The aquarium inspiration

Colourful tropical fish in a beautifully styled aquarium offer a focal point for any home that will leave your guests talking. Create a charming room by adding a colourful underwater life. Those who love aquariums enjoy decorating it. Some, however, have plain, boring fish tanks with just a few touch ups. You can, however, turn boring into ‘wow’ with a few minor touch ups.

There are many types of aquariums and many ways of decorating them. How you decorate it will affect how it looks and even how the fish interact with other elements therein. The decorations used in the aquarium provide the fish with places to hide and claim their territory. So how do you decorate your aquarium so that it looks like it has been done by a professional?

• Right tank: Think about the size of aquarium you want. This will also be determined by the size of your house. If you have enough space, then a bigger fish tank will suffice. What’s more, the bigger the tank, the larger the space for decorations and for the fish to move around. For happier fish, try and have a gallon of water for every inch on the fish.

• Gravel: There are a variety of multi-coloured gravel that can be placed at the bottom of an aquarium. There is normal coloured gravel – white, brown and black, or even in blue, red, and green among others. Such colours create bright aquariums but do not look natural. Ensure the gravel does not contain minerals, as these can destroy the chemistry in the tank, affecting your fish. You can also have sand substrate. The sand must not only be brown. You can also have creative combinations of white and black sand.

• Background: The background you attach to your aquarium will add depth and beauty to your aquarium. Get scenes that look like the bottom of an ocean or inside a river. These images stimulate the fish, making them more active. The backgrounds are easy to put and remove so you can change them at your will.

• Plants: The bushier, bigger and prettier the plants, the better. Plants add a lot of beauty to an aquarium. Put the plants you get in different locations within the aquarium and occasionally switch them for an enjoyable experience. Put longer plants or bigger stones at the back of the aquarium and smaller at the front. Ensure the plants have enough light and nutrition. The plants will also be determined by your fish; some prefer to lay on leaves while others just love hiding inside them. Plastic plants can also do although this will cost you more.

• Accessories: You may be one of those who prefer natural-looking rocks. Shipwrecks, castle ruins, treasures, statues and bridges are some of the accessories that can be good since fish like to swim around accessories that have open holes and spaces. Shells too, are great accessories.

They come in varying forms and sizes and are good for the composition of the water. The accessories can be colour-coordinated with the theme in your room. They also offer a good entertainment for the fish. Get as creative as possible with the accessories as long as they are not harmful to the fish..2

• Fish: Decorations aside, you should also decide on the type of fish to keep in your tank. There are thousands of fish kinds in varying shapes and colours, and you will thus be spoilt for choice. Do your homework before starting out on putting together your fish aquarium so that you get the best fish variety.

 Dorcas is a decor enthusiast, a home furnishing fashionista whose hobby is to make your house feel like a home.