No Better Time to Go Marine

While freshwater fish continue to make up the bulk of the aquarium industry, saltwater fish are rapidly closing the gap. There are currently around 2000 species of ornamental marine animals (including fishes, invertebrates, corals, and plants) readily available to the 21st century marine aquarium hobbyist via local fish stores and the Internet. This fact, combined with advances in marine aquarium technology, means that there has never been a better time to dive into the marine aquarium hobby.

Why are so many people suddenly interested in the marine aquarium hobby? Part of it certainly has to do with the fact that pets in general are more popular than ever before in America. In the past decade, the number of U.S. households grew by approximately 14 percent, but the number of pet-owning households grew by almost twice that number (22 percent). The latest pet industry data shows that more American families today have a pet than at any other time in the Nation’s history. Owning a pet is now considered one of Americans’ top hobbies, with an estimated 63 percent of all households (over 71-million) having at least one pet. In 2007, Americans spent close to 50-billion dollars on their pets.

This recent wave of general interest in pets has clearly influenced the aquarium segment of the pet industry. A recent survey conducted by Aquarium-Club.com concluded there is “a rapidly growing segment of the population (worldwide) between the ages of 36-50, who are starting into the aquarium hobby for the first time.” According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc (APPMA), more Americans own fish than any other animal besides dogs and cats. There are an estimated 150-million pet fish in the United States (compared to 74.8-million pet dogs). During the past decade, fish were one of the fastest growing categories of pets in America (growing by more than 20 percent over the previous decade).

Once a small segment of the pet industry’s sub-category of aquarium fishes, marine fishes have suddenly exploded into the forefront. Interest in keeping marine species has been influenced by popular cultural icons like Nemo, advances in aquarium technology, and the explosion of online retailers selling marine livestock. Industry research from the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) and other aquarium trade organizations and publications show that more than 600,000 homes and offices in the United States have a marine aquarium. From 1997 to 2002, more than 3 million marine ornamental fish were imported to the U.S., making America the number one consumer in the marine ornamental industry.

With the increased interest in marine ornamentals, the value of these animals has gone through the proverbial roof. Consider that a kilogram of marine fish used for food is valued between $6 and $16.50, while a kilogram of marine fish in the marine ornamental trade is valued between $500 and $1,800. What does all this mean for the individual considering starting a marine tank? Despite the cost of some of the more desirable marine fishes and invertebrates, it means that it has never been easier to get into the marine aquarium hobby. A quick Internet search will yield a wide variety of marine ornamentals available at a reasonable price for overnight delivery almost anywhere in the United States. So if you’ve ever considered becoming a marine hobbyist, now may be the best time ever to…well, dive in.

A Clownfish Hosting in an Open Brain Coral

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