The Ugliest Fish Room on Youtube! What Have I Done?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2023
- Hello Everyone,
In this video we take a look at the fish room conversion into a gallery - it's getting there!
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You have one of the darker fish rooms of the channels I follow. There was a trend in the pet shops many years ago to make the fish room dark with a low ceiling. My preference (particularly in a basement) would be light colored walls and decor, dark floors, and dimmable lights. This allows you to go from a very dark room to a very bright room as your mood dictates. You can always remove light from a brightly painted room but it's very hard to brighten up a dark walls. (In an unfinished basement, I'd paint everything overhead flat black if possible)
I agree
Why not do both! One wall with wood planking/shiplap and then the other two walls whitewash the brick - brightens it up while still retaining the classic brick. In a room with no natural light you want as much brightness as possible to make it feel less cave-like.
Wood planks would totally brighten up the basement. The bricks make the space look dark and aged. The planks will modernize your area. Despite the price, it will be worth it. Can’t wait to see the final remodel. I’m sure it will look great! 🎉
I think the bricks add a ton of character to the space. Painted brick never looks good.
The bricks are gorgeous. It adds a relaxed vibe that compliments the green plants so well!
Bricks are legit
An easy solution that sounds wrong but is inexpensive an will contrast nicely with lit aquariums is 'flat black' painted brick. Any mars or mistakes on the wall are a super easy fix and dry in 30 minutes. To rid the room of that dungeon look lighten the ceiling and the floor ( a middle tone, nothing to bright ) For an incredible effect angle each light towards the tanks back by 2% and move forward by 1 inch. It'll give each tank a different look, closer to frontal lighting instead of pounding with direct over-head lighting. ( only 2%, naturally try it first )
Look up a product called Truss-core. It's used in lots of food-safe production areas in agriculture and other industries. It's waterproof, easy to clean and installation is very quick and easy.
I personally wouldn't use wood. The RH in the room could lead to mold and fungus problems later down the road. Good luck with the gallery!
White painted brick would look good. If you want to give it a bit of character you could gently sand the edges to give it a rustic look. If it's real brick you could also try a German Smear. 🙂
I think it's a good idea, especially with the sanded brick edges.
Walls would look awesome in black (with perhaps a blue tint) because it actually has the opposite effect to what most ppl would expect. It makes a room look larger! Either painted or sheets of black cork, which comes in all colours & has excellent insulation, fire retardant & health qualities. This would mean no need to do individual tank backgrounds 🤩🐠 Lovely to see a fish room catch up.😍
I really like the bricks. Nice contrast to the tanks
I have canister filters on my tanks, all Fluvals, was nervous to start with but wouldn’t be without them now, two 207s and a 407, they’re brilliant, no issues at all, had them for 3 years, 2 years and 18 months and they’re so quiet, the moving water/bubbles make far more noise than the filters.
Can easily switch out the ugly black pipes they come with for clear aquarium hose and have had no leaks. Pop pre-made sponges over the intake ends and it stops babies and shrimp from getting into the filter and makes maintenance super easy.
Re-the wall options…we have a 300litre tank in the living room and it’s up against a grey-blue wall, looks great as it just looks like the tank goes on forever and you don’t notice the small amounts of algae there either. Whatever you do I’m sure it’ll look great, but I’ve been super impressed with the fluval canisters, especially as they just restart after a power cut!
Well, I have read the comments. Wood will warp with the humidity ( unless it stays stable). You may need to decide if you want a cozy dark den or a bright coffee / art gallery room.
if you choose to do the wood panles, drill your anchor points in the mortar joints. this wil give you the ability to reverse back to the brick with only the need to point-up the mortar saving the brick from being defaced.
Run all Canister filters, you won't regret it, and just paint the brick with a white wash . Lighting is key, but your tanks will light the room.
I think lighting the space up is a great idea…and that way you’re not apologizing in every video about the lighting 😂 y’all are doing great so excited to see the final result!
Jason, thank you so much for this video! It takes me back to the early days of Prime Time Aquatics when you were building the fish room and providing updates on what was going on.
