1. The Hanging Wire
Most, if not all, aquariums that you can buy today (except for the Norrom Aquarium) contain the light fittings in the aquarium lid. Without exception this requires a power cable. People commonly complain that even the most popular aquarium designs on the market are let down by the dreaded wire hanging down from the lid. Mysteriously, this wire often cannot be seen in the official product photos and pictures…
A wire hanging from the lid is not required on the Norrom Aquarium since the main light is located in the base and reflected around the aquarium with a simple hidden mirror.
2. External Parts
Today you are faced with the ‘least worst’ choice. You can choose an aquarium with a standard air driven filter (that blows air bubbles from the bottom to the top), a ‘hang on the back’ filter (which sits outside the aquarium, sucking water through a pipe then dispensing it back from the top), or a submersible filter (a filter that sits near the bottom of the aquarium sucking in and pumping out water). All have their advantages and disadvantages.
Like some of the most popular aquarium brands, at Norrom we favour the air driven filter because of its proven efficiency and visual simplicity. However, even the most popular air driven filter aquariums today require an air pump that sits somewhere outside of the aquarium which many people complain is noisy and creates clutter.
This is why the Norrom Aquarium has been designed to (optionally) accommodate the air pump neatly inside its base, out of sight and out of earshot.
3. Visible Waterline
In most aquariums the surface of the water is visible at all times. This creates two problems. Firstly, over time a visible residue forms on the inside of the glass where the waterline has been, which needs constant maintenance to remove. Secondly, condensation is often visible inside the aquarium above the waterline, which looks bad.
The waterline in the Norrom Aquarium is completely hidden inside the lid, so this never becomes a problem.
4. Options (…not)
At Norrom we are tired of aquarium manufacturers offering only a narrow range of colour and material options. After all, people buy aquariums not just because they like fish, but because they are a beautiful furniture addition to any room. Why, then, don’t aquariums get the same design care and attention as any other price of furniture for your home?
The Norrom Aquarium is designed exclusively to blend in to any home, both now and in the future. The easily interchangeable lids and bases are made from high quality, natural materials, in an always-expanding range of finishes and colour/texture options. We even sell blank sets that can be painted to your exact colour preference, or you can download the 3D print template to 3D-print a lid and base in any colour or design imaginable.
5. Glass and Silicone
Some leading brands still sell aquariums made from conventional glass. There are several reasons why most of the aquarium industry has moved on from conventional glass. Unlike acrylic glass, conventional glass has the following flaws:
- A refractive index and clarity that is quite visibly worse than water. This means that it is possible to see the difference between the glass and the water when you look in to the aquarium.
- Very brittle, leaving it prone to shattering, and easily breaks when under pressure.
- Very heavy, which makes it more expensive and eco-unfriendly to transport.
- Needs to be bonded together with a thick layer of silicone, which is visible and detracts from the clean lines of the glass itself.
The Norrom Aquarium uses not only acrylic glass but a brand new and proprietary casting process for creating crystal clear and ultra strong acrylic glass. Click here to find out more.
6. Maximalism
Unlike Norrom, most aquarium brands manufacture a significant part of their aquarium using flimsy, vacuum formed plastic (which is very cheap to make). Because this manufacturing process and material is easy and cheap, brands are continuously experimenting with new shapes and curves to create more interest in an otherwise uninspiring product, despite diverging from the interior design and furniture trends that people love. This goes against all sensible design thinking, and most importantly is precisely the opposite of Norrom’s minimalist design philosophy.
The Norrom Aquarium is designed with pure simplicity, beauty and functionality in mind, which is why our aquarium has just two distinctive lines: horizontal and vertical. No wavy lines, curvy shapes or erratic angles, thank you.
7. Rip-off Components
Most aquarium brands design their aquariums not only to maximise profit from the initial sale, but to maximise revenue from consumables purchased later, such as filter components. This ties the customer to the brand, meaning that the brand can rip the customer off for the remainder of their aquarium ownership.
At Norrom, we think that aquariums should be created and kept for people’s enjoyment; not to maximise the profit of a faceless company. This is why almost every single consumable possible in the Norrom Aquarium is designed to be compatible with known generic parts that are widely available from many sellers, so our customers get the choice and value they deserve both now and in the future.