The Usual Questions

At Piquarium, we consider your wall-mounted aquarium to be a home, office or business furnishing as well as a piece of living art. These are the most common questions asked by our satisfied customers before they became customers.

If you don’t see your question listed here or would simply like to speak with someone from our company, please do not hesitate to call or email.

Are Piquariums real aquariums with real fish?

Yes! Piquariums are fully functional aquariums, yet without all the fuss of traditional aquariums. They are very easy to take care of and are designed with all machinery hidden behind its handcrafted frame. All you see is beautiful multi-colored tropical fish happily cruising through swaying plants and dancing bubbles.
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Why?

Piquarium was created from our founder’s passion for art, unique furnishings and stress-free environments. A Piquarium is a spectacular conversation piece that both energizes and soothes a viewer. It’s Living Art. It’s art that moves! Technological and design innovations make your Piquarium quiet, calming, serene and VERY simple to maintain. And, they don’t take up any valuable floor space.
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Are Piquariums good for me?

Yes. Very good, actually. Medical and scientific studies over the years have proven that the presence of an aquarium can reduce stress and blood pressure levels – Immediately.
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Do Piquariums go inside my wall?

No! Piquariums are mounted ON YOUR WALL (like a flat screen TV , large painting, or mirror) using our mounting system that is rated to support more than 4 times the weight of a filled Piquarium. The main requirement is that our mounting system is drilled into wall studs. They can also be mounted into concrete or brick.

And, Piquariums are portable, meaning that if you move, or are a renter, or want to move your Piquarium to another room, all that’s left in the wall are 3 small screw holes. A smidgen of putty and a dash of paint and you or anyone else will never know there was a tank on your wall.
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What are the dimensions of Piquariums?

Piquarium Panoramic is 60″ long by 30” tall by 6” deep. It holds approximately 16.5 gallons of freshwater.
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Where can I display my Piquarium?

Our residential customers have displayed their Piquarium in their: dining room, hallway, entryway, bedroom, home office, kitchen, den/media/play room, bathroom, man cave or landing.

Our commercial customers have displayed their Piquarium in their: waiting room, reception area, office, conference room, bar, restaurant, hotel lobby, hotel room/or suite, atriums.

You can display your Piquarium anywhere you like with 4 important requirements:

  • The Piquarium must be securely anchored to the studs in your wall (or concrete or brick).
  • Do not position the Piquarium directly next to a heater/furnace or a drafty door.
  • Do not position your Piquarium where sunlight or artificial light shines directly and intensely onto the tank as this will encourage algae growth.
  • Piquariums must be installed in the proximity of a standard household electrical outlet.

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What colors and designs are available?

We currently carry a stunning collection of 16 handcrafted frames designed to instantly ratchet up the WOW! factor in your home, office, or place of business. Select from the finest high-tech laminates in solid colors, wood grains, marbles, oxides, and real metals. Hand painted one of a kind abstracts are also available.

Available tank background colors are Midnight Blue and Infinity Black.
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Can I purchase customized frame colors and/or designs?

Yes, we can create a custom frame for you. Customers can log on to these websites (wilsonart.com, formica.com and chemetalco.com) and pick almost any laminate to use as a Piquarium frame. There are hundreds to choose from! There is an additional charge for custom orders and will be quoted individually.
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What’s included in my purchase?

When your Piquarium arrives, you will receive all the items listed below, which is everything you need except for water, gravel, and fish! We think gravel is a very personal purchase as you’ll be seeing it every day. Your local aquarium store has many colors for you to choose from.

  • The cabinet (which mounts to your wall and holds the tank in place)
  • The removable, interchangeable frame (which fronts the tank and cabinet)
  • The mounting bracket
  • The reinforced acrylic tank

Note that the items below, which are included in your purchase, retail for over $400. With most other aquarium systems, you would have to purchase these items separately!!

