The aquarium has been known to mankind for thousands of years. Even in ancient China, it was noticed that the contemplation of peacefully swimming fish brings not only aesthetic pleasure, but also calms. The lazy movements of the fins, the dim light and the quiet sound of the water all have a calming effect.
An aquarium in an apartment will perfectly complement the interior
Today, an aquarium serves not just as a home decoration, but rather as an entire design solution that gives the finishing touch to the entire interior. Square, round, rectangular, the flight of fancy knows no bounds in choosing a shape. The placement is also varied: now it does not stand in splendid isolation on an old cabinet, but looks out importantly from a wall or niche, or surprises the eyes of guests, being built right into the furniture.
A built-in aquarium will give joy and tranquility
Comfort for little inhabitants
However, we should not forget that the aquarium is inhabited by living creatures, and for their prosperous existence it is necessary to create comfortable conditions. You will need special equipment to supply small residents with air, heat and light, and you will be faced with a new task of how to place all the auxiliary devices as discreetly as possible from prying eyes. To do this, they resort to the services of companies that develop individual projects. But if you decide to make an aquarium in the wall yourself, do not forget a few important rules.
The aquarium should fit into the interior of the room
The aquarium should not be exposed to sunlight
- Do not install the aquarium in such a way that it is exposed to direct sunlight. Natural lighting leads to abundant growth of green algae, which pollutes the water, and, therefore, you will have to clean the glass much more often. A sharp change in temperature during the day and evening will not have a positive effect on the health of the fish.
- Do not place the aquarium near heating devices; some of its inhabitants are very sensitive to fluctuations in water temperature.
- A stable, solid foundation is the key to your peace of mind and safety. When making large vessels, it is important to correctly calculate the thickness of the glass and supporting fasteners, otherwise the product will burst when water is released.
The aquarium should be placed away from heating devices
Types of aquariums
Built into a wall niche
It’s worth saying right away that an aquarium can only be built into a wall that is not load-bearing. If you neglect this issue, you can get a fairly large fine. So if you want to make an entire wall aquarium in a panel house, most likely you will not succeed.
The selection of inhabitants for an aquarium built into a wall niche must take into account the fact that the water container will be long and narrow; not every breed of fish can live in such conditions. Therefore, choose small fish or individuals with an elongated body. Due to difficult access, plants should be chosen artificial or those that do not require careful care and frequent feeding.
Aquariums built into a niche most often have a back wall covered with a decorative background. The volume can reach 1000 liters, but you won’t be able to service such a large product yourself; you will have to resort to the services of professionals. To avoid unnecessary costs, reduce the volume to 100 liters. By framing the aquarium with a beautiful frame, you will get a real living picture without unnecessary maintenance problems.
Sometimes aquariums can reach a volume of up to 1000 liters
Built into the partition
An aquarium in the wall between rooms is called through, or built-in “through the light”. An aquarium that is transparent on two or even three sides looks extremely impressive in the interior, but has a number of disadvantages.
- Continuous filtration, ultraviolet sterilization and frequent water changes are required. Otherwise, all the fish waste will be visible, which will significantly spoil the appearance of the aquarium.
- Stock only with stress-tolerant fish species. Failure to comply with the rule will lead to the death of small creatures, which vitally need to hide from view in secluded places, which is impossible if their house is visible from all sides.
- Difficult to maintain
The aquarium, transparent on both sides, looks very beautiful
Built into a decorative partition
Such an object allows you to divide a large room into zones, without visually cutting down the space. At least half of the free space of the vessel itself should be left above the aquarium for convenient maintenance and care. Thanks to the soft diffused light, it can become an additional source of lighting or a night light.
In this way you can visually zone the room
Built into the floor
The most complex, expensive, and unusually placed aquariums in the home are those built into the floor. It is almost impossible to do this in a simple high-rise building; they conceal almost thirty centimeters from the height of the entire room. Therefore, aquariums built into the floor are the lot of owners of hotels, huge country houses and clubs with luxurious interiors.
