The relationship of man with fish is as ancient as the first cultures of Earth. Asians, Sumerians, Egyptians, and Romans have gods or deities which are partly fish or amphibious in nature. When people are not worshipping them, fish are being caught and kept for food, entertainment, or decoration.

The Sumerians, the ancient people of Mesopotamia, are believed to have been the first aquarists, keeping fish in artificial ponds for future consumption about 4,500 years ago. The rich land and waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers offered an abundant supply of fish as a renewable resource. The Egyptians held fish in high regard, worshipping the Nile Perch as a deity. Ancient tombs and pictures show fish as sacred objects. Some show them catching fish using a hook and a line. They also bred certain species of fish specifically for their beauty and decorative purposes.

Babylonians are known to have kept ponds of ornamental fish circa 500 BC. The ancient Romans, who kept fish for food and entertainment, were the first known marine aquarists; they constructed ponds that were supplied with fresh seawater from the ocean. Roman merchants were known to keep freshwater fish to sell as food in public aquariums and open markets. The rich and powerful were known to keep fish as pets. The Roman orator Quintos Hortensius was cited to have felt that it was more important that his fish (eels, actually) were fed than the slaves. It was told that Hortensius "was no less disturbed over his sick fish than he was over his ailing slaves. And so he was less careful to see that a sick slave did not drink cold water than that his fish should have fresh water to drink."

While there was interest in fish keeping in Europe, Eastern cultures refined the art of selective breeding for color and form with the introduction of the goldfish or carp from China over 2000 years ago. These fish were the first ornamental fish to be kept and date back to 960 AD during the Sung Dynasty in China. Ponds stocked with ornamental fish gained popularity among the rich from 968-975 and eating the fish was even strictly prohibited. The ornamental fish was eventually introduced to Japan in the 1500s and were common in Europe by the 1700s as an ornamental fish, and became popular in America shortly thereafter.

By the late 1800s and early 1900s scientific interest prompted the establishment of institutions devoted exclusively to the study of fish, the ocean and marine organisms and gave the public their first views of life under the water. Many scientific experiments with fish in captivity were conducted and the relationship between animal and plant life in the aquarium was becoming clearer during the first half of the 19th century. The interest in fishkeeping was given an enormous boost in 1853 with the opening of a public aquarium in the London Zoological Gardens at Regents Park.

Recent advances in equipment, filtration, water chemistry, and a better understanding of marine ecology have advanced the hobby to this day. Aquariums now come in many different sizes and shapes, made of glass, acrylic, or flexi-glass, and come with a full range of apparatus to maintain the quality of water for the fish and other inhabitants of the tank, including the plants. The varieties of fish available have grown into the hundreds and some tanks even emulate the native environment of the fish being kept. The internet itself has become a repository of hands-on experience by hobbyists and experts alike, and has become a vast resource of firsthand information for the beginning hobbyist. Technical information is also available regarding water chemistries and processes and professional equipment is available to anyone via online stores that specialize in equipments and accessories for the hobbyist. Some websites even have DIY instructions for those who do not have access to professional equipment. We are lucky to be participating in the second most popular hobby (gardening is first) with a long history of development. Now we are able to grow fish in a more "humane" manner, breed them, and keep them in an environment that approximates their native homes and, best of all, enjoy watching them inside our living rooms.