The home aquariums hobby is popular around the world. In the USA it has been described as the second most popular hobby, second only to stamp collecting would you believe? But is an aquarium a permanent hobby and do aquarists remain as fish keepers for long periods of time?
Not as many home aquarium hobbyists are as committed to the long term care of their fish as one may prefer. It is said that almost 20% of aquarists 'drop out' of the hobby at some stage, quoting reasons as unlikely as 'the plants stopped growing' or 'we mixed the wrong fish together, so we gave up'.
This for an aquariums store owner is not the type of thing you like to hear, especially when the reasons for leaving the hobby is quoted as being 'we were given the wrong advice'. This is quite simply the worst reason for giving up on your home aquariums.
Aquariums are virtually ubiquitous and while there are many reasons for not wanting an aquarium in your home, lack of space cannot be quoted as one of them. Aquariums have come a long way in the past 15 years, with shapes and sizes to fit just about anywhere in your home. Even the smallest of fish tanks (around 3 gallons / 15 litres) have improved dramatically, with filtration systems normally reserved for the larger sized aquariums now being made smaller and more efficient by the aquarium manufacturers.
Modern fishkeeping has long since escaped from the 'hit and miss' technology, today's home aquariums equipment is entirely reliable, foolproof and easy to install. Little technical knowledge is necessary beyond the capability of connecting a few electrical plugs into their respective sockets. Even youngsters (with adult supervision) can be encouraged to set up a tropical aquarium.
Two basic things need to be satisfied for successful home aquariums. firstly, the need for a clear understanding of your fishes requirements and secondly, the acceptance of responsibility to provide and maintain these requirements. Learning about the characteristics of the fishes themselves comes at a later date and the satisfaction this brings will reward you for your conscientious preparation.
One of the attractions of home aquariums is the wide range of fishes available to the aquarist. Hardly a body of water worldwide has escaped the collectors net and supplies of fish are never more than a few hours away thanks to modern transport, it follows therefore that fish come from varied locations, streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries, with each location having a different quality of water.
Your home aquariums must therefore be installed with this in mind. it says a lot about the hardiness of aquarium fishes that they often adapt to differing water qualities. Most of these tropical, marine or cold water fishes thankfully adapt quickly to the water we provide for them within our home aquariums.
Our wish is that this short article has outlined the myths surrounding the aquarium hobby, our advice is to seek out a reputable, knowledgeable and trustworthy retailer and ask as many questions as possible before you make the decision to keep any livestock within an aquarium at home
David 'Goldie' Edwards is managing director of Garden, Aquarium & Pond Supplies Ltd. based in the UK. His Pond Supplies website gives clients the opportunity to further enhance their Aquatic skills
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