Hey all,
I'm planning on adding an aquarium into my dining/kitchen area. I have a little nook in the wall just the perfect size for an aquarium. The nook is 40" by 24". Right now I have an iron and glass shelving system sitting in there that does not match any of the decor in the area. It looks like something you'd get from Pottery Barn. I got it for free when my sister moved. It's a nice piece just doesn't match.
Anyhoo, in the area I have a white Saarinen pedestal dining table with four Eames upholstered side chairs. The art work in the area is mostly advertisement art from the earlier part of last century.
I really want to put a marine aquarium in the area. Based on the size of the nook, I think I can go up to around 45-50 gallons. The problem is most aquarium stands just don't look all that nice. They are usually made of oak or cherry wood in a style that just doesn't fit with a modern decor. I could just go with a simple black design, but I was wondering if anyone has come across aquarium stands made in woods that actually work in a modern setting. I guess like teak, walnut, etc. Wood finishes and patinas that would look good with a Saarinen pedestal table. Any help or links would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Some feedback
Well, I think you should do some additional thinking before you proceed. My hubby and I have had marine aquariums for years and years. THEY ARE A LOT OF WORK! You must be ready for the commitment they take. For example, if you go on vacation you'll need to have someone come and check the salinity and the filters and all that. Lots of people pay a maintenance person to care for their tanks just like hiring house cleaners, it can get pricey. Understanding what you are getting yourself into is way more important than the furniture you'll put the tank on. Marine aquariums also are much harder to stabilize and maintain if they are smaller than 75 gallons.
If you want to put in a smaller tank your best bet is to stick to fresh water. There are many forms of fresh water tanks, you do not have to do the ticky-tacky stuff you see in Petco. Back in our fresh water days we had an Amazonian Cichlid tank that was gorgeous.
Another thing to consider is that salt water tanks wreak havoc on anything made of wood. It also will mist into the room that you put it into so salt deposits will form in the area of your tank. Don't put furniture you love near it and certainly keep electronics away. Many stands are metal so that they can survive the abuse. With a marine tank you need to enclose the sump and filtering systems so there are usually doors. Oceanic is a good company to deal with, both for the stands and for the tank itself.
I recommend you spend some time online reading about tank maintenance. There are lots of forums just like this one for aquarium enthusiasts. I don't want to scare you off but, it's a big commitment, especially a marine tank. Proceed with caution and good luck!
Yeah, I know about the...
Yeah, I know about the amount of work that goes into it. I aleady have a tank in my bedroom. It's a larger tank with a simple black base and canopy. I actually got that one for free. My brother-in-law actually owns a business dealing with setting up and maintaining marine tanks, and he had a spare tank and stand just lying around gathering dust. He lives several states over, but is trying to help me find something I like. While the black design would also work in the dining/kitchen area, I'd really like something with a modern vibe to it. We've both been searching with only a limited amount of luck. I'm not even dead-set on wood. I just want something that would look good in a mid-century modern setting. And I was trying to stay away from the simple black since I've already got one like that. But if need be, I'll settle for a simple black design again.
OK, great to hear, so many folks just jump in blind and are then horrified by the work
Our tank just came down for our move to New Mexico. Actually the livestock got decimated by the big ice storm that hit the Northeast US in December. The power was out so long that even our battery back up died. So once the fish and invertebrates were gone it didn't make any sense to restock only to break it down after we sold. I kinda miss it, though. It's been a constant thing for the entire 18 years of our marriage.
If you want something other than black, how about buying an acrylic stand and having it painted? I'm pretty sure automotive paint would bond well to that surface.
I had the same problem with...
I had the same problem with the ice storm in February. Didn't have power for over two weeks. That was after I got the tank up and running again after the wind storms from around December that knocked the power out for around two weeks also. I had just gotten the aquarium up and running only to lose everything again. At least, I only had a couple of small fish and a few inverts that time.
I hadn't really considered painting an acrylic base. I'm not the hugest fan of the shiny black acrylic stands. That's one of the first stands my brother-in-law suggested, but I might think about something like it if I could paint it.
I keep checking craig's list because so many people are selling entire set-ups for major bargains...even better bargains then I could get from buying at cost from my brother-in-law. But I haven't found the right one yet. I hate spending that much money on something I only just sorta like. I'd rather wait til I find one I love if I'm putting that much moolah into it.
Do you know any good places...
Do you know any good places where I could find photos of modern-looking aquarium set-ups? I think that's my main problem explaining what I want to my brother-in-law. Our definitions of modern don't quite mesh. Stuff that he thinks is modern-looking often looks like something I could imagine seeing in a Pottery Barn catalog. I don't think he gets the whole mid-century modern style thing. So if anyone knows where I could find pics of modern-looking aquarium set-ups, that would be great. I'd really like something to show him to see if he knows where we could find something similar.
LOVE Marine Aquariums...
had one for a few years myself and they really are LIVING ART. I could just lay there and VEG in front of it like a TV. I think my only caution would be the smell, especially in a dining room. If your sump and the aquarium itself are enclosed in something that will help manage the smell GO FOR IT, otherwise the smell of the salt might be something to consider. I too was VERY chagrin with options for stands/hoods. I ended up fabricating my own stand out of 1.5" square steel tubing and had my cabinet maker friend build a hood for it. Was the most modern stand/hood I had seen and even had friends encourage me to market them. I will see if I have any old pictures later tonight and post them.
I'll be doing something very...
I'll be doing something very similar to this quite soon.
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=afa_portfolio
http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_gallery/gallery2.php
DudeDah,
Did you have...
DudeDah,
Did you have that custom-made? That is exactly what I have been trying to describe to my brother-in-law. It has a nice modern flare to it. I like that it uses mixed materials. That's something you don't see often is aquarium set-ups. The stands and canopies are usually made of one material and that's it. I'll email my brother-in-law a pic of that and see if he can possibly do something in a similar type of design...now that he knows what I'm trying to ask for. He clued me into the AquaVim aquariums. They have some wood stands that are nice with a modern style, but it was just too much wood for my taste. I want wood in the set-up but I don't want to be totally over-powered ny it. That's what I like about the pic you posted. It's got wood accents but it also has other materials to break up the monotony. It's definitely not a boring and ho-hum set up. By the way, what type of wood is that, and what other materials were used in it's construction? Do you still use that set-up? It would be a shame if you didn't considering the coolness-factor of it. It's the first really cool aquarium set-up that I've come across.
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