Capturing the Beauty of Aquarium Life on Camera

Aquarium photography is both rewarding and challenging. Fish move constantly, glass creates reflections and distortion, and aquarium lighting is rarely ideal for cameras. But with the right techniques, you can capture breathtaking images of your aquatic pets — whether you're using a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or even a modern smartphone.

The Biggest Challenges

  • Motion blur: Fish never stop moving, so slow shutter speeds produce blurry images.
  • Glass reflections: The aquarium glass acts like a mirror, bouncing room light back into your lens.
  • Low light: Aquarium lights are great for plants and fish but are often dimmer than ideal for photography.
  • Color shifting: Blue or green aquarium lighting can cast unnatural hues on your subjects.

Camera Settings for Aquarium Photography

Shutter Speed — Your Most Important Setting

To freeze a moving fish, you need a fast shutter speed. Start at 1/200s and go faster (1/500s or above) for active swimmers like danios or tetras. Slower fish like bettas may allow 1/100s.

Aperture

Use a wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/5.6) to let in more light and create that pleasing blurred-background look. However, be aware that wide apertures produce a shallow depth of field — only part of the fish may be in sharp focus. Stop down slightly if you want the whole fish sharp.

ISO

You'll likely need to push ISO higher to compensate for fast shutter speeds in low light. Modern cameras handle ISO 1600–3200 well. Don't be afraid to use higher ISOs — a slightly noisy sharp photo beats a motion-blurred one every time.

White Balance

Set white balance manually or use a custom setting based on your aquarium light type. Avoid Auto White Balance — it often misreads aquarium light and produces cold, green-tinted images.

Eliminating Glass Reflections

This is where most beginner aquarium photos fail. Here's how to combat reflections:

  1. Turn off room lights behind you so there's nothing to reflect.
  2. Use a lens hood or press your lens gently against the glass (use a rubber lens hood to avoid scratching).
  3. Shoot at an angle slightly off-center to the glass to redirect reflections away from the lens.
  4. Use a circular polarizing filter (CPL) — it dramatically reduces glare from glass surfaces.

Smartphone Tips for Aquarium Photography

Modern smartphones can produce excellent aquarium photos with these adjustments:

  • Use Pro/Manual mode to control shutter speed and ISO.
  • Tap the fish on screen to lock focus before shooting.
  • Shoot in RAW format if your phone supports it — gives much more editing flexibility.
  • Use the back camera (main lens), not the selfie camera.
  • Press the phone directly against the glass to eliminate reflections entirely.

Composing Great Aquarium Shots

  • Rule of thirds: Place the fish off-center for a more dynamic, visually interesting composition.
  • Leading lines: Use driftwood, plant stems, or rockwork to draw the eye toward the fish.
  • Eye contact: A photo where you can clearly see the fish's eye is always more engaging.
  • Patience: Wait for the fish to swim into a good position rather than chasing it around the tank.

Post-Processing

Even a well-shot aquarium photo often benefits from light editing. Adjust contrast, slightly boost saturation to bring out fin colors, and use the "Dehaze" tool in Lightroom to add clarity to murky water. Don't over-edit — the goal is to represent what you actually see in the tank.