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73-631: The Seaside Aquarium is a privately owned aquarium in Seaside, Oregon , United States. It is one of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast . The building where the aquarium is located was built initially as a natatorium in the 1920s, an indoor saltwater public bath, with the water pumped from the Pacific Ocean through a pipe still visible today at the tide line, and then heated. It featured balconies where people could watch others swim in

146-472: A saltwater aquarium , though he did not use the term. In 1846, Anne Thynne maintained stony corals and seaweed for almost three years, and was credited as the creator of the first balanced marine aquarium in London. English chemist Robert Warington experimented with a 13-gallon container, which contained goldfish, eelgrass , and snails , creating one of the first stable aquaria. The aquarium principle

219-414: A 400-litre (110 US gal; 88 imp gal) tank with many other fish in it represents only a minor change. For this reason, hobbyists often favor larger tanks, as they require less attention. Several nutrient cycles are important in the aquarium. Dissolved oxygen enters the system at the surface water-air interface. Similarly, carbon dioxide escapes the system into the air. The phosphate cycle

292-561: A book in 1842, On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases . English botanists and commercial nurserymen had been passionately prospecting the world for new plants since the end of the 16th century, but these had to travel as seeds or corms , or as dry rhizomes and roots, as salty air, lack of light, lack of fresh water and lack of sufficient care often destroyed all or almost all plants even in large shipments. With

365-1166: A challenge to recreate such environments, and most "true" biotopes will only have a few (if not only one) species of fish and invertebrates. Finally, an emerging concept for the home is that of a wall mounted aquarium, some of which are displayed at the Living Art Marine Center . An aquarium can range from a small glass bowl containing less than 1 litre (2.1 US pt) of water to immense public aquaria that house entire ecosystems such as kelp forests . Relatively large home aquaria resist rapid fluctuations of temperature and pH , allowing for greater system stability. Beginner aquarists are advised to consider larger tanks to begin with, as controlling water parameters in smaller tanks can prove difficult. Small, unfiltered bowl-shaped aquaria are now widely regarded as unsuitable for most fish. In order to keep water conditions at suitable levels, aquariums should contain at least two forms of filtration : biological and mechanical. Chemical filtration should also be considered under some circumstances for optimum water quality. Chemical filtration

438-420: A circular, submerged lid. Pseudokreisels are "U" or semicircle shaped, usually without a lid. Stretch kreisels are a "double gyre" kreisel design, where the tank length is at least twice the height. Using two downwelling inlets on both sides of the tank lets gravity create two gyres in the tank. A single downwelling inlet may be used in the middle as well. The top of a stretch kreisel may be open or closed with

511-425: A cooler environment. Temperature consistency is more important than range. Most organisms are not accustomed to sudden changes in temperatures, which can cause shock and lead to disease. Water temperature can be regulated with a thermostat and heater (or cooler). Water movement can also be important in simulating a natural ecosystem. Aquarists may prefer anything from still water up to swift currents , depending on

584-444: A dazzling aquarium is one of the last surefire ways to impress their peers." A kreisel tank ( kreisel being German for " spinning top " or " gyroscope ") is an aquarium shaped like a horizontal cylinder that is designed to hold delicate animals such as jellyfish and newborn seahorses. These aquariums provide slow, circular water flow with a bare minimum of interior hardware to prevent the inhabitants from becoming injured by pumps or

657-522: A fern spore and a species of grass had germinated and were growing in a bit of soil. Interested but not yet seeing the opportunities, he left the seal intact for about four years, noting that the grass actually bloomed once. After that time however, the seal had become rusted, and the plants soon died from the bad air. Understanding the possibilities, he had a carpenter build him a closely fitted glazed wooden case and found that ferns grown in it thrived. Ward published his experiment and followed it up with

730-399: A lid. There may also be screens about midway down the sides of the tank, or at the top on the sides. It is possible to combine these designs; a circular shaped tank is used without a lid or cover, and the surface of the water acts as the continuation of circular flow. Another popular setup is the biotope aquarium. A biotope aquarium is a recreation of a specific natural environment. Some of

