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About aquariums
Where can I put an aquarium?
Can I put an aquarium on my desk at work?
What happens if the aquarium leaks or breaks?
How warm is tropical water?
What are aquariums made of?
I want a fish tank built into a wall. Is this possible?
I want my aquarium to mirror a specific natural habitat. Is this possible?
I want a fish tank in my house - will you set this up for me?
I would like an aquarium but I want a marine set up. Can you set this up?
Where should my aquarium be positioned?
About maintenance
What involvement do I have to have in maintaining the aquarium?
I have just bought an aquarium but I want someone to install it for me. Can you help?
If I chose an aquarium that required maximum input from me, how long would it take on a daily basis?
If for some reason we have a loss of water, do we just add a little water from the tap?
I already own a tank but I don't have time to look after it. Will you do the work for me?
Businesses
What happens if there is a power cut in the building? Will the fish be OK?
Can I or the cleaners vacuum around the base of the tank?
What happens to the fish when we shut down for Christmas or bank holidays?
Will the aquarium affect our internal alarm system?
Our cleaners have offered to clean the glass of the aquarium, is this ok?
What happens if we decide we want to change the set-up or the livestock?
My boss would like a fish tank and wants to know if it is tax deductible?
About pricing
How much is this going to cost me?
What are the hidden extras?
What happens if I decide not to go ahead after you have given me a quote?
About fish
"Can I have Piranhas?"
Yes, although large predatory fish require more care. This would mean more frequent maintenance visits. Despite their reputation (and teeth!), they make excellent aquarium inhabitants and are interesting to watch posing little threat. Picture of a Red Bellied Piranha the 'the business end'!
"How many fish can I have?"
This depends on the type of fish and the size of tank. Some species have to be kept alone or with their own kind whilst others are fine in a community. Obviously, the smaller the fish the more you can put in an aquarium of a given size.
"Can I keep coldwater and tropical fish together?"
Generally no, as the fish are adapted to certain climates, however certain species of tropical fish will tolerate cooler water whilst some coldwater species can be kept in warmer water.
"Are fish at all dangerous?"
Whilst we have all heard of the dangers of 'piranhas', even they pose very little threat to humans in the aquarium or the wild - although, if these are the fish of your choice, we strongly recommend that you keep your fingers out of reach! Some other species are known for 'leaping' out of their tank, but anything we supply comes fully covered to avoid such a situation. These species too are few and far between. Also, many species are venomous (pic - Lionfish), but in order to get stung you hand would need to be in contact with the fish.
"Will our fish have babies?"
Some species (pic - Guppy) are prolific breeders and will happily spawn young in your tank - others require a great deal of care and it is unlikely that you will see results. If this is important to you we can tailor the inhabitants to suit.
"I want the biggest fish possible. What is it and how big does it get?"
As with 'how many fish can I have' this all depends upon the aquarium you choose. Generally the biggest fish you will find in an aquarium will reach a full-grown size of 12-15 inches (pic - Oscar). In order to keep these fish you would require a tank at least 5'x2'x2' (approximately 550 litres). The species you could choose are various catfish, tropicals and marines. Having said this, providing the aquarium is big enough you can house just about any fish you want.
"Can I have marine fish in my aquarium?
Of course, in fact many people prefer marine fish because they are generally more attractive to look at and tend to be more interesting to watch (pic - Porcupine fish). Marine fish to however require a higher quality of water than tropicals, as such there may (depending on set up) be a need for more frequent maintenance visits.
About aquariums
"Where can I have an aquarium?"
We see no reason whatsoever to place limitations of any kind on the positioning of an aquarium. To give some idea of present locations enjoying the benefits of an aquarium we have listed a few below.
Traditionally we think of the home as the place for an aquarium, possibly because keeping fish is generally considered a hobby rather than a means of decoration or entertainment - imagine if we only kept plants, flowers in particular at home!
"Can I put an aquarium on my desk at work?"
Yes. Already some people have opted for a small aquarium right in the middle of their workspace. Naturally, the size is limited, however there are many options for systems as low as 30 litres.
"What happens if the aquarium leaks or breaks?"
There are very few occurrences of this nowadays. In over 20 years of keeping fish we have not yet had to deal with any form of leak. However, we carry full public liability insurance cover in the unlikely event of an accident.
"How warm is tropical water?"
These aquariums are usually maintained between 22-28 degrees centigrade, or 72-82 degrees Fahrenheit.
"What are aquariums made of?"
Usually we will supply glass tanks - however, many today are made from high-grade acrylic. This said, any container that can securely house water could be converted to house fish.
"I want a fish tank built into a wall. Is this possible?"
