Wall aquariums give a dramatic and elegant look to every room. They can be installed on a dividing wall so they can be viewed from each room. Although wall aquariums are pricier than standing fish tanks and are harder to mount you will be very happy that you made the effort and investment when you see how good your aquarium looks and how it is admired by visitors to your home. They may be, though, be more work to manage than a stand mounted aquarium as they are mounted in a confined space which makes it a bit harder to get into the tank for feeding, cleaning and other maintenance. Many wall aquariums now come with cabinets above or below the fish tank which should help to make access simpler.
A few of the more recent wall fish tanks can be bought as kits with all the add ons and hardware for hanging necessary, so that the accessories such as filters and pumps are easily hidden. They are also simple to hang so you might not require a builder to install the aquarium for you. If you aren’t too sure of your skills in DIY, it may be well worth paying a workman to do the installation instead then the only thing you must do is to fill the tank and stock it with fish.
An important thing you must do before you hang the fish tank is to see whether there is any electrical wiring or pipes within the wall at the location you are going to install it. You also need to locate a load bearing wall and see where there are wall studs. Tanks can be very heavy when completely filled with water so you have to be very sure that the wall will bear this tank.You should make a decision on whether you will hang the tank or install it into the wall.
The next task for you to do is to measure the area where the tank will be placed and make sure you allow some room for accessories such as lights, pumps etc. The pump can be placed at a distance from the fish tank, and water can be pumped through flexible pipes to the tank. Admittedly this is more effort when initially installing it does have the benefit that you will be able move large amounts of water through the tank, which will allow you to keep more fish, and in addition keeps the noise of the pump in another the room. One of the problems with wall aquariums is that they are narrow so that the surface area is smaller than rectangular fish tanks. This can mean that unless you oxygenate the water vigorously you can’t keep a lot of fish in the aquarium.
If you are going to pay a builder to install your wall aquarium have a chat with him before you purchase the fish tank and make sure he is aware of your requirements. When your tank is installed it will need to be set up just like any other aquarium by cycling the tank before you can add the fish. The best method is fishless cycling which is easy to do and does not cause harm to any fish. When the tank is cycled you should begin to buy your fish and put in some plants if you are using them.
A very exotic effect can be achieved by making a marine aquarium with colourful reef corals and fish, but this is, perhaps a plan for a more experienced fish keeper. A wall fish tank, as we have said, will make an excellent center of attention to your room and is bound to be envied by all your visitors.
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