Frequently Asked Questions

Price depends mostly on volume, type of glass, freshwater or marine, and filtration. After the survey we send dimensioned drawings with an itemised price, and nothing goes into production until the drawings are approved.

A well-built, regularly serviced aquarium does not smell. Odour usually comes from overfeeding, undersized filtration or missed water changes. Noise comes from pumps and the overflow; we move equipment into a closed cabinet and use a silent overflow so it fades into the background.

It varies a lot with the size, the type of aquarium and the space, so we put the schedule in writing with the quote. The one constant is that after installation the water needs a few weeks to mature biologically, and we add livestock in stages during that time.

A litre of water weighs about 1 kg. With glass, sand, rock and the cabinet, a 300-litre aquarium can exceed 400 kg. We check the floor and load-bearing walls during the survey, and for large volumes we ask for a structural engineer’s opinion.

We recommend a weekly visit for most aquariums. The usual guidance is a water change of about 25% a week for freshwater (OATA) and 10% a week for reef (Bulk Reef Supply). If you do the change in between visits yourself, every two weeks is enough for freshwater. We plan and follow up the care, and if you like, we send a report with readings and photos.

Yes, by project. The aquarium and cabinet are built in Istanbul and ship in wooden crates. A local team installs it; we support them with drawings, installation notes and video calls. Sourcing livestock is the buyer’s responsibility.

Yes. Send a photo of the space, approximate dimensions and what you have in mind, and we will give you a price range. The exact price follows the survey and drawings.

Off-the-shelf tanks come in standard sizes with standard glass and usually a small filter. A custom aquarium has glass thickness calculated for its height, a cabinet made for the space, filtration sized to the volume, and installation and cycling included.

It depends on size, aquarium type, cabinet work and whether the space is ready, so rather than quote a general figure we write the schedule into each quote.

Yes. We can redo the hardscape and planting, replace equipment or convert freshwater to planted. On the first visit we tell you what can stay.

About 25% a week for freshwater, as recommended by OATA, the UK ornamental aquatic trade association. Tropica recommends about 25% a week for planted aquariums after the first 3–4 weeks. For reef aquariums Bulk Reef Supply recommends 10% a week or 20% every two weeks.

Weekly for most aquariums. At home, if you do the in-between water change yourself, every two weeks is enough for freshwater and low-maintenance planted tanks. Hotels, offices and businesses have nobody to do this between visits, so we recommend weekly care.

Yes. The first visit is an assessment; we check the equipment, water values and livestock and tell you in writing what needs fixing. The care plan follows.

Yes, but a bedroom tolerates no noise. We fit the pump on an anti-vibration pad inside the cabinet, avoid overflow systems and programme the light to switch off completely at night. Small and medium volumes suit bedrooms best.

An open-top aquarium can evaporate a few litres a day. A lid, the right water temperature and a ventilated cabinet reduce this considerably; built-in aquariums get extra ventilation in the service void.

Aquariums can be moved, and we can handle the move on request. Livestock goes into a temporary tank, the system is drained and dismantled, rebuilt in the new home and monitored until the water settles.

Not when it is in the right place with equipment in a closed cabinet. We reduce pump and filter noise through placement and a silent overflow, and the lighting follows office hours.

We schedule visits around your calendar, early morning, evening or at weekends if you prefer, and no smell or mess spreads during a water change.

Yes. Rock and sand tones, the background, the colour temperature of the light and the choice of fish can follow the brand palette. We suggest using the logo on the cabinet or frame rather than inside the water.

It depends on the equipment. Roughly, a 1,000-litre freshwater system uses 4–7 kWh a day and a reef system of the same size 8–15 kWh. A chiller in a hot climate adds to that. We give the exact figure with the equipment list in the quote.

Weekly, and twice a week for large reef systems. In a hotel there is nobody to do the water change between visits, so a two-week schedule is not enough.

Only a few minutes of looking each day, checking the thermometer and calling us if anything looks unusual. On request we prepare a short checklist for this.

No. Visits happen before opening or after closing, and water-change equipment comes through the service side, not the dining room.

Sound barely passes from air into water, but vibration does. Keep speakers, especially the subwoofer, off the aquarium's wall and floor; the cabinet sits on anti-vibration pads.

A lidded, regularly serviced aquarium poses no risk in a waiting room. Only the care team handles the water; clinic staff never need to touch it.

Lighting and feeding run automatically. Before long closures such as public holidays we visit and prepare the system.

Most malls require heavy materials and water work outside opening hours. We plan installation and care to the mall's technical management rules.

We advise against it. Products are damaged by water and it is risky for livestock. Designing the aquarium as part of the display furniture works better.

A healthy reef smells faintly of the sea at most. A sharp smell usually points to a dead animal, overfeeding or a protein skimmer that has stopped working, and should be checked straight away.

Bulk Reef Supply recommends 10% a week or 20% every two weeks; both give similar results, and weekly keeps values steadier. New, less stable systems are safer on a weekly schedule. We recommend a weekly service visit for reef aquariums.

Not from the sea; natural seawater carries pollution, parasites and variable salinity. We mix reef salt into reverse-osmosis water.

Tropica recommends changing 25–50% a couple of times a week for the first 3–4 weeks, then about 25% once a week. Frequent early changes keep algae down while the plants establish.

A regulated cylinder with a pressure safety valve is safe when installed properly. We secure it inside the cabinet and run the gas through a timed solenoid only while the light is on.

In a non-load-bearing partition, usually yes. Opening a load-bearing or shear wall needs a structural design; in that case a built-in look in front of the wall may be the better answer.

Every aquarium is flood-tested after production. For built-in installations we add a waterproofed base, a leak sensor and ask for a floor drain in the service void.

For large volumes and high point loads, yes. We supply the filled weight, footprint and plinth detail; the project's structural engineer does the calculation.

Standard float glass has more iron; as thickness grows the edges turn green and colours shift. Low-iron glass shows almost none of that green, so colours read true. Above 10 mm the difference is obvious.

Acrylic suits curves, very large panels and columns; it is light but scratches easily. For flat panels glass is scratch-resistant and long-lasting.

Visit days are planned by district, grouping nearby clients on the same day. Offices and businesses can be visited outside working hours.

Yes, but the floor needs checking first. For large volumes we place the aquarium close to columns or load-bearing walls and ask for a structural engineer's opinion where needed.

We work by project and assess each country for transport and customs. Tell us the country and city at the start and the quote is prepared accordingly.

A local team in the destination country. We send dimensioned drawings, the equipment list and step-by-step installation notes, and answer questions by video call during installation.

No. Live fish and corals need separate permits and paperwork, and long transport is risky for them. Sourcing livestock is the buyer's responsibility.