12 Wild and Wondrous Aquariums

Almost anything can be made into a fish tank IF you've got the room, the money, the time, and the dedication to make it work. If you don't, you can enjoy these projects others have put their hearts into for a beautiful display of fish.

1. Bathtub

You can swim with the fishes anytime, but how about taking a bath with fish? The Moody Acquario bathtub is a freestanding tempered glass tub with one side fashioned as an aquarium. The price? $14,500!

2. Telephone Booth Aquarium

Designers Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino filled a phone booth with water and fish for the Festival of Lights in Lyon, France in 2009. It was sort of a recycling project, as telephone booths aren't used to make calls anymore. Image by Flickr user Nicolas Nova.

3. R2D2 Aquarium

The R2D2 aquarium is small, only one and 3/4 gallons, but the robot itself is famously small. But hey, not only does he hold fish, but he turns his head and "talks" to you as well! Originally sold by Hammacher-Schlemmer, you can only get them used now -if you're lucky.

4. Shark Dance Floor

Dancing on top of your home aquarium is not recommended. But you can cut a rug atop swimming sharks at the Qua Bottle Lounge in Austin, Texas. The 19,000 gallon tank used as a dance floor contains sharks and sting rays. as well as other marine wildlife.

5. Car

You'll find this car made into an aquarium at Siam Ocean World in the Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok. The doors are welded shut for obvious reasons. How would you like the job of cleaning this fish tank?

6. Labyrinth

The Silverfish Aquarium by Octopus Studios has "apartments" that fish can visit, giving it the overall effect of a hamster enclosure. You might call it intellectual enrichment for pet fish.

7. & 8. Birdcage Aquariums

Combining a birdcage and aquarium is a space-saver that's been done more than once. This artwork by Constance Guisset is called Duplex, which balances a fishbowl above a basket containing the birds.

Robert Gligorov designed this combination that sets an enclosed aviary into an aquarium. The top of the bird enclosure is taller than the water level and has a top grill for air.

9. Ecology for the Home

The Local River Aquarium by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur incorporates a vegetables garden atop the fish tank. The plants filter the water and the water provides nutrients for the plants. The refrigerated tank can be used as a fish hatchery for those who want to grow their own freshwater fish for dinner. As a bonus, the plants also freshen the air!

10. Shoe Fish Bowl

An aquarium in a shoe? Yes, it's an art project created for a competition called the Nike78 project. Artists were challenged to illustrate new functions for the shoes. The aquarium was created by Weiden and Kennedy Tokyo Lab.

11. Rimless Aquarium

An aquarium with no visible rim completely full of water doubles as an art piece and the focal point for any room. Zero Edge makes these beautiful aquariums. Shown is the 75ZRCT Classic model, one of many shapes and sizes offered.

12. Bigger is Better

The Kuroshio Sea at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan is a tank that holds almost two million gallons of water. It is big enough to accommodate several whale sharks as well as many of species of marine life. The walls are made from seven layers of clear laminate and are 60 cm thick. To get an idea of its immense size, you have to see it in motion.

You'll see even more awesome aquarium designs in the previous post 9 Really Cool Aquariums.