In ancient times, physicians noticed that watching fish swimming in pools of water has a calming effect on the human body and levels blood pressure. According to Feng Shui principles, moving water can also increase prosperity. As such, the appearance of aquariums in offices could be regarded as yet another step forward in the creation of better working environments.

Location

Aquariums have been around for so long that their role has been very clearly defined: first and foremost, they are a focus for reflection and meditation – like a sculpture or a picture. Secondly, they create a powerful interior accent. Aquariums can be positioned in different parts of the office and their location dictates how the aquarium should be designed. If an aquarium is to be located in the reception, next to a secretary or in a client passage way then it should be designed in an avant-garde style.

A dramatic striking aquarium will never cease to impress clients and they are usually positioned so that employees are not facing them. Modern technology means that aquariums can now be developed in corporate colors e.g. purple and yellow or white and red. This effect is created using man-made materials like, colored sand, pebbles, artificial stones and plants which are all completely safe for the fish. For example, a back ground of white sand and corral filled with gold fish provides an interesting extension of a red and white corporate color scheme.

However, in practice, such exotic kinds of artificial arrangements are not ordered very often. For passageways and common areas, simpler water features are better with panels or pipes in which gorgeously-colored garlands of large and small bubbles rise through the water. A solid wall of illuminated flowing water also may produce the desired effect. The advantage of using water panels of any size (even four stories high) is that the colors can be changed by changing the color of the lights. A disadvantage is that there are no fish and so the “picture” will never come to life.

Aquariums can be used to separate areas without isolating them. They can be designed in such a way as to be visible from all sides which is after all, one of their most attractive features. Even better is when the internal scene includes large elements, like big rocks, terraces and magnificent Cichlids (perciform fish) and big bunches of leaves. This type of decoration is clearly visible to passers-by and also makes the structure non-transparent so that it provides a partially opaque partition. This kind of aquatic scene should never have a vertical background otherwise it will only look good from one side. This type of aquarium is suitable for fishes that are good at dealing with stress like carp and silverside.

Another good location for aquariums is waiting and relaxation areas. In waiting areas, their main function is providing a pleasant distraction for waiting clients, which is why you can so often find them in dentist clinics and beauty salons. Aquariums in relaxation areas, on the other hand, are aimed at providing relaxation for employees. Gently swaying sea weed, swimming fish and rising bubbles are both fascinating and somewhat hypnotic to watch. Watching sea life exerts a calming effect, reduces blood pressure and can help people to switch from a working into a more contemplative frame of mind. It is worth noting that it has been established that aquariums can increase overall productivity by up to 40%. For these types of aquariums warm green and brown colors usually predominate and they are positioned so that they are visible at eye level from sofas and chairs.

Aquariums in executive areas are used to create a certain image and provide relaxation for busy executives. Typically they are the most expensive and sophisticated in terms of the background (e.g. a model of a boat made from mahogany) and the plants and sea life. Typically an executive aquarium includes large predatory fish like, eels, sharks, ribbon seals, devilfish and triggerfish. These types of fish are expensive but are perhaps, the perfect pet – they don’t need to be walked or tidied up after but you can feed them and talk to them. They do however require a lot of space and the aquariums need to be sturdier.

Aquarium Styles

Experts identify three main types of aquarium arrangement: tropical fresh water, pseudo-sea (fresh water) and avant-garde. Avant-garde aquariums are most suited to client areas thanks to their large bright and striking elements. These aquariums are not design for relaxation, but rather for making an impression. Sea aquariums are more universal in function – white and blue color schemes can absorb vibrant tones and create a calming effect. Fresh water tropical aquariums employ green-brown tones and are used for contemplation and meditation. They are favored by aquarium experts and clients alike because of their relative inexpensiveness and versatility.

Elvira Stankevich, aquarium specialist at Aqua Logo, notes, “Previously aquariums with piranhas were very popular and then came African designs mimicking the animal world of the African lakes of Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria. Then sea aquariums with fantastic colors and abstract shapes came into vogue. Today, sea aquariums are less popular than before, but demand for them is still stable. The Equatorial style with its peaceful and harmonious color schemes is also still very popular. I think that today the most popular styles are the Japanese style which mimics landscapes and large predatory fish like, sharks, eels and devilfish – which are somewhat like domestic pets.”

