Modern aquariums are watery works of art

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This article was published 12/03/2006 (7202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — Until now, the uppity design world’s relationship with the aquarium has been relatively straightforward.

Like bidets, they were considered antiquated and tacky.

Fish tanks had that gauche uniformity about them. They were guaranteed to have certain defining characteristics: a rectangular shape, a stand on which to rest, and inside, a treasure chest bulging with plastic jewels, faux foliage and, of course, wan goldfish. The filter was another point of consternation, emitting a vexing buzzing sound that, over time, made you wish Nurse Ratched would drop by and supply you with a dose.

Today, fish tanks have morphed into living works of art. You can find them looped around giant flat-screen TVs, integrated into a dinner table or even the floor, or decadently suspended from aviation cables. No longer an afterthought, aquariums are factored right into a reno.

When Julius and Sandi Kirschner decided to gut the living room of their four-bedroom home in North Toronto to accommodate their family — the couple has three young children and a giant Briard named Ben — they hired designer Felicia Weinstein. They decided on a custom-made wall unit of holly and Indian rosewood, with one proviso: The piece had to spotlight a saltwater fish tank.

“We knew we wanted a TV, a bar and the fireplace was staying, and my husband was emphatic about a tank,” says Kirschner, gesturing to the smallish 308-litre tank, where a spry clownfish flits by.

Keeping aquaculture healthy is not cheap, whether the fish are exotic swimmers or regular goldfish.

Carl Hayden, a 16-year veteran of the industry who runs his own aquarium-maintenance company in Toronto, does everything from building to servicing intricate tanks. He cares for large tanks — such as the one in lawyer Eddie Greenspan’s office — and small, like the Kirschners’. He drops in twice a month at a cost of $55 (plus supplies) to refresh the tank.

“He sucks the water out. We feed the fish,” says Julius Kirschner.

The Kirschners’ tank, including fish, cost $5,000, but the clan feels it’s worth it.

“Fish are a family affair,” he says, adding one of the children’s favourite activities is using Ben as a sofa to watch the fish.

The family also has a second tank on the kitchen counter for the children to tend, which hasn’t always worked in the favour of the fish.

“The kids keep dropping things in there; Gabriel put milk in there twice, so the fish keep dying,” says Hayden.

Fish enthusiasts like Hayden will tell you fawning over a pet with gills is no different than bonding with the family dog.

“I’ve seen people spend $75 on a 25-cent goldfish that was sick,” he says.

Veterinarians have prescribed tetracycline to fish and even performed surgery on them. In China, they breed special red parrot cichlids that they tattoo.

But you needn’t get quirky to impress.

Designer Kimberley Seldon went chic and simple for the freestanding tank she designed for Monarch’s Breeze model suite on the Lakeshore. The tank butts up against the kitchen table and acts as a divider — and beautiful diversion — between the dining area and the kitchen. You can also rest plates on top of it.

“What’s great is when you’re seated at the dining room, you can’t see into the kitchen — we were vigilant about that,” says Seldon.

Without the tank, the eating area would have been one open space, which Seldon feels is not always an ideal setup.

“The thought of an open-concept space is exciting to people, but the reality is not so exciting,” she says.

“People gravitate to wing chairs because they surround you. Humans crave comfort.”

Though the aquarium is a standard rectangle, there’s nothing boring about it. Peekaboo windows all around the framed tank and simple white coral keep it modern. The bubbles are silent. They spring out of a hose that lies across the bottom of the tank with neatly perforated holes. The sand is a tasteful black, and even the fish match the glazed candlesticks on the table. It makes for a mesmerizing composition.

Just think, guests will be so busy admiring the marine life they won’t notice you slipping store-bought lasagna onto a serving plate from Caban. Now that’s a modern aquarium.

— CanWest News Service