How Can You Customize the Appearance of Your Aquarium?

When it comes to putting together the perfect saltwater or freshwater aquarium, there are virtually no limits in terms of customization. In 2015, the popular Animal Planet television series Tanked dedicated many episodes to showing some of the most lavish, custom-made tanks for wealthy clients, some of whom spent up to a million dollars for very large tanks that essentially replicated a memorable scuba diving trip to the Caribbean. Even if you don’t have thousands or millions of dollars to invest in your aquarium, you can still customize its look with some simple upgrades, and here are a few recommendations.

Choose Acrylic Over Glass

With the exception of certain smaller commercial tanks, most acrylic aquarium creations are custom-made. Acrylic panes are lighter and stronger than glass. Plus, they’re far more durable than glass. If you want to go with an aquarium shape that stands out from the rest, acrylic is the way to go.

Pick an Attractive Background

Unless your tank is specifically placed in a spot where it’s meant to be appreciated from all angles, you should enhance its appearance with a nice background, particularly the three-dimensional kind. Elaborate backgrounds feature uniquely detailed textures of underwater habitats or rocks. They tend to be colorful, realistic, and very affordable.

Get a Decorative Cover that Matches the Furniture

Most aquarium covers (often called canopies) are largely functional. They support the lighting system and perhaps automated feeders, but if you look around you’ll find that many covers are decorative. If your tank is set atop a table or cabinet made of wood, a cover that looks like wood and matches the color of the furniture is highly recommended. Finally, it also makes sense to choose a cover that matches your most colorful species. For example, if you keep rainbow sharks, a nice ruby red cover is a unique idea.

Add Decorations

Live plants and rocks should be part of every freshwater aquarium not only because they look good but also because they provide places for fish to explore and hide, and they add health benefits to the aquarium. The classics include Greek ruins and the old-fashioned diver discovering a treasure chest at the bottom of the sea. Some decorations are part of the aeration system and will let you hide the biological filter. You can even get weighted Christmas trees for the holiday season. Skip seashells and pieces of coral in freshwater tanks because they tend to release calcium, and this could lead to a pH imbalance in the water.

Whatever you need to customize your tank, you can find the highest-quality options at Aquatic Warehouse, a trusted provider of fish tank supplies. We offer a wide array of options on our website, and we also have a store located in Kearny Mesa. If you have any questions about your aquarium’s needs, don’t hesitate to give us a call today at 858-467-9297.