Building a fish tank into an existing wall

 

Here we show how adding a simple header and cutting a hole in the
wall was able to free a significant amount of space. The original fish
tank & stand restricted the area to a smaller dining table. Building the tank into the wall allowed for storage at the opposite wall & a means to hide the wires, filters and equipment. Picture framing the opening transformed a tank of water into a piece of art.

You can see here how the simple pine picture frame conceals the spaces around the tank with out having to frame the tank in tight space. A single silicon caulk bead allows the trim to look as if the tank was sized for the opening.

Remember that houses and glass move over time and during temperature change. Be sure to size the rough opening for the tank to allow movement. 2 or 3 inches is sufficient.

This is where we started. The base for this tank was custom made, heavy duty and beautiful. We saved this base to be used for a coffee table or future TV stand. 

The finished project. This built in project was a fun and easy job for the most part. I recommend you consult a local professional to size headers for bearing walls and Electrical should be GFI. To make cleaning easier we plan to run water and drainage to the area.