History of Fish Keeping.
Fishkeeping today has never been easier thanks to modern electronics, which can control temperature, aeration and filtration. however, fish keeping in one form or another has been enjoyed for hundreds of years as you will see when you read on.
China, The Pioneers
The Sung Dynasty in China is thought to be the pioneers of the hobby being first documented keeping Goldfish ornamentally in ponds as far back as 960. During this time period, the eating of Goldfish was strictly prohibited. By 1136 Emperor Hiau-Tsung had started to keep and breed them in a more controlled environment and several new strains evolved which helped make them even more popular throughout the country.
Early Goldfish would have looked quite traditional
Andrej Jakubik/ Shutterstock
By 1510 Goldfish were no longer a luxury for the privileged few but were common among the Chinese population, with a large number of dwellings having Goldfish ponds and in 1596 the First book on their care was published entitled “Essay about the Goldfish”.
Turning Japanese
Fast forward into the next century and in 1616 the Goldfish arrived in Japan. They proved hugely popular and the Japanese soon mastered their breeding, which over time lead to a multitude of varieties, many of which exist today. Japan is currently the largest exporter of fancy Goldfish worldwide and of course the home of the revered Koi Carp – which can sell for significant sums (the world record price currently is £1.4M for a female Kohaku variety)
Kohaku Koi – one on the most popular
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Europe Here We Come
In 1691 the Goldfish finally made it to Europe arriving initially in Portugal where they were bred in some numbers. By 1728 they had arrived in England although for many years they remained scarce and the preserve of the rich and privileged. This remained the case throughout Europe up until around 1780 when the Dutch got the knack of bulk breeding and suddenly even the middle classes could afford one.
Paradise Fish similar to what President Cleveland kept while in office
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Surprisingly it took until 1850 for the Goldfish to reach America and by 1885 fishkeeping even made the Whitehouse with President Cleveland well known for his love of keeping exotic fish which included a Paradise Fish (a species which can thrive in cold water) reportedly imported from Thailand.
The Dawn Of The Public Aquarium
By the 19th Century, fishkeeping had become sufficiently popular for access to be deemed a public service and the first public aquarium in the world was opened in 1853 at London Zoo. Here the first photograph of a living fish was also taken, a photo of a Pike by Don Juan Count Montizon.
P.T. Barnum followed suit opening Americas first public aquarium as part of his Barnum’s American Museum, in 1856, and in 1859, the Aquarial Gardens were founded in Boston. The Public Aquarium soon spread to Europe and in the following decade a number were opened, including the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris & the Viennese Aquarium Salon (both founded 1860), the Marine Aquarium Temple in Hamburg (1864), and in 1869 the Berlin Aquarium was opened in the Unter den Linden Boulevard. The UK also got its second aquarium in 1872 when one was opened in Brighton.
Slow Take Up In Asia
Given that China and to a certain degree Japan are the architects of modern fishkeeping it is slightly surprising that it took until 1882 for the first Public Aquarium to open in Japan at the Government-owned Ueno Zoo, and the inaugural one in China the Quingdao Aquarium was not opened to the public until May 1932. However, China now has the worlds largest at the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom which includes a 48.75 million Ltr (10.72m Imperial Gallons) enclosure, which is around 89 Olympic size swimming pools worth of water!
The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom the Worlds Largest Public Aquarium Editorial credit: Guitar photographer / Shutterstock.com
Fish Everywhere
Now as they say the rest is history, with most major towns & cities having a pet shop which sells fish and in many dedicated aquatic stores. There are also well over 200 major public Aquariums Worldwide covering all the continents and including at least one in 44 of the 50 US states. The UK has around 35 major Public Aquaria including chains ran by Sealife & Blue Reef.
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Fishkeeping Today
Overall Fish are now the third most popular pet worldwide and around 10% of UK Households currently keep fish. They are also kept widely in most developed countries with China, Turkey, Belgium, Japan and the USA being countries being the most prolific.
