Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster -------- 2003. For a partial list of public aquaria worldwide, see list of aquaria. Wicked Twister ------------ 2002. Top public aquaria are often affiliated with important oceanographic research institutions or conduct their own research programs, and usually (though not always) specialize in species and ecosystems that can be found in local waters. Millennium Force ---------- 2000. A moving walkway now transports visitors through, and groups of school children occasionally hold sleepovers there beneath the swimming sharks and rays. Woodstock's Express --- 1999. The 110-meter tunnel was built from one-tonne slabs of German sheet plastic that were shaped locally in an oven.

Mantis ------------------------- 1996. In January 1985 Kelly Tarlton began construction of the first aquarium to include a large transparent acrylic tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand, a task that took 10 months and cost NZ$3 million. Raptor ------------------------- 1994. In contrast, the recently opened Georgia Aquarium filled its tanks with fresh water from the city water system and salinated its salt water exhibits using the same commercial salt and mineral additives available to home aquarists. Mean Streak ---------------- 1991. An inland pioneer was Chicago's Shedd Aquarium that received seawater shipped by rail in special tank cars. Magnum XL 200 ----------- 1989. Most public aquaria are located close to the ocean, for a steady supply of natural seawater.

Iron Dragon ------------------ 1987. Following early examples of Detroit, New York and San Francisco, many major cities now have public aquaria. Disaster Transport -------- 1985. Barnum quickly followed with the first American aquarium, opened on Broadway in New York. Gemini -------------------- 1979. P.T. Jr. The first public aquarium opened in London's Regent's Park in 1853.

Wildcat ------------------------ 1979. In recent years, the large aquaria have been attempting to acquire and raise various species of open-ocean fish, and even jellyfish (or sea-jellies, cnidaria), a difficult task since these creatures have never before encountered solid surfaces like the walls of a tank, and do not have the instincts to turn aside from the walls instead of running into them. Gemini ------------------------- 1978. Also as with zoos, aquaria usually have specialized research staff who study the habits and biology of their specimens. Corkscrew -------------------- 1976. A few have their own version of a "petting zoo"; for instance, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a shallow tank filled with common types of rays, and one can reach in to feel their leathery skins as they pass by. Cedar Creek Mine Ride -- 1969. A good aquarium will have special exhibits to entice repeat visitors, in addition to its permanent collection.

Blue Streak ------------------- 1964. Operationally, a public aquarium is similar in many ways to a zoo or museum. To date, Cedar Point has more roller coasters over 200 feet (4) than any other park in the world. Aquatic and semiaquatic animals, including otters and penguins, may also be kept by public aquaria. Cedar Point continued its record breaking tradition in 2003 with Top Thrill Dragster, also designed by Intamin AG, which features a four-second launch to 120 mph (190 km/h) and a 420 foot (128 m) hill with a vertical ascent and a 270 degree spiral on the vertical descent. gallons of water and can house large species, including dolphins, sharks or beluga whales. In 2002, Cedar Point announced Wicked Twister, the world's tallest, fastest and first double-spiraling impulse coaster. The largest tanks hold millions of U.S.

In 2000, Cedar Point and Intamin AG unleashed Millennium Force, which at the time was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster and the first coaster to top 300 feet (90 m) in height. Most public aquaria feature a number of smaller tanks, as well as one or more large tank greater in size than could be kept by any home aquarist. Mantis, also designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1996 as the tallest, fastest, and longest stand-up roller coaster with the most loops. Public aquaria are facilities open to the public for viewing of aquatic species in aquaria. Raptor (rollercoaster), designed by Bolliger and Mabillard, opened in 1994 as the tallest, fastest, and longest inverted roller coaster with the most inverting elements. In practice this is a very complicated and difficult task, and so most aquarists use rules of thumb combined with a trial and error approach to reach an appropriate level of biological loading. In 1991 Mean Streak opened as the tallest and fastest wooden coaster. To do so, the variables for waste production rate, nitrification efficiency, gas exchange rate at the water surface, and many others would need to be determined.