803-514: A natural water source (such as a river, lake, or ocean) to reduce the level of treatment. Some hobbyists use an algae scrubber to filter the water naturally. Water temperature determines the two most basic aquarium classifications: tropical versus cold water . Most fish and plant species tolerate only a limited temperature range; tropical aquaria, with an average temperature of about 25 °C (77 °F), are much more common. Temperate or coldwater aquaria are for fish that are better suited to

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876-433: A popular choice for many home and hobbyist aquarists for many years. Once silicone sealant became strong enough to ensure a long-term water-tight seal, it eliminated the need for a structural frame. In addition to lower cost, glass aquaria are more scratch resistant than acrylic. Although the price is one of the main considerations for aquarists when deciding which of these two types of aquaria to purchase, for very large tanks,

949-465: A small glass bowl, a few liters in volume, to immense public aquaria of thousands of liters. Specialized equipment maintains appropriate water quality and other characteristics suitable for the aquarium's residents. In 1369, the Hongwu Emperor of China established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for maintaining goldfish ; over time, people produced tubs that approached

1022-401: A tank by diluting effects from death or contamination events that push an aquarium away from equilibrium. The bigger the tank, the easier such a systemic shock is to absorb, because the effects of that event are diluted. For example, the death of the only fish in an 11-litre (3 US gal; 2 imp gal) tank causes dramatic changes in the system, while the death of that same fish in

1095-449: A tropical temperature and requires less capacity from an aquarium heater. Acrylic-soluble cements are used to directly fuse acrylic together. Acrylic allows for the formation of unusual shapes, such as the hexagonal tank. Acrylics are easier to scratch than glass, but unlike glass, scratches in acrylic can be polished out. Large aquaria might instead use stronger materials such as fiberglass -reinforced plastics . However, this material

1168-431: Is an important, although often overlooked, nutrient cycle. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients also cycle through the system, entering as food and exiting as waste. Appropriate handling of the nitrogen cycle , along with supplying an adequately balanced food supply and considered biological loading, is enough to keep these other nutrient cycles in approximate equilibrium. An aquarium must be maintained regularly to ensure that

1241-786: Is believed to be from circa 1880, discovered at Tregothnan in 1999. Ward was always active in the Society of Apothecaries of London , of which he became Master in 1854. Until very recently, the Society managed the Chelsea Physic Garden , London, the second oldest botanical garden in the UK. Ward was a founding member of both the Botanical Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Microscopical Society ,

1314-436: Is frequently achieved via activated carbon , to filter medications, tannins , and/or other known impurities from the water. Reef aquaria under 100 litres (26 US gal; 22 imp gal) have a special place in the aquarium hobby; these aquaria, termed nano reefs (when used in reefkeeping), have a small water volume, under 40 litres (11 US gal; 9 imp gal). Practical limitations, most notably

1387-614: Is keeping them in a wall. Here the use of plywood is hidden by sinking the aquarium inside the wall. Putting insulation between the two helps with the insulation of a heated tank. Objects used for aquariums include: coffee tables, sinks, and even toilets. Another such example is the MacQuarium , an aquarium made from the shell of an Apple Macintosh computer . In recent years, elaborate custom-designed home aquariums costing hundreds of thousands of dollars have become status symbols—according to The New York Times , "among people of means,

1460-422: Is most often addressed through two filtration solutions: Activated carbon filters absorb nitrogen compounds and other toxins , while biological filters provide a medium designed to enhance bacterial colonization . Activated carbon and other substances, such as ammonia absorbing resins, stop working when their pores fill, so these components have to be replaced regularly. Wardian case The Wardian case

1533-471: Is not transparent. Reinforced concrete is used for aquaria where weight and space are not factors. Concrete must be coated with a waterproof layer to prevent the water from breaking down the concrete, as well as preventing contamination of the water by the concrete. Plywood can also be used when building aquaria. The benefits of using plywood include: lower construction costs, less weight, and better insulation. A popular positioning choice for plywood aquaria