  • Silent air pump to power the wall of bubbles
  • Bubble wand
  • Sinking tropical fish food (1 year’s supply included)
  • Fish net
  • The Piquarium Hidden Triple Filtration System (patent pending)
  • Mechanical filtration foam
  • Chemical filtration carbon bags for odorless and crystal clear water (1 year’s supply)
  • Biological filtration ceramic bio-media which breaks down waste and creates a healthy, positive biological environment for your fish
  • Aquarium heater
  • Thermometer
  • Lighting system
  • Gravel vac/water change siphon and hose
  • Long handled algae scraper
  • Water treatment solution (1 year’s supply)
  • Live tank bacteria which speeds up the tank ‘break-in’ period
  • Power strip
  • Assorted highest quality plastic coral and assorted plants

NOTE: If you live in northern California, we can provide professional installation which includes delivery, installation plus the gravel and fish, so the only thing you have to do is relax and enjoy the living beauty on your wall! Call or email for a quote.
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Are Piquariums difficult to install?

Not at all. Your Piquarium has been specifically engineered for simple installation. We have a clear, easy to read, easy to follow instruction manual shipped with your Piquarium. If you, or if someone you know can use a stud finder, a level, a drill, and a Phillips screwdriver then the install takes about 2.5 hours.
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Can I have my Piquarium professionally installed?

Yes. Many of our customers hire a handyman or installer from a local aquarium store. In many areas, we can help arrange professional installation which can include installation of the Piquarium plus the gravel and fish, so the only thing you have to do is relax and enjoy the living beauty on your wall!
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What are the maintenance requirements?

The short answer: Approximately 60 minutes, once per month. Quicker once you’ve done it a few times. It’s fast, simple. 

The long answer: Since our company’s inception, the only way we would enter into this business was if we could figure out a way to eliminate the Number 1 reason most people cite for not having an aquarium: MAINTENANCE!

After 2 ½ years of research, development, testing and prototyping, we designed a filtration system that is so complete and thorough, ensuring the healthiest environment for your fish possible, while at the same time needing so little attention. You see, Piquariums are meant to enrich our customers’ lives, not complicate them.

After your first or second time, you’ll have this drill down to less time. Perform this quick maintenance every 4-6 weeks. In some cases, like if you have a business that is open long hours 7 days a week (meaning the Piquarium light is always on) maintenance might have to be performed a little more often.
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Can I have my Piquarium professionally maintained?

Yes. We can provide it in Northern California. Virtually anywhere else, we can help align you with a local aquarium store in your area that can provide monthly care of your Piquarium.
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Can I decorate my own Piquarium?

Yes. It’s fun to personalize your Piquarium. You can visit your local aquarium store to help develop your ideas, and you can include such things as large rocks, wood, shells, novelty items and almost any gravel color you can imagine.
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Why are Piquarium frames detachable and interchangeable?

Detachable so your tank is easy to access during the monthly 60 minute maintenance drill.

Interchangeable because your Piquarium is built to last for an awful long time, and during that time, say 2, 3, 5 years down the road, you might move, or repaint the room, or remodel, or just get plain tired of the frame you chose years back. We’ll always be adding new and dazzling frame designs. Our made in the year 2021 frame will fit snugly on your made in 2007 Piquarium. Guaranteed.
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I can’t see any filters, pipes, tubing, heaters, cords, or machinery. Why not?

When we created Piquarium, one of our main goals was to hide from view all of the unsightly things mentioned. All heating, filtration, tubes, pumps, lights, etc. are hidden behind our handmade frames! Our customers do not see any machinery of any type; just incredible beauty.

All cords are consolidated into a power strip inside and behind the frame, then one cord drops from the unit to the closest electrical wall socket. That one cord can be hidden by a cord hider (found in any hardware store). A plant or piece of furniture is often used to hide the cord hider.

Some of our customers elect to hide the electricity behind the Piquarium so cords do not show at all.
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What does my wall aquarium cost to maintain?

