installation

Summary

A thriving aquarium in Homes or Businesses adds a spark of life like no other. I have setup enough aquariums on my own to know that the process of hauling an aquarium in and out is a job and a half. So many things can go wrong when transporting large glass boxes, so leave it to me to deal with that part!

The excitement of a sparkly new aquarium is enough, don’t stress yourself out with transport and install. Aquariums are heavy and fragile, two things that don’t go well together when moving. Leave those worries behind and let me do the work.

*Please be aware: Any aquarium over 125 gallons will need the assistance of extra movers and equipment*

Full look at installation 🔍

What goes into it?

It takes a lot of behind the scenes action for seamless aquarium installation, but you won’t be left in the dark. I pride myself on effective and efficient communication so your aquarium is what YOU want. Planning for an install will require multiple communications and verifications. Some parts that go into planning is choosing and ordering tanks, choosing filtration systems, time and date of install, and weather conditions.

Planning an Aquarium that Fits your Vision.

Planning your install is a long process that has numerous factors to it. Something as important as your centerpiece needs time for careful consideration, as to not overlook anything. Communicating every factor that you can think of for aquarium install will make the process safer and more efficient. On my end, I will be looking for every necessary component to bring your vision to life. I will create a full plan with all the information available to me and present it to you.

Risks

The word “Risks” definitely has a negative connotation to it, but understanding and minimizing risk is a part of being responsible. It would not be right of me to sweep risks under the rug and pretend aquarium installation is risk free. There is always a risk with any aquarium – keeping a large glass box of contained water does come with “what if’s”. The potential for breaks and leaks are always present, especially in public areas such as waiting rooms, lobbies, or common areas, where multiple people have the possibility to interact with the tank. I take the upmost responsibility in finding you the highest quality materials and brands that are proven on longevity and merit.

Transportation

Three options for transportation is delivery to address of install, delivery to me and I transport to you, or I pickup and deliver to you. It can be a little overwhelming getting a heavy 6’x2′ box dropped at your doorstep, so I can take that weight (no pun intended) off your shoulders.

Time

Aquarium Install, especially large ones, takes a good bit of time and possibly multiple days if waiting on deliveries. In an ideal situation it would be a one and done with all equipment and materials ready same day, but I also wont ever rush through any steps and risk mistakes.

Aquascaping

This is the fun part of the whole process: seeing a new world come to life in front of you. Aquascaping is the landscaping of the aquarium, putting together the rocks, wood, substrate, and plants to create a slice of nature in your space. Aquascaping is going to be the energy of your aquarium. Aquascaping was invented in the 90’s by the legend Takashi Amano, he even has a species of shrimp named after him! Takashi Amano curated the style of Iwagumi aquascaping (refered to as one of the most difficult types of aquariums to maintain) that was based on traditional Japanese rock gardens. The term ‘Iwagumi” means “rock arrangement” which is what these beautiful styles of tanks look like. There are several other aquascaping styles that are recognized and follow general rules when setting up. I like to take the natural approach to try and recreate real environments, especially the environment of the fish’s natural home.

Stocking Selection

There are two different ways to build an aquarium. The first way is testing the water, then choosing fish that would go well with the parameters. The second way is picking fish first then curating the water to them. The most amazing part of aquariums is choosing and stocking the fish. Whichever method you choose to do, I will find a way to work with it. If the parameters of the water don’t match the fish’s needs, there are several ways to sustainably change water parameters. In the long run it is easier to pick fish based off of parameters, but chasing numbers isn’t impossible.