I think a wood plank wall would look awesome. Maybe a mix of wood colors to make it visually interesting and not super dark.
Those were the old days! 😀
I like the plank idea, with different types for the different colors! I do that alot in my wood working projects!
I am doing a massive transformation 16 tanks down to 7! Very exciting and tons of work. I showed my husband your mess and want to thank you for sharing that because he now gets that the mess is inevitably part of it.. I think you should paint the brick black.. just like a black background is for the tanks.. your fish, plants, art etc will pop! We redid a finished basement with black and it looks great. It making the space look smaller is a myth that I can tell you first hand is not true. The brick is sweet and I wouldn’t cover it up. Leave it as is or paint it black. I would do the black if it were my space. Hope that helps and can’t wait to see it finished 🤩
Have fun with your changes!
I’m in a similar situation. Making a gallery. Going from black walls to white foam wall covering over insulation board. I’m absolutely loving the brightness
Greetings from Scotland! Hi Jason, for what it's worth, I think you should consider leaving the brick wall as it is. I think it gives more depth & character to your room. Thanks for giving us all an update on where you're at with this amazing project. 😊
I think painting the brick some shade of gray would look nice. Help brighten the room a little bit.
I say keep the brick as it is, it adds a really nice relaxing vibe to the room
This literally makes me feel better. I often feel “less than” because it’s hard to keep things tidy and organized while also keeping up with actual tank care, and running the human family. Thank you for keeping it real 🙌❤
Ditch the brick. I’m a homeowner and just redid my basement with a fishroom combo tv room. Much brighter and appealing with a lighter flooring and light color wall with a tint of grey.
1-paint the walls white to brighten up the room. 2- Run the air and drainage lines around the room to plan in advance your next room change. It will save you time and energy when the time comes! 3- CABINETS instead of shelves- it will look neater… GOOD LUCK
Jason,
I would either paint the brick black or a form of white. You can do a lot with paint now. If you have a sample brick paint a few of them one black one white. You could go like a light grey but I don’t know the colors you are going to have furniture wise. But a darker grey may work if you’re going to paint the floor dark grey than I would do something lighter on the walls. Appreciate the your buddy. It’s coming along.
Leave it! I love that unique feature & it would be part of the “old” fish room! It has a ton of character & it isn’t something I see in any other videos!
I would go light colored or a tone of white walls and then put one accent wall of wood in. Brighter lighting and brighter walls will really open the space up in my opinion. The brick sort of detracts from the focal point of the fish and darkens the whole space up in to a basement feeling. Just my opinion of course :)
Keep up the good work, looking forward to seeing the progress. As far as the walls, it's a midwest basement, therefore the correct answer is wood paneling.
I’ve always liked the brick walls. It’s unique, gives lots of texture while still looking clean, and I think it makes the space more fun.
The old all glass tank brand were one of the best made. They don't make them like that anymore.
When I think of Prime Time Aquatics, I think of two things... red bricks and that cool beard. 🙂 You could do a mixture, planks on some places and bricks on others. The room is dark, maybe change the lighting or paint the bricks. Thank you for "Blending Science & Fish Keeping"... you are truly the best at it.
Thank you!
What if you did wood planking and then painted it a light color kind of like an accent wall. You'll have the texture of the wood plank and the benefit of a bright color. You could do something like an egg shell or off-white over the wood planking might look great as a backdrop for your live streams or member videos and it would have the added benefit of making the space appear larger
Thanks for sharing this update!
Can't wait to see the finished product! Thanks for all the great content!
I really like the brick, but I picture a bright room when I picture “gallery.” My house is pretty dark and it’s a real challenge to brighten it up. I think light walls would give you more options.
Thanks for keeping it real! I would paint the walls either a neutral off white or black to highlight the tanks and decor. I wouldn't plank it or even leave the brick look, though nice, if you want a "gallery " think of how museum walls are. Museum and art galleries have neutral backdrops. Just my opinion. Thanks again!
Keep it simple I'd leave the wall. Also I was just thinking about and update and your video popped up 😂. Can't wait to see what you do with the room thanks for update 😁
Keep the brick, no paint, just as is is awesome looking. Keep up the great videos.