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1606-478: Is only a portion of the complete cycle: nitrogen must be added to the system (usually through food provided to the tank inhabitants), and nitrates accumulate in the water at the end of the process, or become bound in the biomass of plants. The aquarium keeper must remove water once nitrate concentrations grow, or remove plants which have grown from the nitrates. Hobbyist aquaria often do not have sufficient bacteria populations to adequately denitrify waste. This problem

1679-518: Is the most basic measure of water conditions. An aquarium may have freshwater (salinity below 500 parts per million), simulating a lake or river environment; brackish water (a salt level of 500 to 30,000 PPM), simulating environments lying between fresh and salt, such as estuaries ; and salt water or seawater (a salt level of 30,000 to 40,000 PPM), simulating an ocean environment. Rarely, higher salt concentrations are maintained in specialized tanks for raising brine organisms. Saltwater

1752-415: Is to have very small aquariums, termed mini aquariums (less than 150 litres or 40 gallons) or nano aquariums (less than 75 litres or 20 gallons). These can be either freshwater or saltwater, and are intended to display a tiny but self-contained ecosystem. The typical hobbyist aquarium includes a filtration system, an artificial lighting system, an air diffuser and pump, and a heater or chiller depending on

1825-499: Is toxic to fish in high concentrations. Another type of bacteria (genus Nitrospira ) converts nitrite into nitrate , a less toxic substance. ( Nitrobacter bacteria were previously believed to fill this role. While biologically they could theoretically fill the same niche as Nitrospira , it has recently been found that Nitrobacter are not present in detectable levels in established aquaria, while Nitrospira are plentiful.) However, commercial products sold as kits to "jump start"

1898-541: Is usually alkaline, while the pH ( alkalinity or acidity ) of fresh water varies more. Hardness measures overall dissolved mineral content; hard or soft water may be preferred. Hard water is usually alkaline, while soft water is usually neutral to acidic. Dissolved organic content and dissolved gases content are also important factors. Home aquarists typically use tap water supplied through their local water supply network to fill their tanks. Straight tap water cannot be used in localities that pipe chlorinated water. In

1971-826: The Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1853, the aquarium craze was launched in England by Philip Henry Gosse who created and stocked the first public aquarium in the London Zoo which came to be known as the Fish House. Gosse coined the word "aquarium", opting for this term (instead of "aquatic vivarium" or "aqua-vivarium") in 1854 in his book The Aquariums: An Unveiling of the Wonders of the Deep Water . In this book, Gosse primarily discussed saltwater aquaria. In

2044-554: The Victorian era in the United Kingdom, a common design for the home aquarium was a glass front with the other sides made of wood (made watertight with a pitch coating). The bottom would be made of slate and heated from below. More advanced systems soon began to be introduced, along with tanks of glass in metal frames. During the latter half of the 19th century, a variety of aquarium designs were explored, such as hanging

2117-611: The aquascaping designs of Takashi Amano influencing fishkeepers to treat home aquariums as aesthetically pleasing compositions, rather than simply as a way of displaying fish specimens. In the United States, as of 1996, aquarium keeping is the second-most popular hobby after stamp collecting . In 1999, an estimated 9.6 million US households owned an aquarium. Figures from the 2005/2006 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey report that Americans own approximately 139 million freshwater fish and 9.6 million saltwater fish. Estimates of

2190-447: The gravel , or other substrate if the aquarium has one; however some manage to avoid this entirely by keeping it somewhat self-sufficient. A good habit is to remove the water being replaced by "vacuuming" the gravel with suitable implements, as this will eliminate uneaten foods and other residues that settle on the substrate . In many areas tap water is not considered to be safe for fish to live in because it contains chemicals that harm

2263-481: The nitrogen cycle or be removed by passing through zeolite . Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus . Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations. In the wild, the vast amount of water surrounding the fish dilutes ammonia and other waste materials. When fish are put into an aquarium, waste can quickly reach toxic concentrations in

