Aquarium keeping has been an age old practice. The Sumerians, the ancient people of Mesopotamia have been keeping fishes in ponds since almost 4,500 years ago. Other early human cultures that fashioned aquarium keeping include the Egyptians, the Asians, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Romans. These ancient aquariums served several purposes including entertainment, a place to breed fishes for market as also a ready source of food. The Chinese developed the practice of breeding ornamental fishes suitable for keeping in small containers. A classic result of their efforts is the goldfish. The term ‘aquarium' first appeared in the works of Phillip Gosse (1810 – 88), a British scientist. First public aquarium of its kind was opened in 1853 in Regent's Park, London , followed by aquarium in Berlin , Naples and Paris . By 1928, there were about 46 aquariums including public and commercial aquariums all over the world. After World the War II growth became slow and few public aquariums were established.
In India , this concept of aquarium and aquarium fish keeping has been a practice since long ago. It is popularized mainly by the Britishers through inclusion of exotic varieties. Presently it's gaining popularity and almost every house hold is keen to keep aquarium.