Aquariums
Fish keeping has been a favorite past time of the human kind for ages. As of late, this hobby has not yet diminished in popularity. In fact, it is safe to say that more and more people are actually cleaving to this kind of pet keeping due to the limited living spaces they now have. Plus, there has been an influx of new technology that allows fish keepers from all over the world to enjoy more exotic marine creatures.
This new technology is also paving the way for fish keepers to actually keep larger marine creatures, and mix them with more diverse life forms. We now also have the capacity to keep these animals in captivity for longer periods of time, and keep entire ecologies consisting of the largest fish in the world (whale sharks) down to the smallest sea horse, from the elusive moral eel to the fragile jellyfish, from the delicate sea anemone to the oddly shaped sunfish – all in one enclosure.
History of Aquariums
The Romans probably started the fad of aquarium keeping, having naturally progressed from fish pond keeping. There were sketchy reports as to how aquariums actually came into popular use. However, the most accepted theory stated that Roman aristocrats placed sea barbels (fresh water carps) in marble tank enclosures. These enclosures are usually installed under the beds of guests, and are usually only stocked when visitors stay for the night. Stocking these marble enclosures with sea barbels was a sign of affluence (on the part of the host) and favor (on the part of the guest).
In 50 AD, glass was finally commercially produced and Roman aristocrats often commissioned one glass pane to replace one wall of the marble fish enclosures. Suddenly, the captive fish became more visible and more enticing that more and more households began building marble enclosures for more comely looking fish pets. This type of fish keeping became such a hit that the practice of pond keeping was almost phased out. Decorative fish no longer grazed courtyard ponds. Rather, drab fishes, usually those raised for food were kept there instead.
All throughout history, fish keeping has always been part and parcel of the evolution of major civilizations. In 1369, it was noted that Hongwu, the Chinese emperor of that age, commissioned a porcelain company to create large porcelain tubs for his pet gold fishes. However, the boom in the aquarium trade happened much, much later on (around the turn of the 19th century) when the technology for glass production became simplified, and electricity made it possible for fish keepers to introduce air, filter and lighting to the equation.
Modern Day Aquariums
These days, modern day aquariums are usually constructed using the lightest materials. Simple glass panes, acrylic, laminated glass or even plastic containers are now bonded by silicone to form the water tight enclosure. And creative aquarium shapes have certainly taken off from the original tub like designs of yesteryears. We now see a lot of cube shaped aquariums as well as bow-fronts, hexagons, L-shapes, spherical shapes, triangular corner enclosures, and of course, the ubiquitous fish bowls.
And if that is not enough to whet your appetite, more creative engineers have fashioned aquariums into novelty items like coffee tables, sinks, toilet dams, and even platform shoes.
We know that everyone has varying tastes when it comes to aquariums and aquarium designs. We endeavor to offer our clients the widest range of possibilities that they can mold and devise for themselves. Not only do we offer the actual aquariums, we also offer aquarium stands, totem cabinets, starter kits and a combination of these. Our suppliers include Current USA Aquapod, Red Sea Max and Tenecor, to name a few.
