The Porthole Tank

We were approached by a client doing a full remodel of his home. He had a space between two load bearing pillars and was looking for a tank to fit in between and match well with his vision. He was already enamored by the Red Sea Reefer line and we weren't going to argue as we install many of these. We chose the Peninsula 500 model as we wanted to see through the tank. I love peninsula tanks, as they allow for 3 angled viewing. I was disappointing that the 3rd angle of the tank would be obstructed by a load bearing pillar and was trying to think of a solution. When given the opportunity to design a space in a person's home, the artist in me will often present some unorthodox ideas. When I present such an idea, I don't always expect the customer to be as gung ho as I, so I'm pleasantly surprised when they say "Yah! lets do it" In this case, it was an old nautical style porthole to allow a sneak peak of the aquarium as you enter the home. Its visible right as you open the front door and adds a unique conversation piece for all the guests.

To hide the lights, we had an integrated canopy made between the two pillars. We also have an auto-feeder up there dropping food through a small hole. How cool is that! Not a single wire or pipe is visible as we always strive for the cleanest design possible. As hobbyists, we invest so much in our livestock and display, why ruin it by not going the extra mile with design. The open top rimless look is the current trend because of its clean minimal look. We try to retain this by not cluttering it with light racks or clamp on lights.

This tank is decked out with an expanded top off system to cover evaporation between our services to allow a true hands off experience for the client.

With automated dosing and controllers, this tank is maturing to a full reef. You would think that since we eat and sleep aquariums all day that we would get tired of these things, but I can safely say that after doing this for over a decade professionally that I still have to stop and stare. We look forward to seeing this thing age like a fine wine.