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2336-661: The weight of water (1 kilogram per litre (8.345 lb/U.S. gal; 10.022 lb/imp gal)) and internal water pressure (requiring thick glass siding) of a large aquarium, restrict most home aquaria to a maximum of around 1 cubic metre in volume (1000 L, weighing 1,000 kg or 2,200 lb ). Some aquarists, however, have constructed aquaria of many thousands of litres. Public aquariums and oceanariums designed for exhibition of large species or environments can be dramatically larger than any home aquarium. The Georgia Aquarium , for example, features an individual aquarium of 6,300,000 US gallons (24,000,000 L). A new trend

2409-429: The 1850s, the aquarium became a fad in the United Kingdom. Tank designs and techniques for maintaining water quality were developed by Warington, later cooperating with Gosse until his critical review of the tank water composition. Edward Edwards developed these glass-fronted aquaria in his 1858 patent for a "dark-water-chamber slope-back tank", with water slowly circulating to a reservoir beneath. Germans soon rivaled

2482-622: The 1870s, after germination of imported hevea seeds in the heated glasshouses of Kew, seedlings of the rubber tree of Brazil were shipped successfully in Wardian cases to Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ) and the new British territories in Malaya to start the rubber plantations. Wardian cases have thus been credited for helping break geographic monopolies in the production of important agricultural goods. Kew Gardens used Wardian cases to ship plants abroad up until 1962. The oldest surviving Wardian case

2555-520: The 1960s, metal frames made marine aquaria almost impossible due to corrosion, but the development of tar and silicone sealant allowed the first all-glass aquaria made by Martin Horowitz in Los Angeles, CA. The frames remained, however, though purely for aesthetic reasons. Japan played an increasingly important role in shaping aquarium design in the latter part of the twentieth century, with

2628-649: The British in their interest. In 1854, an anonymous author had two articles published about the saltwater aquaria of the United Kingdom: Die Gartenlaube (The Garden House) entitled Der Ocean auf dem Tische (The Ocean on the Table). However, in 1856, Der See im Glase (The Lake in a Glass) was published, discussing freshwater aquaria, which were much easier to maintain in landlocked areas. In 1862 William Alford Lloyd , then bankrupt because of

2701-659: The Wonders of the Deep Sea in 1854. Small aquariums are kept in the home by hobbyists . There are large public aquariums in many cities. Public aquariums keep fish and other aquatic animals in large tanks. A large aquarium may have otters , dolphins , sharks , penguins , seals , and whales . Many aquarium tanks also have plants. An aquarist owns fish or maintains an aquarium, typically constructed of glass or high-strength acrylic . Aquaria with flat walls are known as fish tanks or simply tanks, while those with rounded walls are known as fish bowls . Size can range from

2774-482: The addition of a commercially available mixture of salts and other minerals. Some aquarists modify water's alkalinity, hardness, or dissolved content of organics and gases, before adding it to their aquaria. This can be accomplished by additives, such as sodium bicarbonate, to raise pH. Some aquarists filter or purify their water through deionization or reverse osmosis prior to using it. In contrast, public aquaria with large water needs often locate themselves near

2847-548: The aquarium on a wall, mounting it as part of a window , or even combining it with a birdcage . Around 1908, the first mechanical aquarium air pump was invented, powered by running water, instead of electricity. The introduction of the air pump into the hobby is considered by several historians of the hobby to be a pivotal moment in its development. Aquaria became more widely popular as houses had an electricity supply after World War I . Electricity allowed artificial lighting, as well as aeration , filtration , and heating of

2920-505: The aquarium's inhabitants. Many aquaria incorporate a hood, containing the lights, to decrease evaporation and prevent fish from leaving the aquarium (and anything else from entering the aquarium). Combined biological and mechanical aquarium filtration systems are common. These either convert ammonia to nitrate (removing nitrogen at the expense of aquatic plants), or to sometimes remove phosphate . Filter media can house microbes that mediate nitrification . Filtration systems are sometimes

