| The wealth of information available to the | | | | electricity became more readily available in the |
| freshwater aquarium hobbyist of today can be | | | | private sector, developments in lighting, filtration |
| attributed to those that have come before us. | | | | and heating opened up the hobby to more and |
| Our ancestors resolve, coupled with a passion for | | | | more homes. |
| nature and water has made it possible for us to | | | | Parallel to the spreading of aquariums in the |
| bring a piece of that world into our lives in living | | | | private sector, public display aquariums began |
| color. | | | | showing up in the mid to late 1800's with facilities |
| Archeologists have found evidence of our | | | | like: |
| ancestors raising fish for sustenance over 4,500 | | | | - 1853 - The first public aquarium was opened at |
| years ago. Most ancient civilizations, the Chinese, | | | | the London Zoological Gardens at Regents Park |
| Egyptian, Roman and others, are found to have | | | | - 1856 - P.T. Barnum opened the first display |
| maintained aquatic habitats in one design or | | | | aquarium at the American Museum in New York |
| another. An unbelievable chronicle covering more | | | | City as a private venture |
| than 5000 years! | | | | - 1876 - William C. Coup opened the New York |
| It was 1691 before ornamental goldfish from | | | | Public Aquarium at East 35th and Broadway, |
| China started showing up in Europe and the hobby | | | | complete with tanks, a library, a reading room, a |
| of fish keeping, as we know it today, was born. | | | | research laboratory and a hatchery |
| Then in 1805, Robert Warrington was credited | | | | Worldwide, there was in excess of 45 privately |
| with studying the aquariums cyclic requirements, | | | | owned or community funded aquariums by 1928. |
| leading to the first sustainable fish tanks; it meant | | | | Where there is demand, there will be supply! With |
| that fish could actually live and reproduce, not just | | | | access to reliable air transportation, exotic fish |
| exist, in captivity! | | | | from around the world, both wild and captive |
| It would be another 50 years before the fish | | | | bred, were brought to the public marketplace and |
| keeping hobby would again expand. Philip Henry | | | | the modern fish keeping hobbyist is now limited |
| Gosse, an English naturalist, published his work | | | | only by their imagination. |
| titled "The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders | | | | Love of the hobby, coupled with human ingenuity |
| of the Deep Sea" in 1854 and captured the | | | | has brought the technology for aquarium keeping |
| hearts and minds of the English populace. | | | | to new levels. The options open to hobbyists |
| Even as Philip Henry Gosse ensnared the attention | | | | today are unparalleled to anything our forebears |
| of the English public, Emil Rombauer so captured | | | | would have believed possible. Swift developments |
| the attention of the German population with his | | | | in filtration design and lighting technology, |
| essay, printed in 1856, titled "Sea In A Glass". Its | | | | advancements in captive breeding, new materials |
| impact was such that the first slate bottom | | | | and designs for aquariums all forge ahead to |
| aquariums heated by open flame were a direct | | | | supply the modern aquarist with the tools and |
| consequence! Even though the expense restricted | | | | information necessary to establish unique aquatic |
| the pursuit of fish keeping to the most affluent of | | | | environments filled with exotic water creatures of |
| the time, the aquarium hobby was born. As | | | | every design. |