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Hmm... People realizing that "naturaly balanced" tanks (ie tanks that were "balanced" and went for years without water changes)... When people realized that THOSE were dumb, I'd say that was a good day for fishkeeping! My fish love their water changes!

I'm so adjective, I verb nouns!

ah, and silicone sealant... can't forget that! (metal frames used to rust and get metal traces into tanks)

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tempered glass - I mean, they used slate bottoms and metal bracing. Whew, what an eyesore. Plus now we get bigger tanks - yay!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

The greatest moment in fishkeeping - the internet and affordable personal computers.

When they relize you cant keep goldfish in a bowl

Uhh
the discovery of the cycle and why fish die in a premature tank!(is premature the right word there...)

How about the heater? Before that half lots of people had incandescent bulbs submerged in their tanks (heat *and* light!).

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Alright, Great contributions.....doesn't have to be fresh. UGF was used in fish only salt water too you know!

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Well, not freshwater, but then invention of the protein skimmer...

and the "Berlin method" of keeping marine fish (live rocks, etc)

For freshwater, shipping bags that allow for gas exchange through the plastic!

A color picture of angelfish and their young taken circa 1935. Popularised one of the hobby's standard fish that now comes in a plethora of varieties.

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Hmm, I'd say the invention of artificial sea salts. But that's not fresh...

I've noticed there's a lot of top tens or greatest moments going around. I was wondering what everyone thought the greatest moments in fishkeeping were.

I'll vote for the UGF(under gravel filter) because to my understanding it was a revolution to the general fish keeping public. Before that it seemed that heavily planted tanks with very few fish was the successful norm. Bio filtration was first considered important to the survival of fish. So there....what does everyone else think?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

IMO it's the power filter

commercial airlines providing affordable rates for fish transportation from one part of the globe from another. Aquariums outdate the airplane by quite some time. how much would some of the common unbreadables be without air transport? even some of the breadible fish are still injected with new gene stock collected from the far parts of the globe.

if the majority of the fish were still hauled to shipyards by hand, and shipped to their destinations over weeks on end on a trawler, would their prices allow most people to enjoy their splendor in a privately owned fish tank?

a lot of the old time aquariasts were just as succesful as we are now without the benefit of modern "miracle" devices. if they were not, then our modern day hobby would have faded away long ago. because of this, the invention of power heads, ugfs, skimmers, etc. are merely aids to the modern day aquariast.

mariosim - I do think air transport of fish is very important to the hobby, but without the "aid" of great filters, fish would not be in demand as they are now. Less fish was the norm without filters, and "Everyone" who got along so great without filters were most definitely not as numerous as the "everyone" who is getting along great with the power filters now.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

[font color="#000080"]fish gets a distorted view of the reality of the real world if kept in a bowl

I agree with Jake, the internet. Allowing people in smaller towns to gain information and to buy supplies and stock.

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If at first you DO succeed, try not to look astonished.

Everyone gets 3 votes. #1 gets 5pts. and #2 gets 2pts. and #3 gets 1pt. The most points wins!
OK here's the greatest moments of fishkeeping summarized:

-Internet + PCU = Good
-Air shipping
-UGF-First BIO filter
-Nitrogen cycle
-Naturally balanced tanks = bad
-artificial sea salts
-protein skimmer
-berlin method
-Gas exchange plastic bags
-angel fish pic - popularization of species
-heater
-goldfish + bowl = bad
-Tempered glass tanks
-silicone sealant
-power filters

My picks are:
1-Nitrogen Cycle - 5pts.
2-UGF - 2pts.
3-Internet + PCU = Good - 1pt.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

1-Nitrogen Cycle
2-Tempered Glass Tanks
3-Heater

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

#1 - nitrogen cycle
#2 - silicone sealant
#3 - gas exchange plastic bags

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The Invention of Potted Plants.
DAMN OSCARS!!!]