2993-491: The aquarium's inhabitants. Water movement can be controlled via aeration from air pumps, powerheads, and careful design of internal water flow (such as location of filtration system points of inflow and outflow). Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of the waste produced by an aquarium's inhabitants. Fish, invertebrates, fungi , and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which converts to ammonium , in water) and must then either pass through

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3066-602: The aquarium. According to the July issue of The North American Review of the same year, William Stimson may have owned some of the first functional aquaria, and had as many as seven or eight. The first aquarist society in the United States was founded in New York City in 1893, followed by others. The New York Aquarium Journal , first published in October 1876, is considered to be the world's first aquarium magazine. In

3139-460: The behavior and survival of tank inhabitants. An aquarium can be placed on an aquarium stand. Because of the weight of the aquarium, a stand must be strong as well as level. A tank that is not level may distort, leak, or crack. These are often built with cabinets to allow storage, available in many styles to match room decor . Simple metal tank stands are also available. Most aquaria should be placed on polystyrene to cushion any irregularities on

3212-529: The craze in England being over, moved to Grindel Dammthor, Hamburg, to supervise the installation of the circulating system and tanks at the Hamburg Aquarium . During the 1870s, some of the first aquarist societies were appearing in Germany. The United States soon followed. Published in 1858, Henry D. Butler's The Family Aquarium was one of the first books written in the United States solely about

3285-421: The enclosed environment unless the tank is cycled to remove waste. A well-balanced tank contains organisms that are able to metabolize the waste products of other aquarium residents, recreating a portion of the nitrogen cycle . Bacteria known as nitrifiers (genus Nitrosomonas ) metabolize nitrogen waste. Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from the water and metabolize it to produce nitrite . Nitrite

3358-557: The first person to create aquaria for experimenting with aquatic organisms. This experimentation lead to several discoveries, including the first direct evidence that argonauts , a marine cephalopod, create their own shells. In 1836, soon after his invention of the Wardian case , Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward proposed to use his tanks for tropical animals. In 1841 he did so, though only with aquatic plants and toy fish. However, he soon housed real animals. In 1838, Félix Dujardin noted owning

3431-550: The first program to breed harbor seals in captivity and allows visitors the chance to feed its seals. During March 2013, a boat lost during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami drifted across the Pacific Ocean and washed up on the shores of Washington carrying trapped live fish. The sole remaining so-called tsunami fish was put on display at the Seaside Aquarium. Aquarium The aquarium principle

3504-416: The fish are kept healthy. Daily maintenance consists of checking the fish for signs of stress and disease . Also, aquarists must make sure that the water has a good quality and it is not cloudy or foamy and the temperature of the water is appropriate for the particular species of fish that live in the aquarium. Typical weekly maintenance includes changing around 10–30% or more of the water while cleaning

3577-594: The fish. Tap water from those areas must be treated with a suitable water conditioner, such as a product which removes chlorine and chloramine and neutralizes any heavy metals present. The water conditions must be checked both in the tank and in the replacement water, to make sure they are suitable for the species. The solute content of water is perhaps the most important aspect of water conditions, as total dissolved solids and other constituents dramatically impact basic water chemistry, and therefore how organisms interact with their environment. Salt content, or salinity ,

3650-473: The glass panels attached with metal frames and sealed with putty. Metal-framed aquariums were still available until the mid-1960s, when the modern, silicone-sealed style replaced them. Acrylic aquariums first became available to the public in the 1970s. Laminated glass is sometimes used, which combines the advantages of both glass and acrylic. Today, most aquaria consist of glass panes bonded together by 100% silicone sealant, with plastic frames attached to

3723-400: The inspiration for the glass aquarium . It is named after Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791–1868) of London, who promoted the case after experiments. He published a book titled On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases in 1842. A Scottish botanist named A. A. Maconochie had created a similar terrarium almost a decade earlier, but his failure to publish meant that Ward received credit as

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3796-678: The most complex component of home aquaria. Aquarium heaters combine a heating element with a thermostat , allowing the aquarist to regulate water temperature at a level above that of the surrounding air, whereas coolers and chillers (refrigeration devices) are for use anywhere, such as cold water aquaria, where the ambient room temperature is above the desired tank temperature. Thermometers used include glass alcohol thermometers, adhesive external plastic strip thermometers , and battery-powered LCD thermometers. In addition, some aquarists use air pumps attached to airstones or water pumps to increase water circulation and supply adequate gas exchange at

