Aquarium Themes Using Fish Tank Decorations

When you first get into the hobby of keeping fish and start your very first aquarium, you would most likely have thrown together a bunch of random fish tank decorations. These may have been generic aquarium decorations such as rocks and artificial plants, and maybe an ornament or two. But eventually you would want to create a unique aquarium theme that you can be proud of.

The purpose of designing an aquarium theme is not so much for the fish but more for your own pleasure. I'm sure the fish would appreciate the little hiding hole or colorful stuff to swim around but for the most part, they would not understand the fuss of planning and arranging shipwrecks, pirates and caves.

Before rushing down to the nearest pet shop or surfing an online store, it is best that you figure out what kind of theme you plan to design your fish tank decor around. There are literally hundreds of themes that you could choose from ranging from the common to the down right zany. These include Shipwrecks, Pirates, Asian, Cartoon, Holidays and more.

What we'll do here is look at five of the most interesting aquarium themes that use fish tank decorations that are easy to buy and will not burn a hole in your pocket. These themes are simple to set up but will give you an awesome work of art that you can be proud of.

In all of our aquarium designs, we will be looking at incorporating three elements to the aquarium design using three types of fish tank decorations; the cave, the ornament and the backdrop. For the cave, we are looking at any large ornament with a hole in it that will allow your fish to swim inside when they need to. It is very important to choose a cave large enough to fit any of your fish or the larger ones may get stuck inside and die.

1. The Pirate Theme

The Pirate Theme is an ideal theme to start of with. There are hundreds of Pirate aquarium decorations that you will be able to find and you will be spoilt for choice. The first element is the cave. There are two types of caves that I have seen sold. One is a Pirate Ship. You will be able to find ships with a large hole in its side as if it has been blown up by a cannon. The second type is a replica of a cave that Pirates hide their treasure in. One of the most awesome that I have seen is a Skull Mountain cave which a huge skull over a cave mouth. For the ornaments, you could choose either skeletal pirates or live pirates. You could also add on a chest of gold to enhance the effect. For the backdrop, you would need a beach or island scene. These make the ideal backdrop for a Pirate Theme.

2. The Spongebob Theme

The Spongebob Squarepants cartoon has been taking the world by storm for the past couple of years. Almost everywhere you go, you can find some knick knack, gadget or ornament depicting the little yellow sponge that lives under the sea. What makes this cartoon ideal as an aquarium theme is that the premise for the entire cartoon is life underwater. Spongebob fish tank decorations are some of the most colorful and fun. For the cave you have four main options. The first is a Pineapple House which should go with a figurine of Spongebob. The second is an Easter Island Head House which should go with a figurine of Squidward, Spongebob's neighbour. The third is a hollow rock with a hole which should go with a figurine of Patrick Starfish, Spongebob's best friend. The last one is The Krusty Krab which should go with a figurine of Mr Krabs, Spongebob's boss. If you have never seen the cartoon, I would recommend watching it first before designing the theme. But I guarantee, if you have kids, they will love it.

3. The Asian Theme

This is another popular aquarium theme. What makes it popular is that the theme depicts scenes from Asian nature or Asian life and makes a very exotic design. The cave used in an Asian theme is generally a large rock like ornament made to look like a mountain or a hill. Small artificial plants are place on the rock to enhance the natural look and usually it would also have a tiny structure such as a house or a temple on it. In most cases, just having this large rock is good enough because it just looks so complete. But if you have a large tank, you could add on more ornaments such as replicas of wooden houses, pagodas, temples or bridges. Just don't overdo it or it will look odd. These days you can also buy unique Asian fish tank decor such as Cambodian temple ruins and Buddhist statues which look awesome in the tank. The ideal backdrop would be one from an Asian scenery.

4. The Shipwreck Theme

The Shipwreck Theme is probably one of the easiest themes to create because it usually involves only one ornament, the shipwreck. There are two main types of shipwreck aquarium decor sold these days, a complete ship or a ship broken in two pieces. You would get the complete ship if you have a small or medium aquarium. If you have a large tank, get the one in two pieces. You would place these apart with one piece in a slight angle for a better effect. The best part is you do not need any other ornaments for this theme, just maybe some rocks and plants. The backdrop would be just a normal fish tank backdrop of an underwater scene. If you want something more unique than this, you can now find wrecks of airplanes and submarines instead of ships.

5. The Castle Theme

This is also another standalone, meaning all you need is the castle and no other ornaments. The castles are beautifully designed and makes a perfect theme for your little princess. If you do opt for this theme, try to get a castle with holes in them to act as a cave for your fish. Most of the castles I have seen are solid ornaments that have no holes and don't give the fish their much needed hiding hole.

These are five of the best and simplest aquarium themes you can design with a budget almost anyone can afford.