Is anyone here into home aquariums? (I'd like to build one into a wall)

[Arkitech]

I've been thinking of buying my first home aquairum, I was flipping through a magazine a few months back and there was a picture of a room with an aquarium built into the wall. Every since then I've been thinking about doing something similar.

I'm looking to move into a new house within the next few months so I figure that would be the perfect time to get setup with a nice tank and some cool lighting.

Anyone have some suggestions on what type of tank I should look into? Also do most aquariums come with lights or do I have to buy those seperately?

I got the placement all figured out, but I just need to learn a bit more about the tanks and the lighting. My plan is to build an alcove in the wall with a shelf big enough to hold a tank. So first I'll have to cut an opening through the drywall, then build or buy a shelf big enough to support a tank, then I'll patch up the wall and make a removable frame to fit around the new opening. That should give the appearance of the tank being part of the wall. Then I'll try to do some research on a lighting scheme.

 

[smp]

How are you going to clean the tank? From the other side?
Also, you gonna go with salt water or fresh water?
Also, don't build your own aquarium stand if the aquarium is anything over 50 gallons (which you probably want, 50 is small) ..
Do a lot of research first, before you do anything and know that it's a lot of work, and a lot of money.
I have a soft spot for cichlids, fresh water fish that are mouthbreeders. The nicest IMO freshwater fish you can get, so nice that IMO they almost compete with salties .. but! they are cheaper and easier to maintain. Lots of fun too, they have very interesting behavioural traits.

 

[Kerouactivist]

I would go to Petco and checkout their selection of tanks etc..... You should be able to find kits that come with everything you need at petco, just talk to them. I would say your biggest decision is whether you want to go with saltwater or freshwater. If Iwould you I would stick to freshwater because saltwater is expensive to maintain

 

[jfall]

I was thining about this before as well.. I have a hole in my wall where a TV once use to be where I wouldn't mind putting a fish tank in. I was also wondering how it would be possible to feed the fish this way

 

[smp]

Originally posted by: jfall
I was thining about this before as well.. I have a hole in my wall where a TV once use to be where I wouldn't mind putting a fish tank in. I was also wondering how it would be possible to feed the fish this way

Don't worry about feeding them, worry about how you're going to get your arms in there to do some cleaning!

 

[Jzero]

Be aware that you will need clearance above and around the tank to get access to it for cleaning and maintenance. I've known a number of people and places with tanks in the walls, and while I've never seen the construction in progress, basically, the tank is an adjoining room and there is a hole in the wall just big enough for the tank.

The tank sits on a stand in the other room with just enough of it pushed forward so that it appears flush from the other side. The stand is usually designed to accomodate this and I imagine there's some bracing in the wall itself to hold the weight of the tank that is not supported by the stand. This way, you will be able to get to the tank to do maintenance. If you build the tank into an alcove, even with good overhead clearance, it still may be a bear to do things around the sides of the tank. A gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds. Factor in the weight of the gravel, glass and fixtures, and you can figure 10 pounds PER GALLON. In other words, if you have a tank over 10 gallons, you will NOT be able to move it without emptying it! Just something to keep in mind. You also have to have a stand and floor that will be able to support that kind of weight.

ALSO, you will require extra clearance for your filtration systems. Even if you use an external canister filter, you will need to be able to conceal the canister SOMEWHERE as well as being able to get power to it, AND run the intake/outflow tubing between wherever you stashed the canister and the tank itself.

Second, tanks don't come with lights. If you buy a starter kit, they often come with a hood/light combo. Make sure you get a flourescent fixture and not an incandescent one.

Decide if you want to do salt or freshwater, although saltwater isn't really more "expensive" to maintain. You're looking at higher initial costs because a lot of the stuff (fish, live sand, coral, etc) is more expensive, and you have to monitor the tank more closely than you would with a freshwater tank of the same size, but in the long run it's not really much more expensive. In all honesty, I started with a 29-gallon freshwater tank and while I love it, I kinda wish I had gone for a saltwater set up instead.

Bottom line:
If you've never kept an aquarium before, my recommendation is that you table this idea for the time being. Do some reading on the internet, go to your local pet store and PetCo, and ask about what you will need. Get a feeling for what the damage is going to be, what size tank you're going to want, what size tank you're going to NEED. When you get to your new house (NOT BEFORE), decide where you might want to locate the tank. Make sure wifey/SO approves lest ye catch heat for it for years to come.
Then, I'd say get a smaller tank and run that for awhile just so you can get a feel for what kind of work, equipment and money goes into running an aquarium (it's not a whole lot, but you dont' want to do a demo-job in your living room to end up deciding you don't really like being an aquarist and end up leaving an empty tank there!). If you decide you still want to do it, then start working out how to build it.

