Fish are very cool mammals with an intelligent and learning mind and affectionate heart with senses and memories of its loved ones. Fish are very diverse, beautiful and colorful mammals in different size ranges. Very smaller ones to extremely larger ones are living in marines, fresh water and ponds. They all have specific characteristics according to their habitats like salty water, freshwater or some moderate concentrations.  

Recent National Pet Online Survey has a piece of tremendous news for us, in American household fish are the third most popular type of pet that 13.1 million people have kept them as a pet just like cats and dogs. Is it a piece of surprising news for you? Yes, I was also surprised. Actually, people have become more aware of home decoration and they have added fish aquarium in their own houses with antics and elegance beauty ideas and has also learned how to take care of fish in an aquarium? You can also learn more about it by visiting this link.

In 1850, a first stable aquarium was developed by an English Chemist Robert Warrington. He experimented by using a 13-gallon container in which he kept goldfish, eelgrass and snails to make a stable aquarium. Warrington firstly fully developed aquarium principle that is plants added into the aquarium would give off enough oxygen to support animals, so long as their number does not grow too large. His findings were published in 1850, in Chemical Society Journal. 

In 1851, in the United Kingdom, a Great Exhibition was featured in which ornate aquaria were featured in cast-iron frames, this exhibition made it popular. It all spread so quickly and keeping fish was become a popular hobby. To unveil the wonders of deep-water people were so anxious that their craze of aquarium took the fish keeping at a third one most kept pet after cats and dogsand also added to home decoration. . 

Tank designs and techniques to maintain water quality in the aquarium were developed by Warrington. A common design for the home aquarium was a glass front with the other sides made of wood which was made watertight with the use of a pitch coating during the Victorian era in the United Kingdom. Aquarium bottom would be made of slate and heated from the below to keep the temperature stable and maintained for aqua creations. 

After that, more advanced systems began to be introduced, in the form of a tank of glass in metal frames. A variety of aquariums were explored in the latter half of 19th century for example:

• Hanging the aquarium on the wall 
• Mounting aquarium as a part of window 
• Combining aquarium with a birdcage

Aquarium Classification: 

Aquariums can be classified based on salinity:

·       Freshwater Aquaria: 

               These are most popular aquaria among all because they are low cast aquaria

·       Marine Aquaria: 

             These are the most expensive aquaria because most costly and expensive equipment is required to set up and maintain marine aquaria. In addition to species of fishes marine aquaria include a diverse range of invertebrates.

·       Brackish Water Aquaria: 

               In this aquaria both types of elements of marine and freshwater fishkeeping are present. In these aquaria, fish can be kept from habitats of varying salinity. Such as estuaries and mangrove swamps etc.  

·       Reef Aquaria:

               It is a subtype of the above aquariums as it typically a smaller marine aquarium that houses coral.

Designs And Materials Required For Aquarium:     

The standard size for glass aquarium was up to 1000 liters. Glass as a material give little indication before fracturing because it is brittle and generally its sealants fail first. In the 19th century, Robert Warrington has firstly developed a modern aquarium from the glass. 

To develop a well-balanced and stable aquarium we will need:    

• Glass panes bonded together by 100% silicon sealant.
• Plastic frames attached to upper and lower edges for decoration
• Electricity Supply  
• Artificial lighting 
• Aeration 
• Filtration 
• Heating of water

Large aquaria may require stronger materials such as fibreglass-reinforced plastics. But the issue is that these materials are not transparent. If weight and space are not an issue then reinforced concrete can also be used for aquaria. And to prevent the water from breaking down the concrete and as well as to prevent the concrete from contaminating in the water this concrete should be coated with a waterproof layer.  

To build aquaria plywood can also be used. And there are many benefits of using Plywood which are less weight, lower concentration costs and better insulation. Plywood aquaria are popularly kept in walls. 

Aquariums are made in a variety of shapes: 

• Cuboid 
• Hexagonal 
• Angled to fit in a corner 
• Bowfront (front side curved outward)

To Setup Optimal Aquarium Water Conditions: 

Different water conditions are required for different types of aquatic life but a proper environment is critical for any underwater creatures.

·       To stabilize the temperature: 

           An aquatic heater can be used to maintain the proper temperature. For aquatic life, any fluctuations or changes in temperature can be wreak havoc so aquarium should not be placed in front of a window that gets a lot of sunlight or not in front of air or heating vents because they can change water temperatures so quickly. For example, a constant temperature of 72 oF – 82 oF is required for tropical freshwater life depending on the type of species.

·       To maintain proper pH levels:

               We should check regularly for any fluctuations in pH level and should make necessary changes to recalibrate the pH because a change in pH more than 0.3 in 24 hours can cause a fish to susceptible to disease or at least take a fish to a level to become stressed. As pH is an indicator of alkalinity or acidity of tank water so it is better to buy a pH test kit to check the pH level of the water required for some specific species. Freshwater fish typically develop and grow stronger when the pH level in the range of 6.8 – 7.5 depending on the specific type of species because this pH range will offer a natural environment that can help the fish to resist the illness.

·       To Clean the Aquarium:

Aquarium water should be cleaned regularly such you can use API Aquarium Accu-Clear to clear cloudy water fast.

·       To condition the water: 

         To support the aquatic life in aquarium simple tap water is not best suited so, countless properties of water have to be balanced. So to condition water biological aquarium supplements should and dechlorinating agents should be used.

·       To do necessary decoration:

To do some necessary decorations of our aquarium we can use some hand-painted ornaments such as Blue Ribbon Exotic Environments Log Cavern Jungle Floral Aquarium Ornament, Pure Water Pebbles Aquarium Gravel – Marine Blue, CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate, Blue Ribbon Exotic Environments Forgotten Ruins Aquarium Ornament.

• These are safe for both freshwater and marine aquarium.
• They have durable Polynesian construction.
• They provide fun for fish to hide and explore.

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