Stats on this hobby?

Number 2, it is estimated there are 100 million fish in private aquaria in the US. Stamp collecting is at number 1.

you don't think pokemon collecting outranks fishkeeping at the moment ? <veg>

Maybe for the under 8 year olds

May be for the over 40 year olds

LMAO

fer sure!! But nobody will admit it

Last I heard, one out of every ten households has at least one tank

Taking US govt Census figures, there are 248,709,873 people in the US, which would equate to 0.4 of a fish each. However, take into account US Govt. figures on the number of occupied households, which is 91,947,410 then you get 1.1 fish per tank. It would be interesting to assume that if you rent a property, then *no* pets were allowed. i.e only owner occupied properties can have fish tanks (59,024,811). We are now at 1.7 fish per house.

Taking on board this 1 in 10 rumour, you end up with 17 fish per tank. Sounds about right.

Excerpt from a TFH article from about 2 years ago which resides on my homepage.

US Ornamental Aquarium Industry

10% of US households - 9.4 million households - maintain freshwater aquaria, and average 1.2 tanks per household, 8.8 fish per household. the number of aquaria in offices, hospitals, businesses or public areas is unknown.

0.6% of US households - 565,200 households - maintain marine fish tanks, averaging 1.1 tanks per household, 7.7 marine fish per household.

Home ornamental fish population exceeds 200 million specimens.

Live specimens are sold by 9,000-12,000 pet stores, aquarium stores, garden supply stores, discount stores, variety stores, pet food warehouses.

Aquarium treatments, remedies, medications and water conditioners are sold by approximately 11,000-14,000 pet stores and aquarium stores; 4,000-5,000 discount stores; 75,000 plus grocery stores, food warehouses, variety stores, drug stores, garden centres, feed stores and other retail outlets.

The industry and hobbyists deal with more than 3,000 varieties on a regular basis.

Ornamental aquarium fish are supplied by 300+ Florida fish producers; 500+ specialised producers in other states; estimated 100 ornamental fish importers; 500+ ornamental fish wholesalers.

Today, the second most popular hobby in the United States is tropical fishkeeping, and Florida produces and supplies 95 percent of the tropical fish sold in North America. From the start of the fish farm business in 1926, the Florida industry has become the tropical fish capital of the world. Approximately 30 percent of the total pet industry revenue comes from aquarium fish and related supplies.

Approximately 20,000 ornamental fish ponds occupy 6,000 to 8,000 acres on farms in Florida. These ponds are operated by more than 200 full-time and 100 part-time farmers, who support more than 1,500 Florida families.

Tropical fish and plants are the number one freight commodity for the state of Florida. Each week an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 boxes of fish leave Tampa International Airport alone. Add the fish from Miami, Orlando, West Palm Beach and a few other areas and the total is staggering.

The farm value of both tropical fish and aquatic plants from Florida destined for the aquarium trade was estimated to be in excess of $59.9 million for Florida farmers last year.

Florida tropical fish farmers proudly farm about 300 species (500 varieties) of tropical fish for the fishkeeping hobby.

Regards

Mark