In 1989 Magnum XL 200, designed by the now defunct Arrow Dynamics, opened as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster in existence, as well as being the first full-circuit roller coaster to be taller than 200 feet (60 m). The true maximum or ideal biological loading of a system is very difficult to calculate, even on a theoretical level. In 1978 Gemini debuted as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster on earth. For goldfish and other high-waste fish, some aquarists recommend doubling the space allowance to one inch of fish per every two gallons. In 1976 Corkscrew was the first roller coaster to turn its riders upside down three times. This rule is usually applied to the expected mature size of the fish, in order to not stunt growth by overcrowding, which can be unhealthy for the fish. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride opened in 1969 as one of the very first run-away mine train style roller coasters. gallons (about 7 mm per liter of water).

Many of its roller coasters were record setters when they opened. gallon" rule, which dictates that the sum in inches of the lengths of all fish kept in an aquarium (excluding tail length) should not exceed the capacity of the tank measured in U.S. The park continued to expand rapidly through the next 50 years. Perhaps the most popular of these is the "one inch of fish per U.S. With the uproar occurring and the sudden popularity of Disneyland in California, Roose and Legros decided to end their plans to tear down Cedar Point and instead announced their plans to turn Cedar Point into the Disneyland of the Midwest. In order to prevent biological overloading of the system, aquarists have developed a number of rules of thumb. Once the citizens of Sandusky found out about Roose and Legros' plans, they wrote letters to the governor of Ohio urging him to intervene. Physically, only a limited size and number of plants and animals can be fit into an aquarium while still providing room for movement.

With this in mind, they built a marina and constructed a causeway leading from the amusement area to Sandusky. The capacity of nitrifying bacteria is limited by the physical space they have available to colonize. When they first bought Cedar Point, Roose and Legros planned on tearing down the existing park and turning it into a residential area. The surface area of water exposed to air limits dissolved oxygen intake by the tank. The Great Depression had an adverse effect on Cedar Point, and it did not fully recover until the 1950s when businessmen George Roose and Emile Legros bought the park. In addition, there are several fundamental constraints on biological loading based on the size of an aquarium. In 1929 The Cedar Point Cyclone was built by legendary designer Harry Traver. High biological loading in an aquarium represents a more complicated tank ecology, which in turn means that equilibrium is easier to perturb.

Cedar Point continued to expand over the course of the century, adding a series of new rides and roller coasters. Biological loading is a measure of the burden placed on the aquarium ecosystem by its living inhabitants. Around the turn of the twentieth century, businessman George Arthur Boeckling spent several decades expanding the park by planting flower gardens, adding a boardwalk and rides, constructing lagoons, and opening several hotels including The Breakers Hotel which opened on June 12, 1905, and still operates today. Appropriate handling of the nitrogen cycle, along with supplying an adequately balanced food supply and considered biological loading, is usually enough to keep these other nutrient cycles in approximate equilibrium. When the war ended, Cedar Point resumed its role as a summer picnic area, and the initial park was constructed in 1870. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients also cycle through the system, entering as food and exiting as waste. During the American Civil War, an earthwork housing a battery of four field artillery pieces was constructed at the tip of the peninsula to help guard access to the Confederate prisoner of war camp on nearby Johnson's Island. The phosphate cycle is an important, although often overlooked, nutrient cycle.

. Carbon dioxide escapes the system into the air. Cedar Point and Valleyfair! were the original operating partners of the Cedar Fair, LP amusement park company. Dissolved oxygen enters the system at the surface water-air interface or through the actions of an air pump. Cedar Point has the world's second tallest and fastest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster. Nitrogen is not the only nutrient that cycles through an aquarium. It opened in 1870 and is the second oldest amusement park in North America (Lake Compounce being the oldest). Improperly cycled aquaria can quickly accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrogen waste and kill its inhabitants.

