ALAPPUZHA: While everyone goes outside the house to take a dip in the sea, Gopal Girishan goes inside his own house. The living room of his house has 14 feet long and six feet wide sea aquarium with fishes, in which a person can swim comfortably.

The living room is constructed in an area of a house—2500 square feet. An aquarium filled with ten thousand liters of sea water is attached to its wall. It is also home to the asper angel fish, worth Rs 10,000.

Gopal, a 44-year-old native of Alappuzha, had spent fifteen lakh rupees for this endeavor. Gopal, who works as a software engineer at a UK-based company, constructed the aquarium while renovating his house five years ago. The total area of the house is 9,000 square ft. Sea water is collected from a hatchery in Thottappally. Ten percent of the water will be changed once in three months. If a lot of water is changed altogether, then the fishes will die. White sand and white cement were used to create the impression of the seabed.

In addition, there is a 30 feet long and 14 feet wide swimming pool in the living room and a one lakh litre fish pond in the backyard. It is home to Tanjo, Beko and Koi fishes, which cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000.

Gopal is the son of Girish and Jaya Lakshmi, natives of Alappuzha. He has been working from home job since 2014. Wife: Nimitha, children: Iva, Jhanvi.