Aquarium: A Window to Another World

There was a time when the keeping and study of exotic fish was the preserve  of serious  researchers  closeted in their laboratories; today, it is an established and popular hobby. Dealerships and specialized sales areas in large stores are springing up everywhere, paralleling an explosion in the number of public aquariums and books or magazines devoted to the subject. More and more people of all ages are falling under the spell, enjoying permanent access to a part of the natural world that was formerly beyond their reach. There are almost as many kinds of hobbyists as there are types of fish: the semiprofessional, the "small" and the "modest" collector, the specialist. There are the fanatics, who spend every minute of their time and energy on their aquariums, while for others fish keeping is just a passing fad. Enthusiasts include the young and the not so young; those with scientific knowledge or mere novices; those actively working and the retired. Such an immensely varied following guarantees that the world of the aquarist is full of interest and color.

We have all become familiar with how our television screens offer us, from the comfort of our living rooms, a small window onto the wide world outside. An aquarium also provides a glimpse into a different universe but this time inhabited by real, live creatures. A lot of thought and work goes into a top-class aquarium. We select the best site, we want fish and decor which satisfy our sense of beauty. Before long, our new purchase has relegated to the background our photos, pictures and even the TV.

The last ten or so years have seen the aquarium come into its own in institutions and public buildings. In educational establishments it represents an important teaching aid, enabling students to observe creatures in conditions resembling their natural habitats. The medical profession has likewise realized its benefits. The fish gliding through their silent, predominantly green world in a kind of underwater ballet are the perfect sedative for nervous patients; it is by no means unusual to come across tanks in the waiting-rooms of doctors and dentists, in physiotherapy rooms, hospitals, and indeed in psychiatric clinics. More recently, aquariums have been introduced into prisons.

Ultra Life is helping maintaining an aquarium by providing best aquarium accessories since 1990.