Wall mounted tanks

[NetMax]

A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to
buy one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with
this and they sent me a link:
http://www.wallaquariums.com/

I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
(considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
experience with it?

So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
(reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.

I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
collecting the information for them.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Liz McGuire]

There's one place on their site which says 6" wide, and this jives
with some I saw at the mall this weekend (yes, a kiosk in the middle
of the mall). (Keep in mind that's sure to be the external dimension
and you'd have to take a good 1/2 inch off for the glass thickness.)
Those (in the mall) had young-ish angelfish in them! Poor fishies -
already barely enough room to turn around. I hadn't considered the
surface area at the time. Now that you mention it, it seems twice as
bad an idea! :-(

Those at the mall had in internal filter, off to one side (heater was
on the other). The only way to get at the bottom would be a very long
thin gravel vacuum tube - no way could you fit your arm very far into
one.

Liz


NetMax wrote:
>
> A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
> where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to
> buy one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with
> this and they sent me a link:
> http://www.wallaquariums.com/
>
> I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
> (considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
> experience with it?
>
> So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
> think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
> a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
> (reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
> of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
> collecting the information for them.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk

[Justice]

NetMax wrote:
> A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
> where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to
> buy one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with
> this and they sent me a link:
> http://www.wallaquariums.com/
>
> I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
> (considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
> experience with it?
>
> So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
> think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
> a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
> (reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
> of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
> collecting the information for them.

Where I'm living there is a window type space betwwn room I would love
to build a tank there dimentions would be 47"x56x18" wide. only problem
is I rent. i agree 3" is too small but 18" it would bee a tall 50 gal
style as they aren't much wider. Also I would not go the full 56" high
need lights and matnece room, maybe 40" or 2 tanks atop each other with
a central filter?

[Vance]

NetMax wrote:
> A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
> where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to
> buy one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with
> this and they sent me a link:
> http://www.wallaquariums.com/
>
> I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
> (considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
> experience with it?
>
> So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
> think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
> a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
> (reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
> of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
> collecting the information for them.
I have a cousin that built a 120 gal tank into a wall separating the
dining room from the living room of his house. It was a marine aquarium.

[Jürgen Exner]

NetMax wrote:
[in-wall tanks]
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind
> while collecting the information for them.

I think this very much depends what you mean by "wall mounted" as this can
be interpreted in many different ways.

- Mounted to the wall instead of on a stand on the floor: a great idea and
often the only way to work-around a crappy floor or static problems with
century old rotten floor beams.
- integrated into a wall between two rooms: terrific!!!! There are photos in
the Mergus Aquarium Atlas (page 17+18 in volume 1), where the tank is flush
with the wall on one side (e.g. in the living room). And the whole equipment
and maintenance is done from the other side only. Of course you will have to
cut back the wall accordingly, leave plenty of space above the tank that is
only accessible (and visible!) from the other room, etc. etc. But they are
gorgeous!
- and then there are double glass windows with a 4-5 inch wide space between
the two panes which are sold as "aquariums that will fit into your standard
wall flush on both sides". Well, even mollies won't be able to turn around
without bumping their head in them and I am afraid you are talking about
those.

jue

[Eric]

On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 19:40:22 -0600, NetMax wrote
(in article >):

> So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
> think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
> a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
> (reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
> of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
> collecting the information for them.


Three inches wide??? ~8cm? It isn't gonna work.

-E

[Zathoros]

I have to agree with Jurgen. You need to convince them to put a real
aquarium in an adjacent room with the wall cut way to expose it in their
living room. They aren't going to be able to put any big fish in those thin
things and it would be hard to maintain as you suggest. Aren't you usually
saying real aquaria begins at 60 gallons? :D You might be able to find some
arguably attractive small fish. But they will be dwarfed by their display, a
few tiny fish in a huge area.

A local shop here in Dallas does custom in wall aquariums, perhaps you can
find someone who does them up in the hinterlands. I am always wowed when I
go to the store, they have three display tanks that are in one wall. Here's
their site, though the pictures are sort of crappy, and don't convey how
nice these things look.

http://www.dallasnorthaquarium.com/gallery/index.htm

That wallaquarium site looks like it was done by a high school kid as well.
I wouldn't be expecting the quality of their work to be that great if that's
all the artistry they can muster.