Yes it is. We can put an aquarium just about anywhere, providing building regulations, etc are adhered to. We use a trusted firm of builders for all of our work; alternatively you can have your own builders carry out the necessary work.
"I want my aquarium to mirror a specific natural habitat. Is this possible?"
Absolutely. We will ensure your specific requirements are met whenever possible. Some popular choices here are an Amazon Basin set-up or an African lake set up.
"I want a fish tank in my house - will you set this up for me?"
Of course, we offer exactly the same services regardless of where the aquarium is to be placed.
"I would like an aquarium but I want a marine set up. Can you set this up?"
We will consider setting up any habitat you choose: however, there are many more considerations for marine set ups. Marine habitats are far more stable than any in freshwater - because of this, water quality is paramount, and as such the aquariums takes much more care and attention. This would have to be provided either by us making more frequent visits or by you.
"Where should my aquarium be positioned?"
Pretty much anywhere, but it should not be positioned in direct sunlight or next to any alternate heat sources, for examples radiators.
Maintenance
"What involvement do I have to have in maintaining the aquarium?"
This depends on the type of aquarium and fish that you choose, and your involvement can range from absolutely nothing at all through to feeding the fish twice per day and checking the function of equipment. EG - checking water temperature and flow.
"I have just bought an aquarium but I want someone to install it for me. Can you help?"
Of course, we will come around and put it together for you and if needed can arrange a return visit to ensure that the water is ok to add fish prior to their introduction. The if you want to maintain it yourself rather than have us do it we can give you the advice needed to get you going on your own.
"If I chose an aquarium that required maximum input from me, how long would it take on a daily basis?"
Daily - approximately 2-3 minutes.
"If for some reason we have a loss of water, do we just add a little water from the tap?"
No. Nothing should ever be added to the tank unless its source can be confirmed. Adding anything to water is potentially hazardous to the health of the fish.
"I already own a tank but I don't have time to look after it. Will you do the work for me?"
Yes. In fact many of our customers fall into this category. Sometimes it's nice just to be able to enjoy the results without having to put in the work, after all we don't feel guilty about going to a restaurant do we?"
Businesses
"What happens if there is a power cut in the building? Will the fish be ok?"
Providing the power is out only for a few hours the fish should be fine, however much longer and oxygen depletion will become a serious problem. Generally, businesses tend to carry back up power supply's in case of emergency's, however if there is no alternate power source or the source does not supply the whole building we will arrange a visit and provide battery operated systems.
"Can I or the cleaners vacuum around the base of the tank?"
Of course though its inhabitants will prefer it if the stand is not hit with every sweep!
"What happens to the fish when we shut down for Christmas or bank holidays?"
Many of our tanks are completely self-sufficient and as such require no human intervention whatsoever. Where feeding is required and more than 72 hours elapses between feeding dates we will arrange for someone to visit. In reality the fish would be fine without feeding for considerably longer.
"Will the aquarium affect our internal alarm system?"
No, as there are no external moving parts, although we recommend seeking confirmation from the alarm manufacturer.
"Our cleaners have offered to clean the glass of the aquarium, is this ok?"
The front of the aquarium can be wiped over with a damp cloth and then polished with a clean dry one. No cleaning solutions should be used as these can contaminate the water inside the aquarium.
"What happens if we decide we want to change the set-up or the livestock?"
Tell us. We will arrange to come and make the necessary changes. In fact, many customers choose to do this regularly just to vary the look of the aquarium.
"My boss would like a fish tank and wants to know if it is tax deductible?"
Yes it is. The VAT can be claimed back against our installations and the tank itself is definitely client entertainment. Even MORE reason to get one!
About pricing
How much is this going to cost me?
Unfortunately this question is virtually impossible to answer as all set ups vary in cost due to such things as size of tank, fishes chosen, etc.
However to give some idea, you can lease an aquarium from us from under £40.00 per month. Alternatively you may choose to purchase your tank and simply have us install and maintain it for you (or even maintain it yourself). Should you choose this option, maintenance visits will cost from approximately 20.00 per month, with supply and installation costing from £99.00.
Easy. None! If you lease from us, we retain responsibility for the well being of the aquarium and its inhabitants. Therefore if anything goes wrong you simply have to let us know.
If you choose to purchase the aquarium and have it maintained by us, the responsibility lies with you. However, on this note, equipment failure in these times is very unlikely and providing the tank is well maintained (regularly) untimely deaths are not to be expected.
"What happens if I decide not to go ahead after you have given me a quote?"
Nothing. We will quite happily provide a no-obligation ad hoc quote based on the information you provide. It's then up to you to decide if you wish to complete the installation or not.
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