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How The Freshwater Aquarium Has Shaped History

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In around 2000 B.C., the ancient Chinese raised carp in ponds for food. The successful breeding of this species produced color mutations that gave birth to red, orange, and yellow colored fish. Instead of eating these fish, they spared them and moved them to smaller containers for display. Freshwater aquarium history dates back to ancient times and was started by early civilizations. 1. Ancient civilizations kept fish in artificial ponds for food. In time, they have seen the beauty of some species of fish and began to keep them for amusement. This is what the Romans did when they kept sea barbels in marble tanks and put them under the bed of guests. Freshwater aquarium history has started since then and now, the aquarium hobby is being enjoyed by millions of people in the whole world

In 1841, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward used his Wardian case for tropical animals where he kept toy fish and aquatic plants. The glazed case was originally used in his experiment on ferns. It was also used to transfer ferns and grasses from England to Australia and became the forerunner of the terrarium.

The basic concept and design of the Wardian case became the inspiration for the present day aquarium. Botanists and biologists started the idea of keeping plants and animals in an enclosure for the purpose of observing them indoors whenever they want. Anna Thynne of London created the first balanced marine aquarium when for almost three years; she maintained stony corals and seaweed.

The idea of a balanced aquarium was developed in the 1800s. The guiding principle was that a symbiotic relationship between fish and aquatic plants could be duplicated in a miniature aquatic ecosystem. This was a pivitol point that became so significant that it still is in use today.

English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse was credited as the person to use the word “aquarium” and it was in his time that aquarium became very popular in the United Kingdom. The Great Expedition of 1851 which was an exhibit on what was then, modern technology celebrated the design and displays were shocased with pride and envy. One of the exhibits featured in the event were flamboyant aquariums in cast iron frames. The people were happy with what they watched that went to the exhibit. Two years after the exhibit, the Fish House was opened in London Zoo. It was the first large public aquarium ever built.

freshwater aquarium history was heavily influenced by the creation of books and articles as well as public speeches about their beauty. Philip Henry Gosse’s book, “The Aquarium: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Sea” and provided the reader with details of aquatic life although he particularly discussed saltwater aquaria.

In 1856, the article “The Lake in a Glass” was published in Germany and it talked about freshwater aquaria. within a decade, aquarist’ societies were popping up everywherein the country. The United States published the world’s first aquarium magazine in 1876 and two years after, the first tropical fish from the Far East were introduced by Rear Admiral Daniel Ammon. One of the first published books in the country about aquaria was Henry D. Butler’s, “The Family Aquarium” and its first aquarist society was founded in New York in 1893.

As aquariums became widely accepted as a hobby, improvements in the tank design and introduction of the first freshwater aquarium accessories gave the first aquarists the motivation to continue what they have started. The first mechanical air pump powered by running water was invented in the early 1900s.

Filtering and heating became popular with the advent of common electricity and this allowed for the creation of various kinds of aquarium equipment like heaters and water pumps. Another pivotal improvement that played an important role in freshwater aquarium history was the development of the plastic shipping bag in the 1950’s. Fish were now able to go to multiple locations with the use of the new equipment and that made it easier to ship fish everywhere. Before plastic shipping bags were used, fish transports were done by using jugs made from various materials.

The aquarium tank itself greatly improved from the marble tank of the Roman era to the custom built MacQuarium, an aquarium built from the shell of an Apple Macintosh computer. In the Victorian Era, aquariums were made by a combination of glass front and wood sealed by a type of resin. Robert Warrington created the first aquarium made entirely of glass. At present, glass is still used as tank material but in recent years acrylic was introduced. It is a transparent thermoplastic that is shatter-resistant and lighter than glass. A material that combines the strength of acrylic and clarity of glass is the laminated glass and aquarium that is now becoming popular worldwide.

The evolution of freshwater fish is also a momentous part of freshwater aquarium history. The goldfish have been bred in lots of varieties from the original Carp species. Tropical fish have been also successfully bred with fancy varieties that are more colorful and appealing. The freshwater aquarium hobby has exploded and many new species of fish have been discovered as well as created as a direct result of this hobby. More scientific studies and research provided much needed information about the fish and their habitat which in turn helped them live longer in the tank. Nowadays, in the U.S. and Asia most of the fish used in aquariums are bred and caught in the wild.