Such aquariums are very difficult to install
Built into furniture
Manufacturers are ready to offer many options for aquariums built into furniture: sofas, double beds, cabinets and even plumbing fixtures, the variety is surprising. At the same time, the furniture does not lose its functionality, which is reflected in the price. Today, this is not a cheap pleasure.
Some furniture manufacturers produce built-in aquariums in furniture
Briefly about the main thing
Until recently, aquariums were purchased only for keeping fish. The main emphasis was on the process of caring for them. Today, such products are becoming elements of fashionable modern design. With their help, space is zoned, lighting is organized, and unusual, exclusive decoration is created. An aquarium with or without fish can decorate any functional room. To fill it, a rich assortment of decor can be used, allowing you to create an amazingly beautiful underwater kingdom. Watching his life calms the psyche and charges him with positive energy.
DIY aquarium in the wall
Let's take a brief look at how to make an aquarium in the wall between rooms with your own hands.
- Clean the wall of facing materials, plaster and putty. This will make the process of further work easier.
- Calculate the size of the hole for the aquarium, and using a special saw for gas silicate and expanded clay blocks, start cutting. Remember that the future hole should be several centimeters wider than the aquarium capacity, and ten centimeters higher, for laying communications.
The hole for the aquarium needs to be made a little wider - Be sure to reinforce the cut opening with a metal plate. Its length must be greater than the capacity being installed, and be located on the side blocks. This precaution will prevent excess shrinkage of the blocks.
- We are building walls for electricity wires.
- We finish the edges with any material (preferably rubberized), which can be easily painted with oil paint. The opening is ready!
The opening for the aquarium must be strengthened
Niche installation
There are two methods for installing niches from gypsum plasterboard sheets: adhesive and frame. In the first method, the sheets are fixed on smooth walls with a special adhesive solution. In the second case, they are fixed to an installed sheathing made of steel or aluminum profiles.
The price of the first method is lower, but the second method is more reliable. Now instructions on how to make a niche from gypsum plasterboard.
Useful design tips
Consider the interior features when choosing vegetation, decorations and types of fish. Consider the color scheme especially carefully, because changing an unsuccessful color combination in a 1000 liter container will be very difficult. An aquarium built into the wall between rooms should be arranged neutrally in order to fit into the design of the two rooms.
If you want to make a small aquarium opaque so that you cannot see through it into another room, simply install a partition in the center. Just remember to leave a few holes for the fish to move around.
If the aquarium is installed in an interior partition, take into account the interior features of the two rooms
When installing an entire wall product, or planning to make an aquarium in the wall with your own hands, weigh the pros and cons. It is best to get advice from professionals first. And most importantly, an aquarium is not only an interior decoration for many years, but also painstaking work. Only by devoting time and attention to it, you will get a beautiful result.
Craving for nature in the home interior
A person living in a concrete city misses living grass, birds and animals living in the wild. That is why many people try to recreate some kind of living area in their living space. Some plant winter gardens, others have pets. Still others buy an aquarium and devote all their free time to caring for the fish. Psychologists are confident that watching them evokes positive emotions in any of us and improves our overall psychological state.
Today you can create a real underwater kingdom in your hallway, kitchen or living room. There is everything for this: containers of any size, shape, objects that help shape mountain landscapes, compositions of flooded ancient cities, artificial ruins, sunken ships. The marine fauna is diverse; species are sold that are specially bred for cultivation in artificial reservoirs. Complete information on their contents has been collected and provided. By studying it, you can discover many new and useful things.
Aquarium with a seascape in an apartment Source nemo.by/wp-content
In order for an aquarium to fit successfully into a residential interior, you should find a place for it in advance, think through the lighting, and decide on the size of the bowl and its shape. There are many subtleties in designing such a zone. Let's talk about them further.
