Our hobby of keeping saltwater fish for the sole purpose of pleasure is not very old. People have been keeping fish for thousands of years, but virtually all of those fish were used as food. Asian cultures have been culturing carp and koi for enjoyment for centuries, but those are freshwater fish. Roots in Merry Old England Saltwater fish keeping for fun actually began in England about 200 years ago. At that time, wealthy Ladies had servants but lacked Oprah and soap operas, so they were bored and needed to find a hobby. England’s damp climate is conducive to fern growth, so the ladies would traipse through the bogs with their long hoop skirts and corsets on looking for ferns. They would then put the ferns in tanks that had glass fronts and wooden or slate sides. Then they’d sketch pictures of their ferns and mail them to their friends. More: A Brief History of the Saltwater Aquarium Hobby… More:
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