Bubble Fish Tank Makes Me Uncomfortable
The Bubble Tank by Sheffield-based design studio Psalt Design is one of those products that is beautiful, but makes me a little bit nervous.
The first design in Psalt Design’s kitchenware-focused product line, the Bubble Tank is made of hand-blown glass and shapes in a slumping, molten shape that teeters on the edge of a table. Designed to provoke a reaction, the fish house is inspired by bead of water which was about to flow over the edge of the surface it was resting on. Inspiration also came from the distortion and illusion that can be created through water and glass. Taking into consideration the material and the fact it is resting on its counter-balanced weight, the fragility of the product is reiterated.
Since launching prototypes earlier this year, Psalt Design has finally created a mold and put the tank into batch production. Bubble Tank will be part of Design Event Mart during Design Event October 14-18, 2011.
Looks incredible and it is a very cool idea, but I’m a clutz. One brush against that and it would come crashing to the floor!
Very pretty but totally impractical. Getting the fish in and out, cleaning waste and dead food, and none of the photos show a large enough water surface area to allow sufficient CO2 to escape and O2 to dissolve in the water making it a harmful environment for the fish. All design – no practicality.
It is suitable for a betta, but not a goldfish.
One way or another, this thing is going to kill a large share of the fish put into it.
Perfect tank for a beta… Not so much a gold fish. Not so hard to clean. I have a beta in a crystal skull vodka bottle and I just use a bottle brush to clean. Would have to test out its stability in order to rate that but the weight ratio seems like it would stay in place.
It would be perfect for a betta fish…
Bettas are gulpers, but they also have gills. Oxygenated water allows the betta to rest when ill (and bettas get ill all too often). A tank that were literally perfect for a betta would be aerated. (One would also find that bettas love to swim in aerator bubbles.)
Very unique/cool idea + beautiful sculpture! I like design like this, the kind that spark more than a “it’s nice” feeling. It makes you afraid for the little fish but Im sure its well designed to stay in place! http://elcorredorgriss.blogspot.com/
My cat would love this.
This would make me nervous too!
As a former fish ecologist, I’d have to agree: it makes me nervous too! Tho’ if they’re worth they’re Psalt (sorry!), they’ll have done the research to ensure it’s safe
I would be constantly anxious every time I looked at it! It’s kind of surrealist and I appreciate the beauty of it but as a person who always pushes things back from the edge of shelves and tables, I could never own this.
It is cruel to keep goldfishes in small and round tanks like that, in Sweden it is thankfully illegal!