RESIDENTIAL AQUARIUM PROJECT | LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY
1,000-Gallon Double-Sided Reef Aquarium Installation in Long Branch, NJ
This 10-foot-long, four-foot-deep reef aquarium was designed and installed as a double-sided architectural feature within a custom Long Branch home.
Planning a Custom Aquarium?
A 10-Foot Reef Designed for Two Views
This 1,000-gallon reef aquarium measures 10 feet long, four feet from front to back and 42 inches high. It was planned as a permanent architectural feature while the Long Branch residence was still under construction.
The aquarium is visible from both the main living space and the adjoining hallway. Aqua Creations coordinated the aquarium, steel support structure, plumbing, remote filtration and future service access while construction was underway.
The completed aquarium can be viewed from both rooms, while the filtration equipment and routine service work remain outside the home’s finished living areas.
1,000-Gallon Reef Aquarium Details
LOCATION:
Long Branch, New Jersey
AQUARIUM:
Custom saltwater reef aquarium
CAPACITY:
1,000 gallons
DIMENSIONS:
10 feet long × 4 feet deep × 42 inches high
VIEWING CONFIGURATION:
Double-sided
SUPPORT:
Custom powder-coated steel structure
INTEGRATION:
Built into custom architectural millwork
FILTRATION:
Dedicated remote basement life-support system
PROJECT COMPLETED:
2025
Experience Two-Way Aquarium Viewing
See the completed aquarium from the main living space and the adjoining hallway.
Living Room View
The completed reef aquarium as viewed from the home’s main living space.
Hallway View
The opposite side of the same aquarium, viewed from the adjoining hallway.
Installed While the Home Was Being Built
A 10-foot built-in aquarium should not be classified as a finishing item. The tank and powder-coated steel support structure were installed while the home was still being framed.
Working at this stage allowed the aquarium opening, structural support, plumbing route to the basement filtration area and future service access to be coordinated before the walls, cabinetry and millwork were completed.
Aqua Creations designed the complete system and handled the aquarium installation, steel support, plumbing, remote filtration and aquascaping. Once the surrounding millwork was completed, the structural and mechanical components were hidden, leaving the aquarium as part of the finished room.
A 10-Foot-Long Reef with Four Feet of Depth
At 10 feet long, four feet from front to back and 42 inches high, this aquarium provides considerably more aquascaping space than a typical built-in display.
The extra depth allowed the rockwork to be arranged in several layers instead of appearing as one flat wall. It also creates a more dimensional view through the aquarium from either side.
Because the aquarium is viewed from both rooms, the rockwork, coral placement and overall composition had to work from both the living room and the hallway.
Designed to Be Viewed from Both Sides
From the living room, the aquarium appears as part of the main architectural wall. From the hallway, it becomes a long interior window built into the surrounding millwork.
Both sides look into the same reef, but the aquarium’s depth and rock placement create a different view from each room. The aquascape therefore had to be planned from both directions rather than only from the front.
The Equipment Stays Out of the Living Space
The aquarium is connected to a dedicated filtration area in the basement rather than relying on equipment hidden inside the finished cabinetry.
The remote system includes a custom acrylic sump, circulation pumps, water-processing and storage equipment, and the plumbing needed to support the display upstairs. Locating it away from the aquarium keeps routine service work out of the living areas and provides proper access to the equipment.
A Young Reef with Room to Grow
This 1,000-gallon reef is still young. The coral colonies are established throughout the aquascape, but they still have considerable growing to do.
As the corals grow outward and upward, they will gradually fill the open areas between the rock formations. The aquarium’s appearance will continue changing, with more color, texture and depth developing on both viewing sides.
Aqua Creations continues to maintain the aquarium with scheduled cleaning, water testing, equipment inspections and ongoing reef care as the system matures.
Planning a Custom Aquarium?
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