In addition to amusement park rides it offers beaches, two waterparks (one indoors), a marina, several hotels, and a "Challenge Park" featuring attractions such as go-karts and miniature golf. According to anecdotal reports of aquarists specializing in planted tanks, the plants can consume nitrogenous waste so efficiently that the spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels normally seen in more traditional cycling methods are greatly reduced, if they are detectable at all. Cedar Point is a 364 acre (1.5 km²) amusement park located near Sandusky, Ohio on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. The silent cycle is basically nothing more than densely stocking the aquarium with fast-growing aquatic plants and relying on them to consume the nitrogen products rather than bacteria. Both Cedar Point and sister park (and onetime competitor) Geauga Lake are often referred to by western Pennsylvanians as the "Ohio parks", due to their proximity and their competition with Pittsburgh's own Kennywood, usually the chief rival to Cedar Point. During this process, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are tested to monitor progress. Cedar Point is operated by Cedar Fair, L.P., a consortium that also owns Knott's Berry Farm in California, Worlds of Fun in Missouri, Cedar Point and Geauga Lake in Ohio, Michigan's Adventure in Michigan, Dorney Park in Pennsylvania, Valleyfair in Minnesota, and several waterparks. Instead, small amounts of ammonia are added to the tank to feed the bacteria being cultured.

Others that have visited the park include Montel Williams, Yasmine Bleeth, Drew Carey, Monica Lewinsky, Rob Lowe, LeBron James, the members of Simple Plan, as well as Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns team members. As the name of the former implies, no fish are kept in a tank undergoing a fishless cycle. Some past employees who have gone on to fame include Sam Warner, Arsenio Hall, and Knute Rockne who worked as a lifeguard at Cedar Point in 1913 and invented the forward pass with teammate Gus Dorais on the beach during their off-time. Other cycling methods that have gained popularity in recent years are the fishless cycle and the silent cycle. Cedar Point also has 68 different amusement rides, the most world-wide. Aquarists use several different methods to jump start this process, including the use of water additives containing small populations of the bacteria, or "seeding" a new tank with a mature bacterial colony removed from another aquarium (such as can be found on gravel or biological filter media). Cedar Point currently retains 3 of the top 5 Roller Coasters (in terms of height and speed) in North America, and two of the top 3 world-wide. In a process called cycling, aquarists cultivate these bacteria as fish and other producers of nitrogen waste are gradually added to the tank over the course of several weeks.

Cedar Point has been voted "Best Amusement Park in the World" for 8 years running by Amusement Today newspaper (1998 - 2005). New aquaria also do not usually have the required populations of bacteria for the handling of nitrogen waste. The sand is the right texture for making sand castles. This problem is most often addressed through two filtration solutions: Activated carbon filters absorb nitrogen compounds and other toxins from the water, while biological filters provide a medium specially designed for colonization by the desired nitrifying bacteria. The beach on Lake Erie is wide, and both it and the shore have a generally gradual slope. Aquaria kept by hobbyists often do not have the requisite populations of bacteria needed to detoxify nitrogen waste from tank inhabitants. Hotel Breakers arcade is located at the base of Breakers Tower. A balanced system, in which the fish eat the plants, is generally difficult to create.

Challenge Park arcade is located in a building that also houses a food stand. This accumulation of nitrates in home aquaria requires the aquarium keeper to remove water that is high in nitrates or remove plants which have grown from the nitrates. The two other arcades are technically outside of the park. Although informally called the nitrogen cycle by hobbyists, it is in fact only a portion of a true cycle: nitrogen must be added to the system (usually through food provided to the tank inhabitants), and nitrates accumulate in the water at the end of the process (or contribute to a growth in biomass via plant metabolism). Jitney is located in the rear of the park and has Skeeball. However, this is only temporary, as the plants release nitrogen back into the water when older leaves die off and decompose. Gemini arcade is located across from the Gemini roller coaster and features Skeeball and boomball. When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass.

