Fish Tank, 2021

24” x 24” x 48"

Growing up, I always had fish tanks of various sizes. I am fascinated by aquatic life and it’s tranquility. After moving to my new apartment I wanted to design my own fish tank. My original idea was to paint an existing cement planter with a fish theme, where the fish would only be viewed from above.

However, I was not happy with the limited view of the fish and decided to organically break one side of the tank and replace it with glass. This made the piece more interesting, as it a combined the elements of a fish tank and a pond.

Another element added to this lockdown project was the corner waterfall. The sound of waterfalls is always soothing. Waterfalls also aerate the water, providing more oxygen for aquatic life. This was created using styrofoam and cement with three layers to break the heavy flow of water running down the waterfall. I used rocks and moss to give it a natural look. A pump was added to propel water from the fish tank to the waterfall.

Underwater LED lights provided a wonderful night viewing experience. Live plants, snails, fish and shrimp thrived in my creation. Some species of the fish included guppies, sucker fish, tetra and mollys. The guppies gave birth to little babies that were then separated and nurtured in another bowl until they grew older to join the rest of their tribe.