7 Awesome Fish Tank Ideas Every DIY Enthusiast Will Love
With nearly 8 million pet fish swimming around the homes of Americans, it’s no surprise that there are so many cool and creative ways aquariums are decorated.
As so many people take aquarium decorating to exciting new levels, there are new fish tank ideas that are being circulated all the time. A DIY fish-tank decorating project can be just what you need to explore your creative side and have some fun with your pets.
Here are 7 ideas for unique ideas to get your fish excited about their next swim around the aquarium.
1. No Fish, No Problem
If you don’t have any fish, that’s no problem at all. There are lots of things you can do with a spare fish tank.
First, you could use your fish tank for another kind of creature. Rather than having fish, you could host a turtle if it’s a big enough tank. Turtles are wonderful pets because they need less attention than a dog but can be just as engaging and expressive.
If you prefer something furry, you could try a gerbil or a guinea pig. These little furballs love to have some space to run around and play in. If you have a big enough tank, you could provide them with lots of toys, places to burrow, and room to spread out.
If you don’t want any pets at all, a fish tank can be like a changing tableau for your wildest dreams. If you like Star Wars, you could strand an R2-D2 and C3P0 figure on this scene, near Luke Skywalker’s original home. If you’re more into zombie movies and TV shows, you can have your own Walking Dead scene in your fish tank.
Let your mind take you wherever you want to go and build what sounds exciting for you.
2. Space Adventure
If you’re going to host some fish, you don’t have to put them in a watery place. You could reimagine them as taking part in some space adventure. Given them a background of black spraypainted cardboard with a few Christmas lights shining through.
Add some colorful interplanetary gravel at the bottom and find a few astronaut action figures. Fish already have an otherworldly look so it won’t be hard to make them look at home among the aliens and spaceships.
3. Underwater Heroes
If you adore your fish as if they were superheroes, why not put them alongside the X-Men or the Justice League?
Find some non-toxic figures without too many jagged edges and put them in the tank in a scene that the fish can appreciate. Whether they’re next to Aquaman or Wolverine, your fish will look cool and tough when they’re part of a crime-fighting gang.
Your fish would totally be out fighting crime if it wasn’t for all those food flakes they can’t stop eating.
4. Godzilla-style
If you want to make your fish feel really powerful, build them a scene straight out of a Godzilla movie. With a little bit of work, you can break some toy buildings apart, add a few upside-down cars, and turn over a fake tree.
Make it look like your fish have been tearing up the scene, and you’ll ward off intruders and make your friends jump when they see your fish. They’ll think that maybe your fish are descendants of the monsters that they’ve seen in B-movies their whole life.
5. Modernist
If you’ve got a slick and stylish home, you could go with a modernist fish tank situation. Simple shapes, solid colors, and muted tones could give your fish tank a cool vibe.
Instead of kitschy castles and campy figures, you could add some solid porcelain cubes or abstract sculptures to your fish tank. Let everyone know that your fish have sophisticated taste.
They know the difference between art and non-art. They have a discerning eye that knows a knock-off Eames chair when they see it.
Now, they can have plenty of space to show off their favorite Mondrian or Alexander Calder piece. Let them show the world who they really are with a modernist space. Add the best lighting for aquarium plants, and you can make a small plant the centerpiece of this stage.
6. The Classic Castle Situation
If you don’t mind a little bit of kitsch, the classic castle look can be entertaining. Recreate some kind of lost civilization with a water-powered treasure chest, an abandoned ship, and a sprawling castle.
Get something big enough for your fish to swim through, and they’ll truly enjoy this addition to their environment. Add some gold coins and pearls at the bottom of the tank, and you’ll really engage the motif. Be sure that your fish won’t get stuck in the castle and you’ll see them really enjoying the scene that you’ve set for them.
7. Mario Underwater
If you’ve ever played Super Mario Brothers, you know that there’s a cool style unique to the original underwater levels. Print out a wide enough backdrop, and you can start making it look like your fish are inside the game.
Get a few game-themed figures, and you can really explore the idea.
Pixelated images are in right now so you might find that you can build something truly unique and cool with a few elements from your favorite game. Otherwise, choose your favorite 8-bit backdrop and explore the theme through objects that are safe to put in the tank.
Fish Tank Ideas Can Be Fun and Unique
Whatever fish tank ideas you have, feel free to explore them. There’s no wrong way to decorate a fish tank so long as the fish can stay safe and happy. When there’s something interesting to swim around, you can be sure your fish will be content with their life with you.
If you’re thinking about adding indoor plants to complement your fish tank, follow our guide for some ideas for what you should choose.