Coliseum features over 30 lanes of Skeeball and over 100 video and redemption games. In addition to bacteria, aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. The same building also holds Cedar Point Police, Park Operations and the Ballroom. While biologically they could theoretically fill the same niche as Nitrospira, it has recently been found that Nitrobacter are not present in detectable levels in established aquaria, while Nitrospira are plentiful.) This process is known in the aquarium hobby as the nitrogen cycle. Coliseum is the largest and includes the arcade maintenance office. (Nitrobacter bacteria were previously believed to fill this role, and continue to be found in commercially available products sold as kits to "jump start" the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium. Cedar Point has five arcades on the peninsula. Another type of bacteria, genus Nitrospira, converts nitrite into nitrate, a less toxic substance to aquarium inhabitants.

The Great American Racing Derby, a ride from Euclid Beach Park which simulated a horse race, still runs today at Cedar Point, who acquired it in 1967, renamed Cedar Downs. Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish in high concentrations. It has two antique carousels which retain their original wooden animals, many smaller carnival-type rides, as well as county-fair style booths and games and a variety of musical shows, which are considered 2nd only to Disney. Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from the water and metabolize it to produce nitrite. In contrast to many parks that have completely modernized, Cedar Point has retained some older rides as well. The nitrogen waste produced in a tank is metabolized in aquaria by a type of bacteria known as nitrifiers (genus Nitrosomonas). There is, however, some discrepancy as to whether or not one of Magic Mountain's coasters (Superman the Escape) is truly a coaster. A well-balanced tank contains organisms that are able to metabolize the waste products of other aquarium residents.

However, in 2006 Six Flags Magic Mountain will open Tatsu, a flying roller coaster, making their coaster count 17. Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations. Cedar Point was tied with Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California for having the most roller coasters at any park; with 16 roller coasters each as of 2005. Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus. While you cannot see mainland Canada—it is much too far—a good eye might be able to spot Pelee Island, a Canadian island in the middle of Lake Erie, 34 km or 21 miles to the north. Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which may convert to ammonium, depending on water chemistry) which must then pass through the nitrogen cycle. It is said that if you have the courage, you can see all the way out to Canada if you look out at the top of the hill on Millennium Force, Magnum XL 200, or Top Thrill Dragster. Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of the biological waste produced by an aquarium's inhabitants.

This Giant Frisbee, manufactured by Huss GmbH, swings riders at 70 mph (110 kph) while spinning them. For this reason, hobbyists often favor larger tanks when possible, as they are more stable systems requiring less intensive attention to the maintenance of equilibrium. In 2005, Cedar Point built a new ride called maXair. gallon (400 L) tank with many other fish in it represents only a minor change in the balance of the tank. Many of the original souvineers and materials were burned or destroyed. gallon tank (11 L) causes dramatic changes in the system, while the death of that same fish in a 100 U.S. The name was quickly changed when the marketing department realized the full negative connotation of the word 'banshee' and all 'The Banshee' stickers, pins and other promotional materials that had been given to employees were recalled. For example, the death of the only fish in a three U.S.

The original proposed name for the Mantis was The Banshee and the proposed coaster would be painted black and silver. Any event that perturbs the system pushes an aquarium away from equilibrium; the more water that is contained in a tank, the easier such a systemic shock is to absorb, as the effects of that event are diluted. The Hotel is also the de facto headquarters for several Cedar Point departments including Central Reservations (Department 402), Park Operator / PBX and Housekeeping. Approximate equilibrium is facilitated by large volumes of water. Another interesting aspect of the Breakers is that the map of the hotel's layout given to guest upon check-in to help them find their rooms 'hides' several areas of the complex, including an entire hallway on the second floor devoted to employee housing. Typically an aquarium keeper must take steps to maintain equilibrium in the small ecosystem contained in his aquarium. The Hotel Breakers has hosted 6 American Presidents in its history, Taft, Coolidge, Wilson, Harding, Roosevelt and Eisenhower. As an example, a balanced predator-prey relationship is nearly impossible to maintain in even the largest of aquaria.

