An aquarium adds what to the feel? It makes your place look more alive and more calm. When you walk into a room, it gives you a different feel. Aquarium design ideas do a lot more than just holding fish, they add lively feels and bring a sort of aura to the place that’s appealing. They shape the mood of the person walking in. They guide their movements. The simple aquarium design ideas we’ve brought for you in this guide break down the process of an aquarium fitting into your interior’s design. And it’s step-by-step to make it easy for you so you can be smart about your choices.
Aquariums and Interior Energy
Aquariums really change how a certain space feels. The components that make up an aquarium matter a lot. The water adds movement, the lighting symbolises and adds warmth, and fish bring life to it. All of these features of a beautiful aquarium together soften hard interiors and bring a balance to a busy environment.
A lot of designers put an aquarium at places where people usually, naturally wait, like entrances, lounges, waiting areas, or living rooms. The placement of the tank determines if your room would feel like a slow breath while passing through. Also, we’d like to give you a gentle suggestion/tip. You should avoid putting aquariums into places where silence matters the most, for example in bedrooms, even the slightest of the movements can disturb sleep or rest.
What Type of Aquarium Fits Your Space?
For different kinds of spaces, there are different types of solutions. Here we are gonna list down some popular options used in projects throughout the whole world:
Freshwater Hardscape Aquariums
These are clean and structured and along with that, they don’t really require a lot of effort. These tanks use rocks, gravel, plus driftwood. They don't have plants, so maintenance is much simpler plus the look is sleek and minimal.
What are they best for?
- Office
- In fashion interiors
- Easy upkeep
Freshwater Planted Aquariums
Honestly, to us these come across as live art. Plants bring the sort of softness that appeals heavily, and beautifully to the human eye. The tank takes the looks of a painting in landscape that’s alive and is slowly changing as time passes.
These fit perfectly well in:
- Homes
- Wellness centers
- Creative/art studios
Saltwater Fish Aquariums
These aquariums are glowing, colorful, dashing, screaming “FULL OF PERSONALITY.” Saltwater fish undoubtedly add colour and lovely activity. Some people like a more cheerful, dramatic look with reef-style designs, while others like a simpler design with rock.
These are pretty great for:
- Feature walls
- Commercial places
- Statement interiors
Jellyfish Aquariums
These have such a hypnotic feel to them. It looks modern and the floating jellyfish add onto the appeal. Jellyfish aquariums require special design of the flow and needs the interiors to be smooth. No sharp decor. No strong suction.
These work best as:
- Art features
- Lobby centerpieces
- Luxury installations
However, to summarise all this, it depends on your decoration. The simpler you choose it to be, the calmer your place will feel.
Aquarium Tank Design Ideas: Shapes and Styles
This is the part where we discuss shapes and you realise how much just the shape of the aquarium changes everything.
Rectangular Aquariums
These are classic and functional. They are easy to place. Easy to maintain. This is the most common shape people go for when they think of an aquarium. It fits almost anywhere and it works fine in most interiors, but it usually does not become the main highlight of the room. It does what it’s supposed to do.
In-Wall Aquariums
These kinda aquariums feel like moving pictures. They are built inside walls and the aquarium feels like art that you’d like to frame on your wall. The underwater world looks clean when you look at it from the front. And maintenance is done from the back of the aquarium which keeps the front look undisturbed. You can contact us for information about more wall aquarium design ideas.
These are best for:
- Living rooms
- Offices
- Public spaces
Room Divider Aquariums
One tank. Two views. These aquariums are used to divide spaces without blocking light or making the room feel closed. The fish appear to float in mid-air which gives a very open and modern feel to the space.
These are perfect for:
- Open-plan homes
- Offices
- Lounges
Cylinder and Curved Aquariums
These are tall, elegant, and save alot of space. Curved aquariums look best when they are made using acrylic. Acrylic helps keep the fish looking natural and avoids distortion when looking at them through curved panels.
These are mostly used in:
- Malls
- Hotel lobbies
- High-impact interiors
Materials to Use (and Avoid)
The type of material you choose has its effects on clarity, safety, plus lifespan.
Acrylic vs Glass
Acrylic takes away the win when it comes to:
- Visual clarity
- Strength
- Curved designs
- Large aquariums
Glass prices are surely lesser than of Acrylic but it becomes a problem if the tank has to be tall or curved.
Other materials used in large builds include concrete and fiberglass-reinforced polyester for structure and durability.
Simple rule.
Bigger tank, smarter material choice.
Cabinet and Support Design Matters
So why are we saying that the design of the cabinet and support matters? It’s cause the tank does not stand alone on its own. The cabinet options you choose should be able to cater to the:
- Weight
- Moisture
- Access to maintenance
Along with this, there are more things that need to be looked after such as:
- Leaving enough space above for cleaning
- Make sure there are wide doors below for access
- Use material that is resistant of moisture
So all in all, our suggestion is that you use marine grade plywood or corrosion resistant metals because they work best, specially for saltwater systems.
Where Should Filtration Go?
This is an important thing because filtration keeps everything alive. It matters where you place it, since the design is affected by it.
Under the Aquarium
Putting it under the aquarium is the most common, compact, and efficient option of yours.
Behind the Aquarium
This plays out really well if you have a public place. It makes the aquarium easy to maintain and you get a large enough viewing window.
On a Lower Floor
Used for large installations. And this saves space upstairs.
So think about filtration like you’d think of plumbing. You want it to be close and quiet, plus in easy access.
Design, Build, and Stocking Timeline
The best way to deal with aquariums for this is taking your time with it and rushing definitely will cause more problems.
These are the phases involved:
- Design and planning
- Tank construction
- Shipping
- Installation
- Letting the system mature
- Introducing the fish to the waters gradually
That maturation phase matters most. Filtration needs time to stabilize before fish are added therefore skipping this step makes the chances of the system failing high. Staying slow and building steadily right now will save you stress later.
Other Important Considerations
The two most important things people tend to forget:
Routes of accessAccess Routes
- Doors, elevators, plus stairwells limit the size of the tank.
- Acrylic tanks often arrive in one piece.
Load the floor can bare
- Water is heavy. Very heavy.
- One cubic meter of water weighs over 1,000 kilograms so checking the structure is very important for large aquariums.
Keeping these things in mind will allow you to plan better early rather than fixing later.
So to Summarize
Great home aquarium design ideas, wall features, and tank concepts start with smart planning. Designing your aquariums as you design the interior simultaneously, it feels effortless and balanced. It also brings a very natural feel to it.
When you’re looking at aquarium design ideas it helps you to think of how to use the place around the tank in everyday life. An aquarium placed well has a natural feel not forced, like it has always belonged there.
Simple aquarium design ideas are the ones that make the biggest and most noticeable changes because they focus on balance, clean lines, plus calm motion. Clear glass, subtle lighting, and thoughtfully chosen decor keep the attention on the fish more than on the setup. Aquarium tank design ideas also change based on room size so choosing the right shapes and sizes matter more than adding extra features.
Wall aquarium design ideas are specially useful when floor space is limited. They add depth, movement, and personality without crowding the room, turning an ordinary wall into a living focal point that feels calm, modern, and inviting.At BPK, we design aquariums that fit the space, not fight it and make it look messy or congested. We guide the whole process from a simple idea to fish covering everything between simple home tanks to custom wall installations.
I wonder how you landed here… Have you been thinking about adding an aquarium to your beautiful interior? Let our professional team at BPK help you out and design in the right way.
