There are lots of reasons to own a home aquarium. In addition to adding great value to your home, it serves as a constantly shifting, changing piece of art. A tank can be changed from freshwater to saltwater, from reefs and corals to plants, and from endless possibilities of fish and design.

But in addition to all of that, a home aquarium can actually help you relieve stress.

Health Benefits

Every study that has looked at the relationship between humans and their environments has shown a deep connection between natural environments and happiness. No matter how far we build into the sky or bury ourselves in offices, our natural instincts will always be to return to nature.

In a recent study, scientists at the National Marine Aquarium proved that even an empty tank can be relaxing and calming.

While the National Marine Aquarium was changing out fish from a tank, they decided to study human reaction to the aquariums at various stages from empty to completely full. What they found was that every stage had positive effects, but some were far more dramatic.

Within the first five minutes, people’s moods were elevated and their heart rates and blood pressure significantly lowered. This was all just within the first five minutes! Continued watching past this period did not change heart rate or blood pressure anymore, but many people reported longer periods of viewing with having increasing effects of relaxation and happiness.

It turns out that some primal part of our brains finds pleasure in water and life, which would account for why humans are so often drawn to beaches and oceans. Even more interesting, the greater the biodiversity in the tank, the more pronounced these effects were. Although a tank with only plant life and lights caused soothing effects, tanks with thriving ecosystems and teeming with life had exponentially greater effects.

Here at Living Art Aquatic Design, we don’t just believe in these effects – we live them. Stop by today and we can help create a thriving aquarium for you to reduce stress and lower blood pressure!