It's Presidential Suite is one of the most expensive hotel rooms in Sandusky, commanding $1000 per night during the peak season. In practice it is virtually impossible to maintain a perfect balance. Hotel Breakers Trivia: Built in 1905, Hotel Breakers owned by Cedar Fair and located at the rear of the park, features original Tiffany stained-glass windows in its lobby. Ideal aquarium ecology reproduces the equilibrium found in nature in the closed system of an aquarium. Aquaculture can help in lessening the impacts on wild stocks, either by using raised cultivated organisms directly for sale or by releasing them to replenish wild stock (Tlusty 203), although such a practice is associated with several environmental risks. Supporters of aquaculture programs for supply to the aquarium trade claim that well-planned programs can bring benefits to the environment as well as the society around it.

Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic organisms in a controlled environment. Breeding programs for freshwater species are comparatively more advanced than for saltwater species. Captive breeding programs of marine organisms for the aquarium trade have been urgently in development since the mid-1990s. Captive breeding for the aquarium trade is now concentrated in South Florida, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, with smaller industries in Hawaii and Sri Lanka.

Since the 'fighting fish' Betta splendens was first successfully bred in France in 1893, captive spawning techniques have been slowly discovered. Among American keepers of marine aquaria surveyed in 1997, two thirds said that they prefer to purchase farm raised coral instead of wild-collected coral, and over 80% think that only sustainably caught or captive bred fish should be allowed for trade. Therefore, there has been a concerted movement by many concerned aquarists to reduce the trade's dependence on wild-collected specimens through captive breeding programs and certification programs for wild-caught fish. Additionally, the destructive fishing techniques used have become a growing concern to environmentalists and hobbyists alike.

These include the poisoning of coral reefs and non-target species, the depletion of rare species from their natural habitat, and the degradation of ecosystems from large scale removal of key species. More recently, the potentially detrimental environmental impact of fish and plant collecting has come to the attention of aquarists worldwide. Fish can also be injured during the collection process itself, most notably during the process of using cyanide to stun reef fish to make them easier to collect. Many others are weakened by stress and become diseased upon arrival.

The shipping process is very hazardous for the fish involved; mortality rates are high. Collecting expeditions can be lengthy and costly, and are not always successful. The practice of collection in the wild for eventual display in aquaria has several disadvantages. It remains an important source for many species that have not been successfully bred in captivity, and continues to introduce new species to enthusiastic aquarists.

In many places of the world, impoverished local villagers collect specimens for the aquarium trade as their prime means of income. Collection of fish, plants, and invertebrates from the wild for supply to the aquarium trade continues today at locations around the world. During the early twentieth century many species of small colorful tropical fish were caught and exported from Manaus Brazil, Bangkok Thailand, Siam, Jakarta Indonesia, the Dutch West Indies, Calcutta India, and other tropical ports. Fish and plants for the first modern aquaria were gathered from the wild and transported (usually by ship) to European and American ports.

Reef aquaria are widely considered the most difficult and demanding of the common hobbyist aquarium types, requiring the most expertise in addition to the most specialized equipment (and corresponding high cost). Techniques of maintaining sea anemones, some corals, live rock, mollusks, and crustacea, developed since the 1980s, have made the recreations of a reef ecosystem possible. These aquaria focus on the rich diversity of invertebrate life in these environments, and typically include only a limited number of small fish. These aquaria attempt to simulate the complex reef ecosystems found in warm, tropical oceans around the world.

In addition to the types above, a special category of saltwater aquaria is the reef aquarium. This approach best simulates the experience of observing an aquarium's inhabitants in the wild, and also usually serves as the healthiest possible artificial environment for the tank's occupants. These ecotype aquaria might be considered the most sophisticated hobby aquaria; indeed, reputable public aquaria all use this approach in their exhibits whenever possible. Ecotype or ecotope aquaria attempt to simulate a specific ecosystem found in the natural world, bringing together fish, invertebrate species, and plants found in that ecosystem in a tank with water conditions and decorations designed to simulate their natural environment.

