Friday, May 4, 2012

How Storing Aquarium Tanks In The Home Has Altered Over The Last Hundreds Of Years

By Eddie Dean


When you buy your very first custom fish tank you may be curious to know that hundreds of years ago individuals kept these in their houses as a source of fresh fish. It wasn't a spare time activity but a means of providing fresh and saltwater varieties for the dining room table. It was in ancient China and Japan that fish first began to be stored as decorative objects although usually in outdoor pond structures instead of indoor aquariums.

London Zoo opened up its first public aquarium in 1853 and it grew to become common for wealthy Victorian people to own their very own custom fish tank. They were very ornate structures and included lots of inhabitants as well as the odd lizard. The ornate decoration was often used to hide the tubes although sometimes they were covered with drapes. With the introduction of the motor car around the same time, the advancements made by the motor industry assisted those hobbyists interested in keeping fish. For instance, the pneumatic tire was used to store compressed air in the aquarium tank.

The interest in keeping these lovely creatures continued over the next 100 years. Emerging countries often paid for their advancement by employing their residents to trap and export different species of fish. In fact some countries almost destroyed their own livelihood by overfishing leading the native species to be in danger of extinction. Rigid controls are now enforced to try to prevent this occurring.

Fast and cheaper airline travel and the cut in cost of aquariums as well as other equipment has helped to develop the interest in keeping fish as different varieties became more accessible to the average house owner. Nowadays it is difficult to say how many people keep fish in their house in a custom fish tank or an ordinary aquarium.

Taking care of these beautiful creatures is the perfect pastime for the time poor society we all reside in. Fish don't require your help with daily exercising!



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