Piquariums cost just a few dollars a month!

  • A couple dollars of electricity
  • A few gallons of tap water

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Can I over feed or over crowd my Piquarium?

Yes. We know it’s fun to watch your fish eat, but care must be taken to ensure that you give your tank mates only what they can finish in about 2-4 minutes.

Regarding overcrowding, the general rule is 1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of fresh water, so with our Designer size (11 gallons) you could have 11 “one inchers” or 6 “two inchers”. With our Panoramic size (16.5 gallons) you could have 17 “one inchers” or 8-9 “two inchers”.

However, in our 2 year testing phase of Piquariums, thanks to our superior filtration system, we found that you could increase the count of fish another 25% easily, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T OVERFEED!

But, for you out there (and you know who you are) that insist on overfeeding and overcrowding, you can, but you’ll have to perform the 60 minute maintenance drill more often.

There will be much more detailed information regarding the care and feeding of your aquatic buddies in your owner’s manual.
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What type of aquatic life can I have?

Almost all “community” freshwater (tropical) fish are recommended, and there are plenty to choose from. Your local aquarium store can assist you in organizing an interesting, fun assortment of fish that will get along.

1″ to 2″ long fish are perfect. Be sure to stay on this small size when selecting your fish, as they will get downright annoyed if they can’t make a U-turn in the tank.

Do not mix community fish with any “aggressive” species like oscars or cichlids, etc. except for the combinations we mentioned above. You can have aggressive species, but in a group by themselves. You don’t want any hooligans unless they’re all hooligans. Your local aquarium store can advise you.

Contact us and we’ll send you the Piquarium fish combination document. Fresh water fish have come a long way, they are now brightly colored.
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Can my Piquarium be a saltwater tank?

Yes. However, we don’t recommend this unless you’re an experienced saltwater hobbyist. More maintenance will be required including more frequent water additions to maintain the proper salidity level, tank cleaning more often to control algae and prevent salt creep. Any modifications to the Piquarium to a salt tank will void all warranties as saltwater can be very tough on hinges and other parts.
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What are the quality and safety features of the Piquarium?

The 3 main components (the tank, the cabinet and the frames) are hand made with stringent quality control standards. All other parts (heaters, pumps, filter media, etc.) are the finest available on the market.

Our Piquarium tanks are constructed of high-strength reinforced acrylic which is fully warranted against leakage for as long as you own the product. The cabinet (the structure that supports and surrounds the tank) is constructed of Extira, which is the strongest, most water resistant and most durable composite wood product available. We’ve used the highest quality materials, hardware and engineering.

No aquarium cabinet made of wood or wood products on the market is completely waterproof. However, we send our cabinet material out to have a melamine (laminate) surface applied. It’s an expensive process but well worth it. Every millimeter of the seams and joints of our cabinets have been carefully treated with waterproof industrial glues and silicone sealers providing you with the highest level of confidence in your purchase. We extensively test and challenge our cabinets in their ability to repel water. The least scientific of the 3 tests we conduct is the old “turn multiple glasses of water upside down on the surface and keep them there for several days” method. Not one drop of water penetrated our melamine surface.

Our mounting system is made of quadruple-thick reinforced aluminum that is rated for several times the weight of your filled Piquarium. Please be careful when filling and cleaning your Piquarium. As with any aquarium cabinet, remember to carefully wipe down any parts of the cabinet or frame that get wet during installation or maintenance.

We pride ourselves on our extensive Quality Assurance and testing programs. If you have any questions whatsoever, please send us an email or give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you have.
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What type of warranty does Piquarium offer?

Piquarium provides extensive warranties for the tank, cabinet and frame under normal use and care, for as long as the purchaser owns the product
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What’s with the name “Piquarium”?

We combined the words picture and aquarium. Corny, we know, but we couldn’t come up with anything we liked better.
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Where are Piquariums made?

Completely designed and hand made in San Leandro and Hayward, California, USA.
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