500 liters). It is categorically not recommended to put a “fish house” near the window – algae will actively develop under the sun’s rays, the water will turn green, and the temperature will rise, which will bring discomfort to the fish. You can’t put an aquarium near the door – firstly, it can swing open and scare the fish, and secondly, we want to make the aquarium an element of decor, and not hide it from prying eyes. The fish will not like the neighborhood with heating devices either.

The aquarium may have a lid that will prevent the water from evaporating too quickly. And if both the stand and the lid are made in a single design solution, then the “fish house” turns into a separate decorative object

The best place for an aquarium is at the opposite or perpendicular wall from the window, on a bedside table, table or special stand. In addition, when choosing a place for the tank, you must remember that you will have to clean it, change the water, flush the soil and feed the fish, so you need to ensure that all these important activities for caring for your underwater kingdom are conveniently performed..

When purchasing an attached aquarium, remember that in addition to the container itself, you will need:

1. External and internal water filters.
2. Aquarium thermometer.
3. Aeration compressor and sprayer for it.
4. Light fixture – built-in or purchased separately.
5. Heater, also known as a thermostat.
6. Special primer. Although you can save on this purchase – the soil will perfectly replace the sea pebbles collected with your own hands during the holidays. Just remember to rinse them..
7. Live plants. They can also be replaced with decorative algae, but it is still better to create a living corner, without artificial fakes.
8. Decor items – driftwood, boats, castles and so on.
9. Strictly speaking, fish and water.

If it is decided to install the aquarium in a corner of a room with insufficient lighting, a lamp installed next to it will help to highlight it in the interior and provide the fish with light. By the way, the overall composition can turn out to be very original.

Built-in aquarium

This is no longer just a separate or attached “water world”, but an integral part of the overall interior of the room. Today experts propose to build an aquarium literally anywhere – in a bar counter, in a wall, in a niche, in a wall in a living room and even in a headboard.

Sometimes, looking at such aquariums, it seems, “tightly” built into the wall of the living room or bedroom, you want to exclaim – “What a horror, the fish were walled up! How do you feed them? ” In fact, everything is thought out and, if from this side of the wall the guest of the house sees only the flat surface of the aquarium, which does not have any protrusions or holes – a real “living picture”, even framed, then on the other side the entire life support system is installed and there must be a removable cover.

If the aquarium is built into a cabinet-like structure, then all important parts, pipes and filters are hidden behind the doors.

And if, in the case of purchasing a free-standing aquarium, the owners themselves are engaged in its installation – there is absolutely nothing complicated about this, and they buy everything you need – filters and so on, then only specialists can install a built-in aquarium and it is sold complete with all the equipment.

The aquarium is the ideal solution for separating the kitchen and living room or kitchen and dining area. The “live” partition is in the spotlight, and you can watch the fish from both sides at once

The same aquarium, only from the opposite side. All filters and other systems are hidden in the stand

Of course, it is best to install a built-in aquarium during a major overhaul of an apartment. Especially if it is in the wall, which is associated with “dirty” work to create the necessary niche.

But the aquarium, as mentioned above, can also be built into a piece of furniture. Such an installation will not lead to the need for repairs and can be carried out at any time. Although, of course, you will have to wait until the custom-made furniture with the “water secret” is ready.

The aquarium is not only built into the head of the bed, but also unusually decorated. Fish floating against the background of bricks look especially original

Aquarium decor

When choosing a design for your underwater corner, you should start from the motive of the interior of the entire room. For example, the Japanese prefer minimalism not only in their home, but also in the habitat of fish. Therefore, if your room is decorated in a Japanese style, then the aquarium should not be overly saturated with decor items. In this case, a minimum of decorations, two or three plants and a few medium-sized fish will be enough..

For a high-tech style, you can choose a marine aquarium with bright, neon fish, which, with their presence, will revive a too cold, industrial interior.

The Art Nouveau interior requires original details and spaciousness in the aquarium, and the good old classics requires a landscape in the form of a real underwater world, without exoticism and excessive pretentiousness.

The main principle of aquarium design is to present it as your own room, only in miniature. Only in this case, it will perfectly fit into the interior and will not cause contradictions and the feeling of something alien.

By the way, it is advisable to decorate all technical means with stones, snags, pieces of peat and plants, otherwise the impression of the picturesque underwater landscape will be spoiled.

An aquarium in such a frame made of solid wood will look great in a classic interior

Issue price

It is interesting that experts unanimously advise against saving on buying a “fish house” and choosing an aquarium for at least 200 liters. It is believed that in such an aquarium it is easier to create a unique underwater interior, its dimensions allow you to make an ideal selection of fish and keep them stable. Although, of course, miniature aquariums are much cheaper. The dependence here is direct – the larger the volume of the vessel, the more expensive it will cost.

The price of the most ordinary aquarium of traditional rectangular shape is from 400 rubles for a small glass container of 25 liters, about six thousand for a container with a volume of 140 liters with a lid and up to 14 thousand for an aquarium of 350 liters.

Round aquariums are more expensive. For an aquarium-glass with a capacity of 12 liters, you will have to pay at least 800 rubles, a round aquarium with a lid with a volume of only 13 liters will cost about three thousand rubles. To save money, you can try to find aquariums that have already been used. There are many such announcements today – the child is tired of caring for the fish, the family is going to move, and a fragile aquarium may not “survive” the long journey – there can be many reasons for selling. And the prices for such used aquariums are usually much lower than store prices..

If when buying a free-standing aquarium all costs are associated with the purchase of only the tank itself, technical equipment, algae and fish, then installing a built-in aquarium is a much more expensive pleasure..

A comprehensive service associated with installing an aquarium into the wall, that is, performing all the work related to creating a hole of the required size, leveling the surface, creating, if necessary, a reliable metal frame, installing the tank itself and the necessary equipment, will cost a substantial amount – about 300 thousand rubles per medium sized aquarium. And in some cases, if the size of the aquarium reaches 1000-1500 liters, then one million rubles.

If you decide to involve a designer specializing in “underwater worlds” in the design of the aquarium, the cost of his services will also depend on the size of the tank and will be from 95 to 220 rubles per liter.

An aquarium built into the wall always looks unusual and is able to dilute and decorate even the coldest, laconic interior

The services of specialists who will regularly look after your “underwater kingdom” cost from nine thousand rubles a month, and if the size of the aquarium is 1500 liters or more, they reach 35 thousand rubles a month.

Even if your family budget does not allow you to acquire a luxurious built-in aquarium, choose a small attached tank and purchase the brightest, most beautiful, but preferably not too whimsical fish – in this case, you can take care of them yourself. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of admiring the graceful, smooth movements of underwater inhabitants, who will live their mysterious life before your eyes.