 

[Arkitech]

This will probably sound wierd but I should have mentioned it in the beginning. I probably won't buy any fish (at least not right away) for the tank. I'm primarily interested in the tank for decorative purposes, I've always liked the way water distorts and colors any type of lighting that you shine through it. So basically my goal was to build the tank into the wall and add a lot of sand, plants and other items into the aquarium and then run some type of light through it.


I wish there were some websites on I'm trying to do. I have'nt been able to find any

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
This will probably sound wierd but I should have mentioned it in the beginning. I probably won't buy any fish (at least not right away) for the tank. I'm primarily interested in the tank for decorative purposes, I've always liked the way water distorts and colors any type of lighting that you shine through it. So basically my goal was to build the tank into the wall and add a lot of sand, plants and other items into the aquarium and then run some type of light through it.

ROFL
I hear you. "Decorating" an aquarium is half the fun, and occasionally I've joked around about starting another tank just so I can toy with some of the other decorating ideas I've had and see what they look like.

In all honesty, the water in a filled rectangular tank isn't goint to create much of a distortion in terms of color or appearance. You would probably need to use a colored light, maybe color the water, and create some sort of surface agitation, and even then, I'm not sure if it would produce a very dramatic visual. I also think that the fish are the source of a lot of the fascinating movements in an aquarium, and you may find that it just doesn't look right with no fish. Live plants may not do well without fish in with them. You may be able to nurse them along with regimented fertilizer/plant food supplements.

Regardless, any tank full of water is going to grow algae and eventually start to look nasty...you're going to have to get inside it and clean it out periodically, so while you might not have to get in there every few weeks like you would with a freshwater tank, you'll still need to get access to it somehow....

But, aquariums aren't all that expensive. You could throw a few hundred dollars down for a tank, light/hood combo, stand, and some gravel and fake plants, and see how it looks.

 

[kinji55]

I love aquarium! they are the best. unfortunately I moved into an apt so i have no more room with allmy computer parts lying around for a fishtank.. i sold my 50 gallon.. .

I always had a dream of gettign a big wall tank likeyou described. i saw one at the store for $2000. it was 6 feet by 3 feet by 6 feet LxWxH. but that is not my dream one.. i want one so i can go in and swim with my fish. hehehe

i would only put those awesome lionhead orando ? goldfish and watch them grow to be as big as a cat! i would put 2 or 3 in.

it would be awesome!.. .ah... dreams...

 

[Doggiedog]

If you are going to put an aquarium in a wall, you'll probably want to get a one piece acrylic tank not the 4 piece glass and epoxy type. Those 1 piece tanks are mucho dinero.

 

[kherman]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
I've been thinking of buying my first home aquairum, I was flipping through a magazine a few months back and there was a picture of a room with an aquarium built into the wall. Every since then I've been thinking about doing something similar.

I'm looking to move into a new house within the next few months so I figure that would be the perfect time to get setup with a nice tank and some cool lighting.

Anyone have some suggestions on what type of tank I should look into? Also do most aquariums come with lights or do I have to buy those seperately?

I got the placement all figured out, but I just need to learn a bit more about the tanks and the lighting. My plan is to build an alcove in the wall with a shelf big enough to hold a tank. So first I'll have to cut an opening through the drywall, then build or buy a shelf big enough to support a tank, then I'll patch up the wall and make a removable frame to fit around the new opening. That should give the appearance of the tank being part of the wall. Then I'll try to do some research on a lighting scheme.

What JZero said...listen to him!

As for what bthorny said, DO NOT GO TO PETCO! Go to a mom 'n' pop type shop. They actually know what they are doing and are entusiasts! Atleast a good place. Going to PetCo is like going to a Gateway store to buy a PC. You know more than they do, don't you? A mom 'n' pop shop will be able to help you better and they actually enjoy helping you. Truth is all your answers could probably be handled at a good pet store.

Now for my two cents:
Based on what you say, you are a newbie. That means you are going to start with a fresh water setup! I need to know more about the wall your building on. You need access for changing bulbs, feeding and maintainging the tank. You need atleast 6 inches above the tank, probably 12" would be better. remember, you'll need to be able to fetch dead fish out of the tank, do maintenance (vacuuming hte gravel), etc. How are you going to maintain the filter? if it's on the back of the tank, you need to be able to access it. You might want to filter water fall filters on the tank sides for better accesability.