"NetMax" > wrote in message
.. .
>A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
>where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to buy
>one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with this and
>they sent me a link:
> http://www.wallaquariums.com/
>
> I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
> (considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
> experience with it?
>
> So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
> think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
> a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
> (reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
> of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
> collecting the information for them.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>

[Adam]

Here are some more wall aquariums with just as much room for the fish
to move around...

http://nature-discovery.com/home/nd1/smartlist_34/fish_posters.html

[NetMax]

"Jürgen Exner" > wrote in message
news:uSSif.1155$to5.56@trnddc04...
> NetMax wrote:
> [in-wall tanks]
>> I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind
>> while collecting the information for them.
>
> I think this very much depends what you mean by "wall mounted" as this can
> be interpreted in many different ways.
>
> - Mounted to the wall instead of on a stand on the floor: a great idea and
> often the only way to work-around a crappy floor or static problems with
> century old rotten floor beams.
> - integrated into a wall between two rooms: terrific!!!! There are photos
> in the Mergus Aquarium Atlas (page 17+18 in volume 1), where the tank is
> flush with the wall on one side (e.g. in the living room). And the whole
> equipment and maintenance is done from the other side only. Of course you
> will have to cut back the wall accordingly, leave plenty of space above
> the tank that is only accessible (and visible!) from the other room, etc.
> etc. But they are gorgeous!
> - and then there are double glass windows with a 4-5 inch wide space
> between the two panes which are sold as "aquariums that will fit into your
> standard wall flush on both sides". Well, even mollies won't be able to
> turn around without bumping their head in them and I am afraid you are
> talking about those.

Unfortunately, that's the type, narrow and hung off of a wall. My friend is
renting, so building it into a wall is not an option. For myself, I would
never consider one of these things. I have no reservations about knocking
walls down for aquariums ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

> jue
>
>

[fish lover]

Hmmm...

The tanks are 20 g and 30 g, which means they will be 200 lb to 300 lb
in weight. Well, that much weight and wet (from water changes and so
on) may give you problems. I have trouble keeping my picture frames on
the wall. I wonder if the wet and weight will make things more
difficult to keep them up. I can pick up my picture frames on the
ground, not sure you can do that to the glas tanks, or the fish :)

Plus, $2700 for a 20 g tank and $3200 for 30 g tank is too rich for my
blood.

>A friend of mine emailed me, because they saw an episode of ugly houses
>where they re-did the room using a wall mounted aquarium. They want to
>buy one, and have asked me if there were any catches or surprises with
>this and they sent me a link:
>http://www.wallaquariums.com/
>
>I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
>(considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
>experience with it?
>
>So far I've told them that it will only hold very few tiny fish, as I
>think it's only 3" wide (extrapolating the dimensions and volume) and has
>a very small surface area (3"x48"). I have some concerns about access
>(reaching the bottom, cleaning the algae, servicing the filter, what kind
>of filter etc), so that I would investigate it a bit more for them.
>
>I think it's a very bad idea, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while
>collecting the information for them.

[fish lover]

:)
>Here are some more wall aquariums with just as much room for the fish
>to move around...
>
>http://nature-discovery.com/home/nd1/smartlist_34/fish_posters.html

[Linda Mikasko]

Yea your right, those tanks aren't much thicker than a poster. Course
the fish in pictures arent real so they probably don't mind. ;o)

Ross Taggart

[Frank]

NetMax wrote;
>I poked around their site, and it actually looked somewhat credible
>(considering the product), but I was wondering if anyone had first hand
>experience with it?

It isn't the same as www.wallaquariums.com, but looks just as good if
not better. It's 30 gal. (72"x20"x6") and made out of acrylic. The hood
light, 4"w trim down both sides covers the canister filter hoses and
air hose, with a 14"x 6" cabinet across the bottom which houses the
filter, foods, nets, and meds. This one has black acrylic trim and
cabinet, but one can get it in 2 or 3 other colors - any of them for
somewhat less than $1000.00 spring of "06".
Other than not enough light for real plants, it's really a nice looking
set up. It isn't going to hold an oscar, but any of the smaller
community fish would do just fine. First one built, a little over a
year ago, houses 4 - year old black lace-vail angels which have no
trouble at all turning around. Inside, front to back is 5.5" - at 20"
deep, there is more than enough room for cleaning - I think they will
sell great............ Frank