I would take some white eggshell paint and black paint. Paint a section of the wall each color and look at it for a couple of days and see which looks best for your final vision.
Looking forward to seeing the finished product. I have always thought you had one of the nicest looking fish rooms I have ever seen (youtube or otherwise).
Love what y’all do!!
Hi Jason, a lot of work ahead, I vote to change the color of the brick wall, a lighter color would be easier on the eye, since you will be down to 5 or 7 tanks in that room. Thank you from NYC
I would definitely leave the brick as is. It will be a nice contrast to the bright tanks
I'd probably go for painting it; a light greyish to brighten the space :)
Thanks for the update!
It looks good. We'll see how it finishes, but all good changes.
Paint the brick!!!!
Personally I like the look of natural materials, I might leave the brick and maybe do a wood plank accent wall. But taste is so subjective, It's got to be something you really like in the end. Whatever you end up with I'm sure you and Joanna will make it look great! 🙂👍
Thanks for the update. I hope when you get ready to move your large clown loaches they make it they don't like being moved once there that size. Good luck. Thanks for sharing
It’ll just be across the room so hopefully they will be ok.
Which style? I think it depends on the vibe you guys want. Cozy/lounge? I’d go dark walls. Crisp, clean, minimal, bright like an art museum? White walls. The wood softens the look and makes me think nature - similar to a natural resources building with display tanks. Which can also be nice if you want that style.
You guys are working so hard! Whatever you decide will look great. Those empire gudeons are awesome!
Love it!
Exciting times! A bit of work but that's the beauty of fish keeping 💪keep it up sir!
I would paint the brick, if you choose the correct paint, it looks great, I had a red brick wall and I painted it white, 2 coats of one step prep.
I would white wash the brick. So it’d lighten things up and give it a fresh look, but not be as stark as full on painting it a solid color.
I think leave the walls as they’re nice looking and you’re just creating yourself a lot more work by changing it. 👍🏻🏴
I would paint the bricks white/off-white to brighten the room up!
Some light patchy white washing of the brinks would look good. Make it look like a submersed city ruins.... a freshwater Atlantis.
Are you wanting a dark room or a bright room? If the aquariums are going to be black backed anyway you could do a white washed brick look. Maybe dabble with few colors to see if you find something you like. The wood would be nice but yea, labor intensive... All messes are not bad, sometimes it's a sign of progress.
Ya - all the tanks are painted black 😄
Jason you had mentioned you took the fishroom down because it'll look better painted white. So whats the use in moving it around if it wasn't going to get done. Yes paint white or give it a german smear look. Those viejas are beautiful, I'm so glad they're staying.
Leave it the old bricks cool enough😊
You’re right it’s a mess! Looking forward to the rebuild.
Paint the walls white or a different light color to brighten it up. If you keep it dark, you need better lighting down there. It will help with the making of your videos.
Love the wall as is!
Keep it like that those brick walls looks beautiful maybe a more illumination an that’s it!!!
I've been wondering what you're going to do with the walls!!!!!! So many options, I always liked the brick panel board, but a fan of planking. Maybe plank both sides and paint the brick as the accent wall, or vice versa???????
Whitewashed brick with some nice lighting would look great
I love the brink look personally
The brick, as it is, looks pretty dated (70’s kitsch). I would rank your options in the following order:
- Paint over the bricks with preferably a satin black paint.
- Cover it over with a rustic barn wood type covering.
- Leave it as is.
As your fish is in the cellar (basement) , I personally would try to brighten the wall. Not to bright but brighter.
Interesting and fairly civilized, enjoyed your sharing
Fish room remodeling is quite the process
Dude - it sure is! Funny story - Joanna was worried about her 4 tiny chili rasboras without a sponge filter in her 3 gallon planted tank. I said don't you remember LRB's fish room - it's going to be ok. Haha
Lol hope it eased her mind. That’s what I’m here for. Hopefully I will see you all at Aquashella in Daytona.
First, off it's only a mess at the moment.
The brick is fine. Might be nice to paint and you could use masking tape to keep the lines.