Such tanks are common in fishrooms, where people keep many tanks at home. Some tanks of this sort are used simply to house adults for breeding. They can be simple as bare bottom with a few necessities or a complex planted aquarium. These tanks are often used for killifish, livebearers, cichlids etc.

Species or specimen tanks usually only house one fish species, along with plants, perhaps found in the fishes' natural environment and decorations simulating a true ecosystem. In addition to the fish, invertebrates, plants, and decorations or "aquarium furniture" (all of which may or may not be natural neighbors of any of the fish) are typically added to these tank types. In both of these tank types, the aquarium cohabitants may or may not originate from the same geographic region, but generally tolerate similar water conditions. Aggressive tanks, in contrast, house a limited number of species that can be aggressive toward other fish, or are able to withstand aggression well.

This is the most common type of hobby aquarium kept today. Community tanks house several species that are not aggressive toward each other. Perhaps the most popular of these is the division of aquaria into either a community or aggressive tank type. Several theories on species selection circulate within the community of hobby aquarists.

The size of public aquaria are usually limited by cost considerations. Its main tank, which holds 7,500 cubic meters of water, features the world's largest acrylic panel measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the world's second largest aquarium and part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Motobu, Okinawa. At 56 feet long by 17 feet high (17 by 5 m), it used to be the largest window in the world and is over 13 inches (330 mm) thick.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an acrylic viewing window into their largest tank. gallons (1,500 m³). gallons (7,500 m³), as well as two others of 400,000 U.S. The Shedd Aquarium features an individual aquarium of two million U.S.

Public aquaria designed for exhibition of large species or environments can be dramatically larger than any home aquarium. gallons (several cubic meters), at great effort and expense. However, some dedicated aquarists have been known to construct custom aquaria of up to several thousand U.S. gallons).

gallon (1 kg/L)) and internal water pressure (requiring thick, strong glass siding) of a large aquarium, keep most home aquaria to a maximum of around 1 m³ (300 U.S. Practical limitations, most notably the weight (water weighs about 8.3 pounds per U.S. This size is widely considered the smallest practical system with filtration and other basic systems; indeed, the local government of Rome has recently taken the step of banning traditional goldfish bowls as inhumane. gallons (11 L).

Aquaria kept in homes by hobbyists can be as small as 3 U.S. In general, larger aquarium systems are typically recommended to hobbyists due to their resistance to rapid fluctuations of temperature and pH, allowing for greater system stability. An aquarium can range from a small, unadorned glass bowl containing less than a liter of water – although generally unsuited for most fish (except, perhaps, air breathing fish such as Betta splendens or the Paradise Fish) – to massive tanks built in public aquaria which are limited only by engineering constraints and can house entire ecosystems as large as kelp forests or species of large sharks. Water temperature can be regulated with a combined thermometer/heater unit (or, more rarely, with a cooling unit), while water movement can be controlled through the use of powerheads and careful design of internal water flow (such as location of filtration system points of inflow and outflow).

Aquarists may prefer anything from still water up to swift simulated currents in an aquarium, depending on the conditions best suited for the aquarium's inhabitants. Water movement can also be important in accurately simulating a natural ecosystem. Cold water aquaria are those with temperatures below what would be considered tropical; a variety of fish are better suited to this cooler environment. Most fish and plant species tolerate only a limited range of water temperatures: Tropical or warm water aquaria, with an average temperature of about 25 °C (78 °F), are much more common and house most popular aquarium fish.

cold water. The temperature of the water forms the basis of one of the two most basic aquarium classifications: tropical vs. Secondary water characteristics are also important to the success of an aquarium. In contrast, public aquaria with large water needs often locate themselves near a natural water source (such as a river, lake, or ocean) in order to have easy access to large volumes of water that does not require much further treatment.