Clients are not always very informed when it comes to the different styles and sizes available and often just request something “restful on the eyes.” Aquariums can also take the form of theatrical stages with the scenery created by plants and stones, etc and the fish as the stars. Aquariums with green, gold and brown tones can include lots of different types of plants and schools of cardinals and neon fish or a couple of large, slow-swimming angel fish. The overall effect will be very easy on the eye and lively with the viewer feeling as though he is diving in the sea.

Aquariums containing reef sea life, soft and hard corrals, sponges and other invertebrates are the most expensive and difficult to maintain because you have to import not just the fish but also the live reef. However the overall effect can be magnificent. Pseudo-sea is a type of fresh water aquarium designed to imitate a sea scene. It is much cheaper to maintain than a sea water aquarium but every bit as beautiful. This is the type most commonly found in offices.

“Today mini-aquariums (12-15 liters) are becoming fashionable,” notes Sergey Mikhailovich Kochetov, expert at Aqua Exclusive. “They are designed in a Nature Aquarium or Takashi Amano style and include a short range aquarium system. They can be put on desks, for example to the right of a computer monitor and can provide relaxation and rejuvenation in a matter of seconds. They are finished in a classical Ivagumi (under water garden with rocks) or Rayuboku (driftwood garden) Japanese style. Large popular models are made from acrylic in a pseudo-sea or pseudo-reef style i.e. with plastic corral which can be styled into any arrangement, e.g. the Great Barrier Reef or the Caribbean Basin. The fish themselves are fresh water. This is done to avoid all the extra hassle and problems associated with sea-water aquariums.”

Aquariums are both fashionable and prestigious. In the same way that once in the world of architecture, organic forms which mimic nature became fashionable, today the world is becoming fascinated with aquariums based upon natural over ground landscapes. The leading aquarists are tending towards this new natural style. An aquarium from a design guru like Takashi-Amano will cost you 10,000 US. His creations are reminiscent of Scandinavia with emerald hills, glacial pebbles and swarms of birds (or rather fish) swimming above under water tree tops.

Form & Content

Before ordering an aquarium you should ask yourself several key questions: firstly, where in the office is it going to go? What do you want it to look like? And how much are you willing to spend? Only then should you should start thinking about the technical specifications.

The choice of a silicate (glass) or acrylic (plastic) aquarium will not have a huge impact on the price. They are essentially similar so it comes down to the preference of the specialist involved. What will have an impact is the height of the aquarium. If you have two aquariums with the same total volume but different heights, the taller one will be more expensive. It is not possible to make very narrow aquariums. If you ask a designer to make you a two-meter high with aquarium with a width of 15 cm, he will tell you quite rightly that it can’t be done.

Aquariums are complex and very heavy structures which must be built and maintained with great care. An empty standard 200-liter glass aquarium (height 50 cm, length 100 cm and with 45 cm) will weigh about 100 kg. When you include the weight of the water you get a potentially high-risk structure attached to electrical equipment. Sometimes for very large aquariums the equipment is installed in a separate room. Also in office environments the equipment must not be noisy. Aquariums must be located in such a way so that the top is accessible to specialists for maintenance, etc (a one-hour visit costs about 1,000 roubles). The final cost is also affected by the choice of materials i.e. plastic, MDF etc, equipment and the design style and fish. For example the price of a shark can run up to 2,000 dollars.

“Ready-made aquariums come in standard sizes and shapes. Corporate clients generally order standard aquariums since they are cheaper and do not require the removal of walls or renovations,” notes Irina Novikova, specialist at Akvariumnye Sistemi. “If the office has a location that suits a standard aquarium clients generally opt for that. If a standard model will not fit in the area which has been assigned, or if the client wants a bespoke model then we will do a special order. The decorative elements and the fish are always provided in line with individual client requirements regardless of whether it is a special order or standard model.”

A modern aquarium is a perfect world which you can look at for hours on end. No doubt this is what prevents some companies from installing them and makes them opt instead for phytodeisgn. Specialists comment on the other hand, that even a passing glance at an aquarium is enough to stimulate relaxation, a sense of harmony and help employees prepare for new challenges and achievements.