Given 12 months of growing on, this wall reef aquarium that we installed last year is now thriving and looking fabulous.
Over a period of time the tank has been stocked with a variety of reef inhabitants such as clown fish with their anemone, a mixture of soft and hard corals, hermit crabs and snails as well as a wide selection of other reef fish.
Our initial fish tank build started with installing the tank into an alcove in our clients home.
Custom Aquarium Design
From there, the tank was aqua-scaped, filled with saltwater and commissioned. During this period the aquarium is left for up to 3 months to mature.
Fish tank installion nearing completion
Once the aquarium has been clad with white panels it really completes the look of the install. From here on we perform our fish tank maintenance service to ensure the tank runs smoothly as livestock is added.
Tank is clad with high gloss panels
Present day, the fully stocked tank looks healthy, colourful and vibrant.
We recently completed this built in wall aquarium for the Birth Company located in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The tank was commissioned as part of a total refurbishment of this now brand new, private antenatal medical practice.
Our Custom Design
This custom fish tank design incorporates an external filtration system which keeps the aquarium looking clean and free of any equipment.
Automated white and blue LED lighting illuminates the tank during opening hours and an automated feeding system ensures the fish are fed twice per day.
The Build Begins
Aquarium Theme
This built in wall fish tank houses colourful tropical fish with a rock and plant theme. The decoration was designed with a natural look at the request of our client. The fish will provide an active display and may also breed in the future.
Maintenance Service
As part of this fish tank install, our client chose to employ our fish tank maintenance service. This cleaning and husbandry service will ensure the health and cleanliness of the aquarium.
Our aquarium maintenance service is not only a ‘cleaning’ service. But also we perform checks on the tank equipment, provide fish food, add livestock if required, as well as provide advice to clients on how to improve their aquarium.
The Finished Aquarium Project
Are you interested in having your own bespoke built in aquarium in your home or business?
We are bespoke aquarium designers and supply our tanks manufactured in either glass or acrylic. We are very happy to advise on feasibility, costings and logistics. With over 25 years of fish keeping knowledge and over 15 years experience of aquarium installation and maintenance. Our team offer a professional service and are dedicated to bringing your project to life.
It was our pleasure today to provide our aquatic services and bring back to life a great water feature.
We were asked by one of our existing premiership footballer clients to take a look at a waterfall in their garden. This large feature had not worked properly for some time and with summer (kinda) here they now wanted the waterfall back to its former glory.
The first task was to isolate power to the pumps and then find and dig up the pumps electrical junction box. Once this was completed the old, and very broken pumps were removed. The water reservoir is then emptied and any debris removed
Water feature servicing
This is a large water fall which requires an equally large amount of water flow to create a nice display.
To provide this we installed 2 modern, and very efficient pumps that are capable of pumping 16,ooo litres per hour each!
Once the new pumps and electrics were in place we could refill the reservoir and switch on the pumps bringing the water fall back to life.
We are delighted to be commissioned by Inspired Energy PLC to design and install a large bespoke aquarium in their newly refurbished reception.
This huge fish tank measures 2.7 metres long x 90cm high x 60cm deep, and sits against the receptions rear wall directly behind the reception desk.
Aquarium Build Commences
Our Bespoke Aquarium
The tank is manufactured in 19mm thick glass and has an ultra clear front pane. This large tropical aquarium will eventually house a variety of large fish and live plants.
Aquarium in Position
The tank is filtered via our latest life support system which will ensure excellent water clarity and quality. As well as including CO2 injection to aid plant growth and automated daily water changes.
Lighting the tank are 8 Radion XR15 freshwater LED lamps which are programmed by our technician using and app.
Aquariums Lighting Installed
The Tanks Custom Theme
As part of our part of our bespoke aquarium installations we are able to offer custom themes. In this case, because our client is in the energy supply market we added pylons and wind turbines to the tank.
Please keep an eye on our blog for progress updates of this tank and our other current projects.
We’re so pleased to show off our vans with their brand new graphics. Special thanks to Elvir at Cee Graphics for his excellent work sign writing the vans.
Aquarium design, installation and maintenance is what we do and now our vans reflect this too.
A big thank you from Mark (director) to all my clients who have helped my business grow at a speedy rate over the last few years.
Over the next 6 months we have some very exciting aquarium projects in the pipe line, so please keep following our blog for more details.
No project is too large or small for our company. Here is a recent aquarium installation of a small 75 litre through wall aquarium.
Located between our clients kitchen and utility room, this fish tank looks great with a natural tropical theme.
The breif for this project was to install a small wall aquarium which would suit the proportions of the wall its installed into. Also, the tank should be a clean aquarium design, with automated lighting and fish feeding.
Tropical Wall Aquarium
The aquarium design incorporates an external filtration and heating system meaning there’s no equipment in the tank itself. Additionally, the fish tank is lit with LED lights which gives a very pleasing appearance.
After installation, we stocked the aquarium with a variety of small tropical fish.
Our aquarium maintenance service is used by our client to keep the fish tank clean and healthy. During monthly visits we perform all aspects of maintenance as well as swapping the decoration.
Interested in our bespoke aquarium installation service at your home or business?
A bank holiday provides our company a great opportunity to perform a major strip down service of this custom aquarium.
Located in the normally very busy entrance of Manchester’s children’s hospital. The hospital commissioned our company and we installed this bespoke fish tank over 2 years ago.