More sophisticated aquarists may make other modifications to their base water source to modify the water's alkalinity, hardness, or dissolved content of organics and gases, before adding it to their aquaria. Brackish or saltwater aquaria require the addition of a mixture of salts and other minerals, which are commercially available for this purpose. For freshwater aquaria, additives formulated to remove chlorine or chloramine (used to disinfect drinking water supplies for human consumption) are often all that is needed to make the water ready for aquarium use. Home aquarists typically use modified tap water supplied through their local municipal water system to fill their tanks.

Dissolved organic content and dissolved gases content are also important factors. Hardness measures overall dissolved mineral content; soft or hard water may be preferred. The pH of the water is a measure of alkalinity or acidity. Several other water characteristics result from dissolved contents of the water, and are important to the proper simulation of natural environments.

An aquarium may have fresh water (a salt level of < 0.5%), simulating a lake or river environment; salt water (a salt level of 5%–18%), simulating an ocean or sea environment; or brackish water (a salt level of 0.5%–5%), simulating environments lying between fresh and salt, such as estuaries. Salt content, or salinity, is the most basic classification of water conditions. The dissolved content of water is perhaps the most important aspect of water conditions, as dissolved salts and other constituents can dramatically impact basic water chemistry, and therefore how organisms are able to interact with their environment. The size of an aquarium also limits the aquarist in what types of ecosystems he can reproduce, species selection, and biological loading.

The conditions and characteristics of the water contained in an aquarium are the most important classification criteria, as most aquatic life will not survive even limited exposure to unsuitable water conditions. Aquaria can be classified by several variables that determine the type of aquatic life that can be suitably housed. The combined function of these elements is to maintain appropriate water quality and characteristics suitable for the aquarium's residents. Size, lighting conditions, density of floating and rooted plants, placement of bogwood, creation of caves or overhangs, type of substrate, and other factors (including an aquarium's positioning within a room) can all affect the behavior and survivability of tank inhabitants.

An aquarium's physical characteristics form another aspect of aquarium design. Coolers are also available for use in cold water aquaria or in parts of the world where the ambient room temperature is above the desired tank temperature. Aquarium heaters are designed to act as thermostats to regulate water temperature at a level designated by the aquarist when the prevailing temperature of air surrounding the aquarium is below the desired water temperature. These devices, once universal, are now somewhat less commonly used as some newer filtration systems create enough surface agitation to supply adequate gas exchange at the surface.

Air pumps are employed to adequately oxygenate (or in the case of a heavily planted aquarium, provide carbon dioxide to) the water. Protein skimmers, filtration devices that remove proteins and other waste from the water, are usually found only in salt water aquaria. Most systems use pumps to remove a small portion of the tank's water to an external pathway where filtration occurs; the filtered water is then returned to the aquarium. Filtration systems are the most complexly engineered component of most home aquaria, and various designs are used.

Combined biological and mechanical filtration systems are now common; these are designed to remove potentially dangerous build up of nitrogenous wastes and phosphates dissolved in the water, as well as particulate matter. In addition, some freshwater tanks (and most saltwater tanks) use powerheads to increase water circulation. The common freshwater aquarium maintained by a home aquarist typically includes a filtration system, an artificial lighting system, air pumps, and a heater. Freshwater aquaria remain the most popular due to their lower cost and easier maintenance, but marine (saltwater) aquaria have gained cachet as dedicated enthusiasts prove it is possible to preserve these challenging environments.

The most successful aquaria, as judged by the long-term survivability of its inhabitants, carefully emulate the natural environments that their residents would occupy in the wild. Aquaria can vary in size from a small bowl large enough for a single small fish, to the huge public aquaria that can simulate entire marine ecosystems. From the outdoor ponds and glass jars of antiquity, modern aquaria have evolved into a wide range of specialized systems. In the United States, a large minority (40%) of aquarists maintain two or more tanks at any one time.

