Most people like to watch fish swim – there’s just something relaxing about it – and for a long time now people have been able to enjoy this relaxing pastime either by visiting an aquarium or having their own fish tank at home.
Usually, the home versions are not all that large. If you’ve got the money you could always have your own custom tank made, but even then most people wouldn’t be able to match the amazement of an actual aquarium.
Most people, though, aren’t as committed as Jack Heathcote. This 37 year old who lives in the Carlton district of Nottingham was inspired on a trip to Blackpool Aquarium as a ten year old. This fascination with the underwater world has continued throughout Jack’s life.
Which is what prompted him to create his own private underwater aquarium in the basement of his five-bedroom home. Jack’s personal aquarium is arguably the biggest privately owned aquarium in the UK and is filled with many exotic species of aquatic life, some of which are only found in the far corners of the world such as the Amazon.
While cleaning and maintaining the tank can be hard work, Jack isn’t complaining, saying : “My hobby’s not only taken over my life, it’s taken over my home. But I love it”
Dive On In
While Jack’s basement aquarium is no doubt his biggest project to date it’s not the first time he’s added an aquatic feature to his home. In his previous home Jack built an indoor tropical pond which was big enough to hold 12 stingrays.
Estate agents initially feared that the pond would make the house a difficult sell but it turned out to be a big feature that drew people in and the home was soon sold.
The total cost of Jack’s basement aquarium might surprise you. He paid £700 for the glass panels and £800 for the fibreglass lining and estimated that in total the tank cost him £5,000 to build.
And while there where many design approaches he could have taken, he decided to use simple decorations like smooth boulders, along with the branches of a damson tree. These simple features let the beauty of these underwater creatures take centre stage.
The basement aquarium is literally swimming with aquatic life and includes: two chainsaw Doradids, a Red Tail Hybrid Catfish, eight Stingrays, two Fly River Turtles and many more. While Jack admits the tank: “does cost a bit for the upkeep” he said that having: “the UK’s biggest private aquarium, is something I am very proud of”.
Read further articles about our more conventional approach to basement waterproofing.