3869-716: The most popular biotopes are the freshwater habitats of the Amazon River , the Rio Negro River, the African rift lake environments of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika , and saltwater coral reefs of Australia , the Red Sea , and the Caribbean Sea . The fish, plants, substrate, rocks, wood, coral, and any other component of the display should completely match that of the local natural environment. It can be

3942-418: The new Wardian cases, tender young plants could be set on deck to benefit from daylight and the condensed moisture within the case that kept them watered, but protected from salt spray. The first test of the glazed cases was made in July 1833, when Ward shipped two specially constructed glazed cases filled with British ferns and grasses all the way to Sydney , Australia, a voyage of several months that found

4015-419: The new Wardian cases. More importantly, the Wardian case unleashed a revolution in the mobility of commercially important plants. In the 1840s, Robert Fortune used Wardian cases to ship 20,000 tea plants to British India , smuggling them out of Shanghai , China, to begin the tea plantations of Assam . In 1860, Clements Markham used Wardian cases to smuggle the cinchona plant out of South America. In

4088-539: The nitrogen cycle often still contain Nitrobacter . Aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass that decays more slowly than ammonia-driven plankton already dissolved in the water. Some hobbyists also use "anoxic filtration," which relies on bacteria that live in low-oxygen environments. The nitrogen cycle in an aquarium

4161-484: The numbers of fish kept in aquaria in Germany suggest at least 36 million. The hobby has the strongest following in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the United States, 40% of aquarists maintain two or more tanks. Over time, there has been an increasing appreciation of the usefulness of access to an aquarium to provide potential stress reduction and improvement of mood in people observing aquatic life. According to

4234-410: The past, it was possible to "condition" the water by simply letting the water stand for a day or two, which allows the chlorine time to dissipate. However, chloramine is now used more often and does not leave the water as readily. Water conditioners formulated to remove chlorine or chloramine are often all that is needed to make the water ready for aquarium use. Brackish or saltwater aquaria require

4307-662: The pool below. A decade later, the Great Depression ended its economic feasibility. The building later served as a salmon rearing facility and then a place to watch wrestling matches. The aquarium was founded in 1937, making it one of the oldest in the United States . It uses the same pipe that was installed in the 1920s to fill the aquarium tanks. The Seaside Aquarium reports 100 species of marine life including 20-"arm" sea stars , crabs , wolf eels , moray eels , and octopuses . The Seaside Aquarium established

4380-428: The price difference tends to disappear. Acrylic aquaria are now the primary competitor with glass. Prior to the invention of UV stabilization , early acrylic aquaria discolored over time with exposure to light; this is no longer the case. Acrylic is generally stronger than glass, weighs less, and provides a certain amount of temperature insulation. In colder climates or environments, it is easier to achieve and maintain

4453-481: The protected plants still in good condition upon arrival. Other plants made a return trip: a number of Australian native species that had never survived the transportation previously. The plants arrived in good shape, after a stormy voyage around Cape Horn . One of Ward's correspondents was William Jackson Hooker , later director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Hooker's son Joseph Dalton Hooker

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4526-532: The research of having an aquarium is many health benefits like reduce stress, blood pressure and heart rate improvement, better quality sleep , reduce anxiety and pain , therapy of excited children, Alzheimer's therapy and improve productivity . The first modern aquarium made of glass was developed in the 19th century by Robert Warrington. During the Victorian age , glass aquariums commonly had slate or steel bottoms, which allowed them to be heated underneath by an open-flame heat source. These aquariums had

4599-486: The shape of modern fish bowls. Leonhard Baldner , who wrote Vogel-, Fisch- und Tierbuch (Bird, Fish, and Animal Book) in 1666, maintained weather loaches and newts . It is sometimes held that the aquarium was invented by the Romans, who are said to have kept sea barbels in marble-and-glass tanks, but scholars doubt the veracity of this. In 1832, Jeanne Villepreux-Power , a pioneering French marine biologist, became