The hobby has the strongest following in Europe, Asia, and North America. There are currently estimated to be about 60 million aquarium hobbyists worldwide, and many more aquaria kept by them. Popularization was also assisted by the availability of air freight, which allowed a much wider variety of fish to be successfully imported from distant regions of origin that consequently attracted new hobbyists. With electricity great improvements were made in aquarium technology, allowing artificial lighting as well as the aeration, filtration, and heating of the water.

Aquaria became more widely popular as houses became almost universally electrified after World War I. (One feature of some 19th-century aquaria that would prove curious to hobbyists today was the use of a metal base panel so that the aquarium water could be heated by flame.) Germans rivaled the British in their interest, and by the turn of the century Hamburg became the European port of entry for many newly seen species. The framed-glass aquarium was a specialized version of the glazed Wardian case developed for British horticulturists in the 1830s to protect exotic plants on long sea voyages. The keeping of fish in an aquarium first became a popular hobby in Britain only after ornate aquaria in cast-iron frames were featured at the Great Exhibition of 1851.

The concept of keeping aquatic life in glass containers, then, dates to at latest this period. In the 18th century, the biologist Abraham Trembley kept hydra found in the garden canals of the Bentinck residence 'Sorgvliet' in the Netherlands, in large cylindrical glass vessels for study. In 1665 the diarist Samuel Pepys recorded seeing in London "a fine rarity, of fishes kept in a glass of water, that will live so forever, and finely marked they are, being foreign." The fish observed by Pepys were likely to have been the paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, a familiar garden fish in Canton, China, where the East India Company was then trading. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact date of this development.

The concept of an aquarium, designed for the observation of fish in an enclosed, transparent tank to be kept indoors, emerged more recently. The Chinese brought goldfish indoors during the Song dynasty to enjoy them in large ceramic vessels. Many other cultures also have a history of keeping fish for both functional and decorative purposes. Depictions of the sacred fish of Oxyrhynchus kept in captivity in rectangular temple pools have been found in ancient Egyptian art.

In China, selective breeding of carp into today's popular koi and goldfish is believed to have begun over 2,000 years ago. Ancient Sumerians were known to keep wild-caught fish in ponds, before preparing them for meals. The keeping of fish in confined or artificial environments is a practice with deep roots in history. The word aquarium itself is taken directly from the latin aqua, meaning water, with the suffix -rium, meaning "place" or "building".

. Other components in maintaining a suitable aquarium environment include appropriate species selection, management of biological loading, and good physical design. The nitrogen cycle describes the flow of nitrogen from input via food, through toxic nitrogenous waste produced by tank inhabitants, to metabolism to less toxic compounds by beneficial bacteria populations. Controlling water quality includes managing the inflow and outflow of nutrients, most notably the management of waste produced by tank inhabitants.

The careful aquarist dedicates considerable effort to maintaining a tank ecology that mimics its inhabitants' natural habitat. Inhabitants for aquaria are often collected from the wild, although there is a growing list of organisms that are bred in captivity for supply to the aquarium trade. These characteristics, and others, determine the type of fish and other inhabitants that can survive and thrive in the aquarium. Aquaria are usually classified as containing fresh or salt water, at tropical or cold water temperatures.

A wide variety of aquaria are now kept by hobbyists, ranging from a simple bowl housing a single fish to complex simulated ecosystems with carefully engineered support systems. gallons) and a collection of about 580 species of aquatic life. Public aquaria reproduce the home aquarist's hobby on a grand scale — the Osaka Aquarium, for example, boasts a tank of 5,400 m³ (1.4 million U.S. From the 1850s, when the predecessor of the modern aquarium was first developed as a novel curiosity, the ranks of aquarists have swelled as more sophisticated systems including lighting and filtration systems were developed to keep aquarium fish healthy.

Aquarium keeping is a popular hobby around the world, with about 60 million enthusiasts worldwide. An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium, usually contained in a clear-sided container (typically constructed of glass or high-strength plastic) in which water-dwelling plants and animals (usually fish, and sometimes invertebrates, as well as amphibians, marine mammals, and reptiles) are kept in captivity, often for public display; or it is an establishment featuring such displays.