Freshwater Aquarium Keeping Information
Why should I own an Aquarium?
Nearly everyone has seen an aquarium in their lifetime. At a party, a restaurant, a friend’s house, a local business looking to stand out… many people love to keep aquariums, and you can find them nearly everywhere.
The word ‘aquarium’ comes from the Latin etymologies ‘Aqua’, meaning water (Shocked? Yeah, neither are we) and ‘rium’, meaning place or building. Basically, a freshwater aquarium is a water building!
The History of the Aquarium
The modern form of home freshwater aquariums was developed in the 1850’s, but the concept of keeping fish in a “water building” is actually very old. Even the Sumerians had a way of keeping their fish: they had ponds in which they kept wild fish in until they were made into dinner. Goldfish and Koi fish were bred as far back as 2,000 years ago in China, and during the Song dynasty, goldfish were kept in ceramic bowls. Even in ancient Egyptian art, it is possible to verify the existence of a version of an aquarium: Fish were kept in rectangular temple pools, something unique and interesting.
Freshwater Aquarium Keeping
Keeping fish as a hobby really picked up just before the First World War (during the late 1800’s and in the beginning of the XXth Century). While you could see aquariums at museums, zoos and more spacious public places, modern lighting and filtration finally let people care for fish inside their home.
As fish keeping began to gain popularity, companies rushed to come up with unique and interesting accessories and amenities that could be put into tanks. There was also a surge of research for more efficient ways to keep fish healthy, and their water clean.
This is the main reason why we are presented with so many options when it comes to aquariums. You can choose from thousands of different things – stones, plants, trunks, stars and a great array of tropical fish – to really make your set up unique, interesting, and yes, even fun.
Freshwater aquariums nowadays
One of the most impressive aquariums of our times is located in Japan. The Osaka aquarium holds 5,400 cubic meters of water, and it contains over 580 species of tropical fish!
Aquarium Benefits
Ever wonder if there’s actually a benefit to having an aquarium?
Studies that rely on data from as far back as the 80’s have shown that tropical fish keeping can increase relaxation levels and improve the health of the occupants in a house.
In these kinds of research, seniors who were provided with an aquarium – with freshwater tropical fish, of course – experienced a surprising drop in blood pressure. Just watching fish can help calm hyperactive children.
There are also several other surprising benefits to freshwater aquariums which scientists have observed: Dental patients who watched fish in the office while they waited for their appointments needed less pain medication then patients who just sat in a waiting room, and it’s shown that fish in a tank, verses a nicely decorated tropical fish tank, make a bigger difference. This is why many doctors’ offices, waiting rooms, dental clinics, and even children’s hospital wings have an aquarium filled with colorful tropical fish.
Other studies show that Alzheimer’s patients react extremely well to the presence of an aquarium in the dining area. They eat more, need fewer supplements, and are less aggressive.
Even watching a tape of swimming fish can be relaxing. Amazing, huh?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a big aquarium or a little aquarium – you can still reap the benefits of having beautiful tropical fish in your house. Besides, they’re wonderful pets to boot!