4672-480: The sole inventor. Ward was a physician with a passion for botany. His personally collected herbarium amounted to 25,000 specimens. The ferns in his London garden in Wellclose Square , however, were being poisoned by London's air pollution , which consisted heavily of coal smoke and sulphuric acid . Ward also kept cocoons of moths and the like in sealed glass bottles, and in one, he found that

4745-399: The tank itself. The tank has no sharp angles around its sides and keeps the housed animals away from plumbing. Water moving into the tank gives a gentle flow that keeps the inhabitants suspended. Water leaves the tank through a screen which prevents animals from being drawn into the pump intake or overflow line. There are several types of kreisel tanks. In a true kreisel, a circular tank has

4818-579: The underlying surface or the bottom of the tank itself that may cause cracks. However, some tanks have an underframe making this unnecessary. Another important consideration for aquariums is their electrical usage. Water is expensive to keep heated, along with the lights that many aquariums, especially those with live plants have. New aquarists should also pay close attention to their electrical setup for their aquarium, taking care to set up power connections with drip loops to prevent water from getting to outlets. Large volumes of water enable more stability in

4891-580: The upper and lower edges for decoration. The glass aquarium is standard for sizes up to about 1,000 litres (260 US gal; 220 imp gal). However, glass is brittle and has very little give before fracturing, though generally the sealant fails first. Aquaria are made in a variety of shapes, such as cuboid , hexagonal , angled to fit in a corner (L-shaped), and bow-front (the front side curves outwards). Fish bowls are generally either made of plastic or glass, and are either spherical or some other round configuration in shape. Glass aquaria have been

4964-400: The water surface. Wave-making devices have also been constructed to provide wave action. An aquarium's physical characteristics form another aspect of aquarium design. Size, lighting conditions, density of floating and rooted plants, placement of bog-wood , creation of caves or overhangs, type of substrate , and other factors (including an aquarium's positioning within a room) can all affect

5037-611: The water. Initially, amateur aquarists kept native fish (with the exception of goldfish); the availability of exotic species from overseas further increased the popularity of the aquarium. Jugs made from a variety of materials were used to import fish from overseas, with a bicycle foot pump for aeration. Plastic shipping bags were introduced in the 1950s, making it easier to ship fish. The eventual availability of air freight allowed fish to be successfully imported from distant regions. Popular publications started by Herbert R. Axelrod influenced many more hobbyists to start keeping fish. In

5110-418: Was an early type of terrarium , a sealed protective container for plants. It found great use in the 19th century in protecting foreign plants imported to Europe from overseas, the great majority of which had previously died from exposure during long sea journeys, frustrating the many scientific and amateur botanists of the time. The Wardian case was the direct forerunner of the modern terrarium and vivarium and

5183-505: Was fully developed by Warington, explaining that plants added to water in a container would give off enough oxygen to support animals, so long as their numbers do not grow too large. He published his findings in 1850 in the Chemical Society's journal . The keeping of fish in an aquarium became a popular hobby and spread quickly. In the United Kingdom, it became popular after ornate aquaria in cast-iron frames were featured at

5256-443: Was fully developed in 1850 by the chemist Robert Warington , who explained that plants added to water in a container would give off enough oxygen to support animals, so long as the numbers of animals did not grow too large. The aquarium craze was launched in early Victorian England by Gosse, who created and stocked the first public aquarium at the London Zoo in 1853, and published the first manual, The Aquarium: An Unveiling of

5329-538: Was one of the first plant explorers to use the new Wardian cases, when he shipped live plants back to England from Aotearoa /New Zealand in 1841, during the pioneering voyage of HMS Erebus that circumnavigated Antarctica. Wardian cases soon became features of stylish drawing rooms in Western Europe and the United States. In the polluted air of Victorian cities, the fern craze and the craze for growing orchids that followed owed much of their impetus to

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