Aquarium
In 1369, the Hongwu Emperor of China established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for maintaining goldfish. Over time, people produced tubs that approached the shape of modern fish bowls. Leonhard Baldner wrote Vogel-, Fisch- und Tierbuch in 1666 and maintained weather loaches and newts inside his tanks. Some scholars claim Romans kept sea barbels in marble-and-glass tanks, though they doubt the veracity of this story. Jeanne Villepreux-Power became the first person to create aquaria for experimenting with aquatic organisms in 1832. Her work led to several discoveries including the first direct evidence that argonauts create their own shells. Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward proposed using his Wardian case tanks for tropical animals in 1836. He did so in 1841, initially housing only aquatic plants and toy fish before adding real animals. Félix Dujardin noted owning a saltwater aquarium in 1838, though he did not use the term aquarium at the time. Anne Thynne maintained stony corals and seaweed for almost three years starting in 1846. She is credited as the creator of the first balanced marine aquarium in London. English chemist Robert Warington experimented with a 13-gallon container containing goldfish, eelgrass, and snails. This created one of the first stable aquaria. The aquarium principle was fully developed by Warington, explaining that plants added to water would give off enough oxygen to support animals. His findings were published in 1850 in the Chemical Society's journal.
The keeping of fish in an aquarium became a popular hobby and spread quickly after ornate aquaria in cast-iron frames appeared at the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1853, the aquarium craze launched in England through Philip Henry Gosse, known as the Father of the Aquarium. He created and stocked the first public aquarium at the London Zoo in Regent's Park. This facility came to be known as the Fish House before yielding to the word aquarium. Gosse used this term as the title of his 1854 book The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Water. The high-water mark of the popular aquarium movement in Britain lasted from 1853 to 1860. Edward Edwards developed glass-fronted aquaria in his 1858 patent for a dark-water-chamber slope-back tank with water slowly circulating to a reservoir beneath. German Emil Adolf Rossmässler promoted the value of the aquarium movement in education. He wrote about its use in an 1855 article in Die Gartenlaube and in his 1857 book Das Susswasser-Aquarium. William Alford Lloyd moved to Hamburg in 1862 to supervise installation of circulating systems and tanks at the Hamburg Aquarium. During the 1870s, some of the first aquarist societies appeared in Germany. The United States soon followed these developments. Published in 1858, Henry D. Butler's The Family Aquarium was one of the first books written in the US solely about the aquarium. According to the July issue of The North American Review of that same year, William Stimson may have owned some of the first functional aquaria. He had as many as seven or eight tanks. Henry Bishop, a bird and fish dealer in Baltimore known as the Goldfish King, revolutionized the aquarium business in the US. He sold a wide range of tanks and supplies beginning in the 1870s-1880s. The first aquarist society in the United States was founded in New York City in 1893.
Around 1908, the first mechanical aquarium air pump was invented, powered by running water instead of electricity. This introduction is considered by several historians to be a pivotal moment in development. Aquaria became more widely popular after houses gained electricity supply following World War I. Electricity allowed artificial lighting, aeration, filtration, and heating of the water. Jugs made from various materials were used to import fish from overseas with bicycle foot pumps for aeration. Plastic shipping bags were introduced in the 1950s, making it easier to ship fish. Air freight eventually allowed fish to be successfully imported from distant regions. Popular publications started by Herbert R. Axelrod influenced many hobbyists to begin keeping fish. In the 1960s, metal frames made marine aquaria almost impossible due to corrosion. Development of tar and silicone sealant allowed the first all-glass aquaria made by Martin Horowitz in Los Angeles, California. Frames remained purely for aesthetic reasons afterward. Acrylic aquaria first became available to the public in the 1970s. Prior to UV stabilization invention, early acrylic aquaria discolored over time with light exposure. Today this discoloration issue no longer occurs. Japan played an increasingly important role in shaping aquarium design in the latter part of the twentieth century. Takashi Amano's aquascaping designs influenced fishkeepers to treat home aquariums as aesthetically pleasing compositions rather than simple displays of specimens.
Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of waste produced by inhabitants. Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia which converts to ammonium in water. Ammonia becomes toxic at high concentrations unless removed through the nitrogen cycle. Bacteria known as nitrifiers metabolize nitrogen waste. Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from water and convert it to nitrite. Nitrite is toxic to fish in high concentrations. Another type of bacteria converts nitrite into nitrate, a less toxic substance. Aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. They remove nitrogen from water by using it to build biomass that decays more slowly. Commercial products sold as kits to jump start the nitrogen cycle often still contain Nitrobacter bacteria. Hobbyist aquaria often lack sufficient bacterial populations to adequately denitrify waste. This problem is addressed through different filtration solutions including activated carbon filters and biological filters. Mechanical solutions like protein skimmers use pumps and air stones to circulate water while removing waste products. New aquaria have problems associated with insufficient beneficial bacteria. Both fresh water and saltwater systems must be matured before stocking them with fish or coral. Three basic approaches exist: the fishless cycle, the silent cycle, and slow growth. A well-balanced tank contains organisms able to metabolize waste products of other residents recreating part of the nitrogen cycle.
An aquarium can range from a small glass bowl containing less than 150 liters to immense public aquaria housing entire ecosystems like kelp forests. One way to classify aquaria is by salinity. Freshwater aquaria are most popular due to lower cost. More expensive equipment is required for marine aquaria which frequently feature diverse invertebrates alongside fish species. Brackish water aquaria combine elements of both marine and freshwater fishkeeping. Subtypes include reef aquariums typically smaller marine tanks housing coral. Another classification uses temperature ranges. Many aquarists choose tropical aquariums because tropical fish tend to be more colorful. Coldwater aquariums remain popular for fish better suited to cooler environments. Aquaria may also group by species selection. Community tanks house several non-aggressive species living peacefully together. Aggressive tanks hold limited numbers of species capable of handling aggression. Specimen tanks usually house one fish species along with plants simulating natural ecosystems. Biotope aquata simulate specific natural ecosystems assembling all components found there. Public aquaria often use this approach to simulate wild observation experiences. Some aquaria take unusual forms including Macquariums made from Apple Macintosh computer shells. Elaborate custom-designed home aquariums costing hundreds of thousands of dollars have become status symbols among wealthy individuals.
Most public aquarium facilities feature numerous smaller aquaria plus those too large for home keepers. The largest tanks hold millions of gallons of water and can house large species like sharks or beluga whales. Dolphinaria are specifically designed for dolphins. Aquatic and semiaquatic animals including otters and penguins may also be kept by public aquaria. These institutions sometimes appear within larger establishments such as marine mammal parks or marine parks. They are very popular around the world especially with new emergence in the Middle East. The Georgia Aquarium features an individual aquarium of 6.3 million liters displaying kelp forest ecosystems. An 80-meter underwater tunnel exists at Aquarium Barcelona allowing visitors to walk through massive displays. The Lisbon Oceanarium was designed by architect Peter Chermayeff. Research shows having access to an aquarium provides potential stress reduction and mood improvement for observers. Studies indicate benefits include reduced blood pressure, heart rate improvement, better quality sleep, anxiety reduction, pain relief, therapy for excited children, Alzheimer's therapy, and improved productivity. Figures from the 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey report Americans own approximately 139 million freshwater fish and 9.6 million saltwater fish. Estimates suggest at least 36 million fish exist in German aquaria.
Common questions
When did the Hongwu Emperor of China establish a porcelain company for goldfish?
The Hongwu Emperor of China established a porcelain company in 1369 that produced large porcelain tubs for maintaining goldfish.
Who created the first balanced marine aquarium in London and when did she start?
Anne Thynne maintained stony corals and seaweed starting in 1846 to create the first balanced marine aquarium in London.
What year did Philip Henry Gosse launch the aquarium craze in England?
Philip Henry Gosse launched the aquarium craze in England in 1853 by creating and stocking the first public aquarium at the London Zoo.
When was the first mechanical aquarium air pump invented and what powered it?
The first mechanical aquarium air pump was invented around 1908 and was powered by running water instead of electricity.
How many freshwater fish do Americans own according to the 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey?
Figures from the 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey report that Americans own approximately 139 million freshwater fish.