The very first modern aquarium made of glass was developed in the 19th century by Robert Warrington. Fish bowls are generally either made of plastic or glass, and are either spherical or some other round configuration in shape. Aquaria are made in a variety of shapes, such as cuboid, hexagonal, angled to fit in a corner (L-shaped), and bow-front (the front side curves outwards). However, glass as a material is brittle and has very little give before fracturing, though generally the sealant fails first. The glass aquarium is standard for sizes up to about 1,000 litres (260 US gal 220 imp gal). “Most aquaria consist of glass panes bonded together by 100% silicone sealant, with plastic frames attached to the upper and lower edges for decoration. Metal frames were used for purely aesthetic reasons after this, though on larger tanks the frame does serve to add structural strength. It was not until the 1960's that all glass aquariums were possible due to the advent of tar and silicone. During the latter half of the 19th century, a variety of aquarium designs were explored, such as hanging the aquarium on a wall, mounting it as part of a window, or even combining it with a birdcage."(Wikipedia) Metals are corrosive and only stainless steel can be used in aquariums, esp. “More advanced systems soon began to be introduced, along with tanks of glass in metal frames. Glass made viewing from the side instead of the top a reality very early on, however it was not widely used till the mid-nineteenth century. Wood was used once a method of sealing it was developed using a pitch coating. The materials for making aquariums has progressed with time starting with natural materials, stone, marble, clay urns, and porcelain tubs. In 1369, the Chinese Emperor, Hóngwǔ, established a porcelain company that produced large porcelain tubs for maintaining goldfish over time, people produced tubs that approached the shape of modern fish bowls.” (Austin Aquariums) Introduction of glass panes around the year 50 allowed Romans to replace one wall of marble tanks, improving their view of the fish. “In the Roman Empire, the first fish to be brought indoors was the sea barbel, which was kept under guest beds in small tanks made of marble.
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