At the end of the 20th century, an estimated nine million households in the United States keep an aquarium. These American households own more than 140 million freshwater fish according to the 2005 and 2006 data and 9.6 million saltwater fish. Aquarium keeping as a hobby is already second to stamp collecting and will continue to grow as technology continues to improve.

The Top Three Most Popular Reptile Pets

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Reptiles are now more popular than dogs as pets, a fact that appeared as a result of a survey carried out in early 2008. guess the most popular reptiles reptile pets. Like many things pet related, you need to make the right choice, and just as choosing a badly suited breed of dog can cause problems, the same is true of reptiles.

The easiest to care for tend to be the most popular also, and as such are great first reptiles, so here they are:-

Bearded Dragon
Bearded Dragon is the name used for any agamid lizard in the genus Pogona. They are native to Australia, and are sometimes the first reptile people get as pets.

Bearded Dragons are popular pets, notably the species Inland or Central Bearded Dragon. These animals are also affectionately called “Beardies” by those who breed or raise them. They are a ideally suited to children, because of their friendly and calm nature, along with the low amount of work they need to be cared for.

Beardies have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies, the adults growto approximately 18 to 24 inches from head to tail with males and females being of comparable size, although males usually sport a larger head and a thicker tail base than the females.

Beardies have a distinctive set of spines running horizontally from the head to the base of the tail. They range in colour from light tan to dark brown, depending on their native soil, often with highlights of black, brilliant red, or gold, and can change greatly depending upon their internal condition, mood or temperature darkening when cool. Some spefically hand reared have been selectively bred for more brilliant colorations.

Beardies are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a wide variety of food sources, including both insects and vegetable food. A typical diet for captive beardies includes leafy greens and vegetables, and regular meals of feeder insects.

All species are from Australia, but they have been exported the world over and bred successfully in captivity. Beardies live about 815 years with proper care in captivity, though some can live up to 20 years old

Corn Snake
The corn snake, or red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdue their small prey with constriction. The name “corn snake” comes from the fact that they have markings on their underside that looks like corn. They are found throughout the south-eastern and central United States. Their placid nature, reluctance to bite, moderate adult size 1.2 to 1.8 metres, attractive markings, and comparatively simple care make them popular pet snakes. In the wild, they usually live around 10-15 years, but can live as old as 23 years in captivity. Like all rat snakes, corn snakes are non-venomous.

They have a diet mainly consisting of rodents, mostly mice and rats, which they kill via crushing. They are accomplished climbers and may climb trees in search of birds and bats. Pet Corn Snakes are usually fed by their keepers on a diet of commercially available rodents, predominantly mice, while younger and smaller snakes may eat live or dead rat or mouse pups of various sizes. Frozen mice are preferable, as live prey can possibly carry disease or injure the snake if it has not been raised on live prey.

The Corn Snake was one of the first snakes to be kept in captivity by people, and remains one of the most popular. Large volumes are bred annually to ensure that there is a constant supply, lowering the need to collect specimens from the wild. keeping more than one together is inadvisable in captivity, as these are naturally solitary animals.

Owners of Corn Snakes have emphasised a cage with no chance of escape. Corn Snakes are excellent escape artists and will often get out of any home that is not properly secured. More first timers lose their snakes to escapes than death. They are good at climbing, squeezing out of tiny holes, and can also use their bodies to push the lid off of a poorly-fitted aquarium.

Royal or Ball Python
The Royal Python or Python Regius is a non-venomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular as a pet snake. Adults generally do not grow to more than 90-120 cm in length, although some examples have reached 152 cm and even 182 cm, around 6ft, but this is very rare. The build is stocky while the head is relatively small and the scales are smooth.

The colour marking is typically black with light brown-green side and dorsal blotches. The underside is a white or cream that sometimes can include scattered black markings. However, owners and breeders have, through selective breeding, developed many mutations with different colours and patterns.

The name ball python comes from the snakes tendency to curl into a ball when worried or scared. The name royal python is rumoured to have come from the story that Cleopatra allegedly wore the snake around her wrist.

Ordinarily when wild, the diet consists mostly of small mammals, such as African soft-furred rats, shrews and striped mice. Younger snakes have also been known to feed on birds. Captive pets usually do well on domestic rats and mice, either live, pre-killed, or frozen-thawed

There are obviously many more reptile types kept as pets, and no doubt the favourites will change, but any of the three named above will make great pets, and a great introduction to keeping reptiles.