You could semi cement render the bricks (i think it's called bagging) that will lighten the wall and retain the character of the bricks.
I also like the idea of wooden panels.
Not a fan of painting bricks.
I personally wouldnt paint it dark. from these videos the room appears dark. I recommend tidying it up for storage :)
I would leave the brick and go with a rustic natural look. If you’re looking for modern, then paint or plank. But I like the brick. More overhead lighting would also help.
I think I would paint the brick. Maybe a white wash so some of red shows through?? Just a suggestion. I know that whatever you decide, it will look awesome. 🐠🐠🐠 Gina
Thank you!
Not sure where to leave this question, but would you be able to do a video about isolating variables and testing them in a tank that isn't working for one reason or another. Not necessarily that you have sick or lethargic fish fish, though that is one, but also stuff like plants keep dying off even though the tests come out within normal parameters, or maybe figuring out if a product you're using isn't working the ways it's supposed to, stuff like that (sorry if this is a dumb question, I just don't have a strong background in experimental sciences)
Paint the brick a lighter color. It will brighten up the space and make it feel more spacious.
I would paint the brick a white color. It will brighten up the whole area.
I would go with a high gloss black to make everything pop
Paint those bricks even painting a mural theme would be cool. 🐟🐠🐡🦈🐟🐠🐡🦈🎏
I like the brick. I think you’ll regret painting it. It will never be the same after that. The wood panels is a good look but personally I love the brick.
I work with a plumber from aurora. Lucky to have floor drains and a basement down here in the south you would never unless it's a mill+ home.
Can’t imagine life without them. Haha
Love your videos man
Thank you!
The brick is beautiful!! Leave it! DONT TOUCH THE BRICK!
Art with accent lights on the brick would look really cool. No paint.
Like framed art
the brick wall is awesome ! I'd leave it .....
I'd leave the brick natural and paint the white plastic pipes a dark brick red to match.
The wood walls would look amazing my worry is if they would warp due to moisture in the air
I’d leave the brick and yeah either do a white wash it’ll make the room seem larger and brighten it up or, go blackout that always is a safe bet. Keep up the hard work you guys are crushing it !!
I like the brick! Painted brick always looks like painted brick.
Paint it light Grey 😍
I would paint, because if you don't like it you can always change easily; either now or in the future. It is also the most cost effecient. Regarding color. I would get the room cleaned out, then purchars some construction paper in the colors you are considering and put that up on the wall. It is all about what asthetic yo want and what makes the space feel the way you want it to. Personally I would go lighter than black; I find it to depressing, thats just me tho. Love the progress.! 🙂
I think a very cool idea would be to have a tropical fish themed mural as a backdrop on the surrounding walls.
I think the brick looks very nice as is.
I’d paint the walls white make everything nice and bright
Leave the walls but put up some artwork and light / white shelving
A big project for sure. I'd just paint the walls a dark color and call it a day. LOL. I need to pull all my tanks and relevel everything again. I'm not looking forward to that either.
I'm looking forward to seeing this project evolve! Quick quesion. You mentioned preferring Hang-On-Back filters over canisters. Have you tried messing around with "Hang on back canisters?" They seem to have more room for media than a regular hang on back.
I have, but didn’t like them because they are a little more cumbersome to maintain.
Didn't have to do all the water changes back in the 1960
What a massive project, I feel for you. It’s going to be great though. I think I’d leave the brick. If you want to brighten things up I’d do it with lighting rather than painting the brick.
Oh definitely paint the bricks a lighter color. That corner is so dark, it needs to be lighter. I would go with a light tan or darker cream color and then let the darker color underneath show through the crooks and crannies where the top layer of paint don't want to go. A kind of "antique" style. You know, like they're doing with furniture? But....its just my opinion. Everyone's likes and dislikes are different. You might not like that idea. Or 100 people might comment that they don't like it. And that's ok. But I would definitely just paint the brick. And for a bonus, It would be quicker and cheaper to. 😉
I think you should paint and brighten it up a little.
Anxious to see if you painted the brick. Or painted paneling. Hope so!
Painted the paneling.