Aquariums have a deep history that started thousands of years ago. In this article, you’ll learn about the history of fish tanks and the evolution of aquariums. The evolution time-stamp table is worth reading. Moreover, you’ll also find a brief aquarium history, i.e., how they reached from ponds to their current shape toward the end. At the very end, you’ll also learn about aquarium fish species.
aquarium history
Inventing the Aquarium History
Today’s aquarium is the final product of aquarium evolution. It began from ponds and reached these acrylic glass tanks. Ancient Sumerians started domesticating fish in their ponds about 4,500 years ago. Ancient Egyptians raised fish for food, while Romans were the first marine aquarists.
Chinese also raised fish for food at about 1000 BCE. About 1500 years ago, they started breeding to have different colors and shades. In 1700, fish keeping reached glass tanks from ponds and other jars. However, those people lacked many aspects, like fish-oxygen relations and other wellness parameters. In 1832, French-born Jeanne Villepreux-Power, the naturalist, studied and built an aquarium.
Where Did the First Aquarium Built?
The first public aquarium, the fish house, was built in London Zoo at Regent’s Park, England. Philp Henry Gosse was the man behind the concept and design. This aquarium housed tropical fish with other aquatic species.
Glass sheets were used to build this aquarium. It paved the way for aquarium popularity in different parts of the world. It was a research and a public observatory to the deep sea. Gosse also coined the term aquarium. It remained functional till 1885.
Aquarium Evolution and Trend
The current fish tank shape is the result of evolution from ponds, ceramic jars, glass tanks, and today’s acrylic glass structure. It also involved the evolution of facilities and aquarium products. Here is the evolution of the aquarium in different eras of history.
| Year | Region | Evolutionary aspect |
|
Ancient Times |
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| 1000 BCE | China | Chinese-raised fish for food |
| Thousands of years ago | Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians domesticated fish for food. | |
| 384-322 B.C | Greece | Aristotle documented the fish habitat and local species. |
|
Medieval Period |
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| 960-1279 | China | Chinese kept the fish in bowls and ponds. |
| 1136 | China | Emperor Hiau-Tsung started breeding goldfish in a viable environment. |
| 1510 | China | Keeping goldfish became a public thing. Otherwise, it was an elite luxury. |
| 1596 | China | The first book about goldfish was written, i.e., an essay about the Goldfish. |
|
16th – 18th century |
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| 1616 | Japan | Goldfish introduction and refining of breeding techniques. |
| 1691 | Portugal | Goldfish make their way to Europe through Portugal. |
| 1728 | England | Having goldfish become an elite symbol. |
| 1780 | Holland | Goldfish breeding started. |
| 1856 | USA | Goldfish became an attraction in New York. |
|
19th Century |
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| 1836 | Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward suggested tanks for tropical animals. | |
| 1841 | Dr. Ward experimented with plants and fish in the tanks. | |
| 1838 | Félix Dujardin owned the first saltwater aquarium. | |
| 1846 | Anne Thynne built a balanced marine aquarium in England. | |
| 1850 | Robert Warrington built the first stable aquarium with goldfish, eelgrass, and snails. | |
| 1851 | Ornate aquaria with cast iron frames were displayed in the Great Exhibition in England. | |
| 1853 | The first large public aquarium was opened in the London Zoo. | |
| 1854 | Philip Henery Gosse introduced the term aquarium in his book, The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea. | |
| 1856 | The first aquarium guide, i.e., “Der See im Glase” (The Lake in Glass), was published in Germany. | |
| 1870 | First aquarium society in Europe. | |
| 1858 | Henry D. Butler wrote the first aquarium book “The Family Aquarium” in the USA. | |
| 1893 | First aquarium society in the USA. | |
| 1876 | The first aquarium magazine, “New York Aquarium Journal” was published. | |
|
20th Century |
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| 1908 | The first mechanical aquarium air pump was invented. | |
| Pre-WW2 Era | The aquarium had electric gadgets, i.e., lights, air pumps, filters, and heaters. | |
| 1950s | Fish shipping become easier due to polythene bags. | |
| 1960s | Silicon sealant was introduced in the tanks which made them more feasible. | |
| 1996 | Aquarium keeping became the second most popular hobby in the USA. | |
| 1999 | The census revealed over 9 million houses have aquariums in the USA. | |
|
21st Century |
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| Recent Trends | Continued evolution of nano aquariums, biotopes, aquascaping, marine and reef tanks, sustainability features, and integration of smart technologies. | |
the evolution of aquarium
History of Fish Tanks
About 4000 years ago, Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians built ponds for raising fish for their food. The Chinese used pots and ponds to keep their goldfish even earlier. Philip Henery Gosse invented the current glass aquarium version. He built a 20-gallon tank with 2ft x 1ft x 1ft and used putty and wood beadings to secure the tank’s glass pans. It had a slate base with clay, sand, and rocky substrate. Nano tanks and smart tanks are modern-day aquarium shapes.
Where Do the Aquarium Fish First Come From?
Chinese have started to keep fish in tanks. Raising goldfish was a symbol of elites. They successfully bred carp for ornamental and food purposes. Currently, aquarists love to grow a variety of fish. These fish are obtained by two means.
Captive Breeding
Many fish species are bred for aquarium-keeping purposes. They have specialized breeding forms, where researchers try to refine their qualities and experiment to have new colors in fish. They also try to breed new fish species, like tilapia.
Wild Caught
It often happens with rare marine species. Some fish species are geo-restricted and prefer to live at specific temperatures and water pressures. It’s hard to recreate these conditions at a mass level. Therefore, divers jump into the ocean and catch them. Moreover, aquarists love to keep wild species as they are hardy.
history of fish tanks
In Summary
Fishkeeping was started about 4500 years ago in different civilizations, i.e., Chinese, Egyptians, Romans, and Sumerians. In the middle of the 19th century, the first modern-day aquarium was built. The first public aquarium was opened in 1853 in London. In the 20th century, electric gadgets, i.e., air pumps, filters, heaters, etc., became a part of the aquarium. The current century brought smart tools to the fish tanks.
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