(1) Dear Kartar: I would like to keep a fish tank directly opposite my main door. Its more inclined to west and southwest.
Answer: You asked about placing a feng shui fish tank across from your front door, to the southwest/west direction. When it comes to the eight basic directions, each one is associated with an element, such as west being symbolic of metal and southwest associated with earth. But this is not how we decide where the place elements internally within a home.
In order to know where to place water for feng shui, or any other element (wood, fire, earth, metal), we need to calculate when the structure was built and its entire compass reading. This reveals which areas need water or the other elements as enhancers or diminishers.
When it comes to outside water, the location is all relative to the center of the structure. From 1984-2004, having OUTSIDE water to the west was undermining for financial luck of the occupants. In contrast, since 1984 and until 2024, having OUTSIDE water to the southwest has been supportive for the financial luck of the occupants.
Some people wonder if it is inherently lucky or prosperous to place a water feature near a door, inside or outside, or across from a front door, as you have posed in your question. All of these possibilities are unique to the house and not to be considered generic advice.
What can happen when water is placed in the wrong location? Water in the wrong location can undermine financial luck. Water in the wrong location can also fuel arguments, gossip or legal predicaments.
(2) Dear Uncle Dixer: I have a Southwest main entrance (more south). I am planning to place a 65-gallon fish aquarium in Northwest which is on the right side of the room when you enter from main door. The aquarium can be seen form entrance. Is this ok? Thanks!
Answer: Compass-wise, the Southwest is correlated to Earth, the Northwest is correlated to Metal. Earth generates Metal, which means they are in a constructive relationship, so it should be fine.
Form-wise, seeing the aquarium as you enter is quite welcoming so that is fine as well. It is a nice way to start the Chinese New Year.
(3) Dear Uncle Dixer: Our Apartment is South facing. I plan to place an aquarium, with 8 gold and 1 black Gold fish, exactly opposite the front door against the East wall of the living room. Is the position suitable and do the dimensions of the aquarium matter? Thank you.
Answer: It sounds fine to me, except the aquarium should not face the front door directly. It is better kept to one side, so the wealth Qi represented by the water will not flow out of the door.
(4) Dear Uncle Dixer: I am from the West Kua Group. I would like to know if I could place an aquarium at the North, which is my front door. If not, where should I put it? Putting it at the Southeast is a place with many stairs and a side door. Thanks!
Answer: Both the North and the Southeast are East Four directions according to the Eight-Mansion School of Feng Shui. Since you are from the West Group, it would be better if you can place the aquarium at the Southwest, West, Northwest, and Northeast.
You are correct that the aquarium should be place against a corner or a wall that is not in the way of the stairs or doors. It should be against a solid wall.
(5) Dear Uncle Dixer: I am planning to keep a fish bowl (small size, may be 1-2 fishes). Which side is good to place it? I’m living in the apartment. Which fish is good as per Feng Shui? Thanks!
Answer: Do try to have at least two gold fishes. A fish on its own is not considered auspicious.
Put the bowl against a solid wall in such a way that when you walk into the room, that would be the first thing you can see. A moving gold color in water is associated with wealth in Feng Shui. When wealth is easily visible, then it would imply that wealth could be coming your way as well.
(6) Dear Uncle Dixer: The entrance to my house is southeast, in which corner and what direction should I place my aquarium? My family has myself, my wife, mom, dad and grandma. I currently have 1 silver arowana, 2 albino paroon sharks, 2 zebra angelfish, 2 white angels. Should I add more?
Answer: According to Feng Shui theories, the fish tank is considered Yang (being hard) and the water is considered Yin (being soft). Therefore, the fish tank should be located in the Early Heaven Yang directions against a solid wall and they are the South, Northwest, West and Northeast.
The number of different fish you have is 1, 2, 2, 2. There are more Yin numbers than Yang. It’s better if you can make up an arrangement of 1, 2, 2, 3 so the odd and even numbers are balanced. Which choice of fish to add one more is up to you.
