History And Popularization

In the Roman Empire, the first fish to be brought indoors was the sea barbel, which was kept under guest beds in small tanks made of marble. Introduction of glass panes around the year 50 allowed Romans to replace one wall of marble tanks, improving their view of the fish. In 1369, the Chinese Emperor, Hóngwǔ, 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.^[2] Leonhard Baldner, who wrote Vogel-, Fisch- und Tierbuch (Bird, Fish, and Animal Book) in 1666, maintained weather loaches and newts.^[3]

Goldfish in a glass: portrait of Therese Krones, 1824

In 1836, soon after his invention of the Wardian case, Ward proposed to use his tanks for tropical animals. In 1841 he did so, though only with aquatic plants and toy fish. However, he soon housed real animals. In 1838, Félix Dujardin noted owning a saltwater aquarium, though he did not use the term.^[4] In 1846, Anna Thynne maintained stony corals and seaweed for almost three years, and was credited as the creator of the first balanced marine aquarium in London.^[5] At about the same time, Robert Warington experimented with a 13-gallon container, which contained goldfish, eelgrass, and snails, creating one of the first stable aquaria. He published his findings in 1850 in the Chemical Society's journal.^[6]

An aquarium of the 1850s containing Vallisneria spiralis and coldwater fish

The keeping of fish in an aquarium became a popular hobby and spread quickly. In the United Kingdom, it became popular after ornate aquaria in cast iron frames were featured at the Great Exhibition of 1851^{[citation needed]}. In 1853, the first large public aquarium opened in the London Zoo and came to be known as the Fish House.^[7] Philip Henry Gosse was the first person to actually use the word "aquarium", opting for this term (instead of "aquatic vivarium" or "aqua-vivarium") in 1854 in his book The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea. In this book, Gosse primarily discussed saltwater aquaria.^[8] In the 1850s, the aquarium became a fad in the United Kingdom.^[9]

"What an Aquarium Should Be" - a humorous 1876 British engraving, apparently showing Thomas Huxley dreaming about sea creatures

Germans soon rivaled the British in their interest. In 1854, an anonymous author had two articles published about the saltwater aquaria of the United Kingdom: Die Gartenlaube (The Garden House) entitled Der Ocean auf dem Tische (The Ocean on the Table). However, in 1856, Der See im Glase (The Lake in a Glass) was published, discussing freshwater aquaria, which were much easier to maintain in landlocked areas.^[10] During the 1870s, some of the first aquarist societies were appearing in Germany.^[11] The United States soon followed. Published in 1858, Henry D. Butler's The Family Aquarium was one of the first books written in the United States solely about the aquarium.^[12] According to the July issue of The North American Review of the same year, William Stimson may have owned some of the first functional aquaria, and had as many as seven or eight.^[13] The first aquarist society in the United States was founded in New York City in 1893, followed by others.^[11] The New York Aquarium Journal, first published in October 1876, is considered to be the world's first aquarium magazine.^[14]
In the Victorian era in the United Kingdom, a common design for the home aquarium was a glass front with the other sides made of wood (made watertight with a pitch coating). The bottom would be made of slate and heated from below.^[15] More advanced systems soon began to be introduced, along with tanks of glass in metal frames.^[15] During the latter half of the 19th century, a variety of aquarium designs were explored, such as hanging the aquarium on a wall, mounting it as part of a window, or even combining it with a birdcage.^[16]

Pike in an aquarium c. 1908, at the Belle Isle Aquarium, Belle Isle Park

Circa 1908, the first mechanical aquarium air pump was invented, powered by running water, instead of electricity.^[17] The introduction of the air pump into the hobby is considered by several historians of the hobby to be a pivotal moment in the development of the hobby.^[18]
Aquaria became more widely popular as houses had an electricity supply after World War I. Electricity allowed artificial lighting as well as aeration, filtration, and heating of the water.^[19] Initially, amateur aquarists kept native fish (with the exception of goldfish); the availability of exotic species from overseas further increased the popularity of the aquarium.^[20] Jugs made from a variety of materials were used to import fish from overseas, with a bicycle foot pump for aeration.^[21] Plastic shipping bags were introduced in the 1950s, making it easier to ship fish.^[22] The eventual availability of air freight allowed fish to be successfully imported from distant regions.^[3] In the 1960s metal frames made marine aquaria almost impossible due to corrosion, but the development of tar and silicone sealant allowed the first all-glass aquaria made by Martin Horowitz in Los Angeles, CA. The frames remained, however, though purely for aesthetic reasons.^[15]
In the United States, aquarium keeping is the second-most popular hobby after stamp collecting.^[23] In 1999 it was estimated that over nine million U.S. households own an aquarium. Figures from the 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey report that Americans own approximately 139 million freshwater fish and 9.6 million saltwater fish.^[24][25] Estimates of the numbers of fish kept in aquaria in Germany suggest at least 36 million.^[23] The hobby has the strongest following in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, 40 percent of aquarists maintain two or more tanks.^{[citation needed]}