In addition to our fish tank installation, we supply an aquarium maintenance contract which provides cleaning of this fish tank twice per month. This keeps the tank in great condition.
Fish Tank undergoing Maintenance
However, twice per year, the tank undergoes a major service. Our technicians perform this service which comprises of a large water change, tank strip down, filter clean as well as other repairs that are required. A bank holiday or weekend is a nice quiet time at the hospital allowing us some extra space to perform these works.
The Completed Fish Tank Clean
We have many clients that we provide our fish tank maintenance service in Manchester and the surrounding areas.
Our client now has this wonderful in wall fish tank. Slightly more unusual is the tanks etched glass leaves which provide a nice extra detail to this fish tank build. A blind is provided to one side when complete privacy is required. This aquarium design is set up to be completely self contained within the wall space
The aquarium contains tropical fish and a planted display.
Fish Tank Cleaning Service
Additionally, we provide our aquarium cleaning service to this client via one visit every six weeks. At the same time we also service another aquarium this client has in their dining room.
We are fish tank installers in Prestbury and throughout the UK. If you have a current aquarium or future project that you’d like to discuss, please contact us.
We are proud members of the UK’s Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association.
OATA is the voice of the ornamental aquatic industry in the UK with the purpose to protect and promote the trade. Furthermore, OATA has helped grow our aquarium services and ensure your hobby has survived and will continue in the future.
IMPROVING OUR AQUARIUM SERVICES
There is no question that having qualified and knowledgeable staff is of great benefit to the success of our business.
OATA has been offering both members and non-members the opportunity to gain specific fish-keeping qualifications since 1997 and their Certificate and Advanced Diploma courses are highly respected across the industry.
Designed to be cost-effective and convenient, OATA’s courses can be studied at home and there’s no time limit on how long you take to complete the course.
Of course, our technicians are already very knowledgeable in the field of aquatics and livestock husbandry. However, to keep improving our business and service offered. Over the next 12 months all our technicians will being commencing OATAs certificate and advanced diploma courses.
We are delighted to be commissioned by Cathelco UK to provide our aquarium maintenance service in Derbyshire.
Cathelco had expressed disappointment that their custom marine aquarium was not performing at its best. Following a visit to view the fish tank, we provided a report stating where improvements could be made. We carried out thorough water testing which revealed that its quality also required significant improvement.
Our aquarium maintenance service in Derbyshire provides exacting standards of fish tank care, as well as reports for our client detailing works carried out.
The tank will now be maintained by our fish tank cleaning service being provided via 4 monthly visits.
Improving the Aquarium
Because the whole tank set up was in poor condition we were left with little choice other than to completely strip the aquarium. All rockwork is removed, thus enabling a complete clean of the entire sand bed.
Whilst the rock was out of the aquarium we clean and remove all traces of hair algae which was plaguing the tank. Hair algae is caused by elevated nutrient levels such as phosphate and nitrate. These levels should be kept as low as possible in a reef aquarium. Phosphate is reduced by using a special type of media. This media absorbs phosphate from the water and is best fluidised so water contact time is increased. Phosphate media is replaced once it’s exhausted.
Nitrate can be reduced by carrying out partial water changes and also by using one of the many bio pellet reactors that can be bought.
Next, the existing tank pumps are removed as these are a real eyesore. We replace these for 4 variable flow pumps that will create strong chaotic wave motion that a reef tank and its inhabitants require. Additionally, this vigorous water flow also helps to flush out uneaten food or other debris so it may be removed by filtration.
We also upgraded the automatic top up unit as the existing unit used suction cups which tend to fail over time. Our unit uses a magnetic float provides a strong reliable fixing.
The tanks lighting was not powerful enough to adequately provide the corals with enough light intensity. Furthermore, the existing lighting was not controllable and so no dawn and dusk effect could be replicated.
We built Cathelco a new bespoke lighting rig which houses 4 very powerful LED lamps. These lamps utilise a wifi signal to link direct to our technicians phone.
Our bespoke LED lighting rig
From a phone or tablet the lamps can be programmed to slowly increase and decrease light output. The lamp contains a number of different colour leds which specifically cater for the needs of live coral. This kind of bespoke lighting provides not only a sunrise and sunset simulation. But also a powerful midday burst of light replicating a natural reef. Cloud and moonlight functions are options with the latter being a must if attempting to breed marine livestock.
Existing heaters are removed and discarded. These heaters not only looked rather old and showed scorching inside. But left unchecked they would provide a significant threat to the tank if they were to fail.
We installed a new temperature controller and 2 x 300 watt titanium heaters. These heaters are very durable and do not contain their own thermostat, unlike most aquarium heaters on the market. Instead, the heaters are turned on and off by the temperature controller. This has its own temperature probe which can precisely control temperature to within 0.1 of a degree. The controller also has a cooling option where by it will turn on cooling fans during the summer should the temperature rise out of normal range.
The sump filter tank is stripped and cleaned. New phosphate reactors added and also an earth probe. This is vital for electrical safety.
Having undergone a large aquarium service and 300 litre water change this tank is now on the road to recovery.
See below photos of BEFORE and AFTER our services are implemented.
For the Future?
As it continues to improve with our on-going aquarium maintenance service, we will be adding more livestock including both fish and corals. This will bring the tank back to life and once again provide a colourful focal point for all visiting Cathelco UK.