(7) Dear Uncle Dixer: I have a large aquarium in the southwest corner of my office. Is this good for feng shui? My office is on the second floor above entrance to house.
Answer: The size of the aquarium should be in scale with the size of the room. If it is too big, it will look too ostentatious and ostentatiousness will catch trouble. So please check the size to see it fits into the room harmoniously.
The Southwest, or the Kun direction, is associated with the Earth Phase and it will try to control the Water. So it’s better if you can change the location of the aquarium to the North (Water), the West (Metal) or the Northwest (Metal) because a “of the same” or a “generate-in” relationship to Water is considered more auspicious.
(8) Dear Uncle Dixer: I am single. I want to place a fish tank in my office. I was born in 1991. I have a male dog, Shiba Inu, who is 4-month old now. I want to know what I should pay attention to.
Answer: At your age you should pay attention to your career. The best way to success is “grit”, and that is constant striving to do your best.
You can put the fish tank in a location that you can see the fish when you are working at your desk. Seeing how they never stop swimming to keep themselves alive should remind you to do the same as well – keep yourself active all the time, both physically and mental-wise.
Three fish is an auspicious number because it is “sheng” (3) and that has the same sound as being alive and being “fresh”. As for Shiba Inu, you can learn what love means by raising him from a young puppy to an old dog. Love and career, that should take up most of your attention when you are in your 20s.
(9) Dear Uncle Dixer: I am thinking of buying an aquarium for luck and wealth for the first time. I’m born in 1984, husband 1981 and a son 2015. Which direction will be good for us? Does it need to change the direction according to Flying Stars and the likes?
Answer: You don’t need to change direction of the aquarium every year. It would be auspicious if you can put it in the wealth corner of a room, which is usually diagonally opposite the entry door, against a solid wall.
(10) Dear Uncle Dixer: I am interested in placing an aquarium in my living room. Is there a better direction or location I should put it?
Answer: Best to put it against a solid wall and be the first thing that you can see as you enter the living room.
(11) Dear Uncle Dixer: I was born in May 1972 and my husband November 1970. I have one arowana in my fish tank. I want to get a stable income by business or by job. Past 1+ years I was without job and without income. My tank is placed in between Northwest 280. But my main door is located in West and tank is placed to the right, near the main door when we enter our home. Kindly advise. I placed it in North direction before, but it was facing main door and was facing lot of issues every day.
Answer: Place it to the East is better. That’s because East is associated with Wood and water with the fish will stimulate its growth and hopefully change your luck.
(12) Dear Uncle Dixer: My main door is East. At the left side of the entrance there is a window. Can I place the fish bowl at the top of the window?
Answer: If the left is the south side and you are in the northern hemisphere, the sun could be too strong for the fish. I would put the fish bowl against a solid wall instead of a window.
(13) Dear Uncle Dixer: We live in a townhouse. I have an aquarium and I place it against the wall near the entrance door, but after the aquarium will be the garage door and then the stairs. Our door is facing south. And when I place the compass in the middle of the house the aquarium is on Southeast. Will that bring us luck? We are a family of 6: me, my partner, and my 3 girls and 1 boy. And my fishes are 5 koi and 1 gold with orange head, 1 silver/white, 2 white with orange and 1 gold with black. Will this be ok?
Answer: The number and color of the fish is fine. The location of the tank would be better if you can place it to the opposite side at the Northwest that is associated with Metal. It is better because Metal generates Wood.
(14) Dear Uncle Dixer: My apartment entrance is south facing and building is east facing. I am planning to place an aquarium. Which direction would be best to place and what size?
Answer: You can place the aquarium towards the West or Northwest and have a multiple of 3 fish in the tank. The size depends on the space you have.
For more details about Feng Shui aquarium location, read this guide about Feng Shui Fish Aquarium for Abundance.
Kartar Diamond of Feng Shui Solutions® has a full-scale consultancy, including assistance with property searches, design phase and existing homes and businesses. She is the author of three books, 6 ebooks, 36 Cast Study Lessons and more to come. See the books she’s authored or browse through her online Traditional Feng Shui school.