Also remember that when in doubt, more filtering is ALWAYs better. Ask what filter is recomended and get atleast one filter better. i have a 35 gallon tank and have a filter for 35-50 gallong tanks. DO NOT get the filter that says 20-35 gallons. That is a bad idea. You'll get cloudy water due to the fiter not being able to handle the bioload.

The 1" per gallon rule is a MYTH!

How big of a tank are you planning on getting???

www.aquariumhobbyist.com has a forum you might like. There is a beginner's section and the site is fairly well visited. Go to google and try finidng more fourms. unfortunately, most forums are saltwater/reef forums, so it's hard to find a GOOD one.

As a general rule, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep healthy, but the more it costs to maintain.

PM me and i'll give you my e-mail. I'm a hobbyist and am willing to help you outside of ATOT.

just notice your newest post.... I'll respond more. I wrote this while you made the post above me

 

[kherman]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
If you are going to put an aquarium in a wall, you'll probably want to get a one piece acrylic tank not the 4 piece glass and epoxy type. Those 1 piece tanks are mucho dinero.

Get an all glass tank! Once a scratch get's in acryllic, you will see the algae for as long as the tank is sitting there. Entusiasts use all glass tanks. For some extra cash, you can get a colorless all glass tank (colorless means no blue tint). But for a small tank, which i suspect your going after, you want have thick glass, so the blue won't be noticable.

 

[kherman]

Originally posted by: Jzero

Originally posted by: Arkitech
This will probably sound wierd but I should have mentioned it in the beginning. I probably won't buy any fish (at least not right away) for the tank. I'm primarily interested in the tank for decorative purposes, I've always liked the way water distorts and colors any type of lighting that you shine through it. So basically my goal was to build the tank into the wall and add a lot of sand, plants and other items into the aquarium and then run some type of light through it.

ROFL
I hear you. "Decorating" an aquarium is half the fun, and occasionally I've joked around about starting another tank just so I can toy with some of the other decorating ideas I've had and see what they look like.

In all honesty, the water in a filled rectangular tank isn't goint to create much of a distortion in terms of color or appearance. You would probably need to use a colored light, maybe color the water, and create some sort of surface agitation, and even then, I'm not sure if it would produce a very dramatic visual. I also think that the fish are the source of a lot of the fascinating movements in an aquarium, and you may find that it just doesn't look right with no fish. Live plants may not do well without fish in with them. You may be able to nurse them along with regimented fertilizer/plant food supplements.

Regardless, any tank full of water is going to grow algae and eventually start to look nasty...you're going to have to get inside it and clean it out periodically, so while you might not have to get in there every few weeks like you would with a freshwater tank, you'll still need to get access to it somehow....

But, aquariums aren't all that expensive. You could throw a few hundred dollars down for a tank, light/hood combo, stand, and some gravel and fake plants, and see how it looks.

Comments on both the quote and the inner quote
You can color the water. I forget what it's called. i think it's caled amazon extract. I might be way off on what it's called, but it will give your water a brownish tint.

From what you (Arkitech) says, it is possible to do exactly what you want. You need 100% pure ammonia. Yes, you can go to the grocery store and get ammonia from the cleaning good section. The stuff in the fish store is the same exact thing but marked up signifigantly. Use it to cycle your tank (without fish). Look up tank cycling on the internet to learn more. You'll have to monitor you tanks levels whil;e doing the cycling. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph.

As for plants, sounds great. I would also add driftwood to make it purty. Once done and ready to add fish, add them little by little. Do not add a bunch at once. I don't know if you want large or small fish or a combo. I have:
rosey barbs (these are not as aggresive as most barbs, but are fin nippers)
neon tetras
danios
(some small red colored tetras I forget the name of)

The latter threee together with some green plants will make for a very purty aquarium.

Add a mix of red and blue lights. maybe even a black light to make the neons brighter and you're good to go.

Also, if you are "paranoid" with the filtering and don't overstock your tank, algae shouldn't be much of an issue. vacuum thegravel once in a while and you'll be fine.

Aslo, I'd go with gravel over sand. Your call though. Gravel is easier to filter (IMHO)

How many gallons are you planning on and what's your budget.

Go here to get an aquarium, or atleast get size ideas.oceanic systems
They also have a dealer locator.

 

[Arkitech]

Thanks for all the tips and advice. I think I need to go look at a few tanks and really try to decide what I need. But like I mentioned before I'm really interested in the aquarium for the lighting affect it could provide. I LOVE that aqua-greenish light with the refractions, its such a cool calming type of feature.

 

[Jzero]

Comments on both the quote and the inner quote
You can color the water. I forget what it's called. i think it's caled amazon extract. I might be way off on what it's called, but it will give your water a brownish tint.

Blackwater Extract is the name I've seen, although it may be sold under other names. My girlfriend uses it in her betta breeding tanks, and it looks cool. I was considering getting something for my tank (which cotains rosy barbs, green tiger barbs, harlequin raspbora, scissortail raspbora, female bettas, fire honey gouramis, algae eaters, and a spotted cat fish), because I saw a tank in the pet store that had been colored with it and it did look awesome.

My girlfriend also uses tropical sand on the bottom of one of her betta tanks, and it's a pain. Since bettas like stagnant water, I don't have a filter, so I don't know how bad that is, but cleaning and adding water to the tank without kicking up a cloud of sand is no easy task.

 

[Maverick]

I had a tank with cichlids and oscars...it was a lot of fun...those things are damn aggressive! Make sure not to mix south american and african cichlids though...the africans can be mean little bastards.

 

[kherman]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
Thanks for all the tips and advice. I think I need to go look at a few tanks and really try to decide what I need. But like I mentioned before I'm really interested in the aquarium for the lighting affect it could provide. I LOVE that aqua-greenish light with the refractions, its such a cool calming type of feature.

Are you trying to set up the tank to be a light source of some sort?

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: kherman

Originally posted by: Arkitech
Thanks for all the tips and advice. I think I need to go look at a few tanks and really try to decide what I need. But like I mentioned before I'm really interested in the aquarium for the lighting affect it could provide. I LOVE that aqua-greenish light with the refractions, its such a cool calming type of feature.

Are you trying to set up the tank to be a light source of some sort?

Actually that is a big part of my goal. I realize that the aquarium won't be a significant light source but it should hopefully provide a nice ambient type of effect at night or when the house is dark.

 

[Kerouactivist]

Originally posted by: kherman

Originally posted by: Arkitech
I've been thinking of buying my first home aquairum, I was flipping through a magazine a few months back and there was a picture of a room with an aquarium built into the wall. Every since then I've been thinking about doing something similar.

I'm looking to move into a new house within the next few months so I figure that would be the perfect time to get setup with a nice tank and some cool lighting.

Anyone have some suggestions on what type of tank I should look into? Also do most aquariums come with lights or do I have to buy those seperately?

I got the placement all figured out, but I just need to learn a bit more about the tanks and the lighting. My plan is to build an alcove in the wall with a shelf big enough to hold a tank. So first I'll have to cut an opening through the drywall, then build or buy a shelf big enough to support a tank, then I'll patch up the wall and make a removable frame to fit around the new opening. That should give the appearance of the tank being part of the wall. Then I'll try to do some research on a lighting scheme.

What JZero said...listen to him!

As for what bthorny said, DO NOT GO TO PETCO! Go to a mom 'n' pop type shop. They actually know what they are doing and are entusiasts! Atleast a good place. Going to PetCo is like going to a Gateway store to buy a PC. You know more than they do, don't you? A mom 'n' pop shop will be able to help you better and they actually enjoy helping you. Truth is all your answers could probably be handled at a good pet store.

Now for my two cents:
Based on what you say, you are a newbie. That means you are going to start with a fresh water setup! I need to know more about the wall your building on. You need access for changing bulbs, feeding and maintainging the tank. You need atleast 6 inches above the tank, probably 12" would be better. remember, you'll need to be able to fetch dead fish out of the tank, do maintenance (vacuuming hte gravel), etc. How are you going to maintain the filter? if it's on the back of the tank, you need to be able to access it. You might want to filter water fall filters on the tank sides for better accesability.

Also remember that when in doubt, more filtering is ALWAYs better. Ask what filter is recomended and get atleast one filter better. i have a 35 gallon tank and have a filter for 35-50 gallong tanks. DO NOT get the filter that says 20-35 gallons. That is a bad idea. You'll get cloudy water due to the fiter not being able to handle the bioload.

The 1" per gallon rule is a MYTH!

How big of a tank are you planning on getting???

www.aquariumhobbyist.com has a forum you might like. There is a beginner's section and the site is fairly well visited. Go to google and try finidng more fourms. unfortunately, most forums are saltwater/reef forums, so it's hard to find a GOOD one.

As a general rule, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep healthy, but the more it costs to maintain.

PM me and i'll give you my e-mail. I'm a hobbyist and am willing to help you outside of ATOT.

just notice your newest post.... I'll respond more. I wrote this while you made the post above me

Well poop on me hehe, I thought petco would be a good place to price stuff, the people at our local petco are quite nice, and their selection of fish is pretty good compared to the mom and pops in our town (I live in a pretty small city).

Even if the people at your petco are stupid it is still a good place to get ideas on prices