Think small, think luxury

Download: Think small, think luxury (PDF file)There is a long tradition of aquarium keeping in countries like Poland and the Czech Republic. Breeding fish and selling them to other aquarists was always a popular leisure pastime in former communist countries as well as a handy source of additional income. And because many people remember well the time they spent in their youth indulging their interest in ornamental fish, there is still considerable interest in aquarium keeping even today. But because fish-keeping is now in competition with popular leisure activities such as travel and the computer, even in central and eastern Europe, the manner of aquarium keeping has changed markedly. Nevertheless, there continues to be a large number of suppliers of ornamental fish who have turned their hobby into an occupation, especially in the Czech Republic. They cover not only the domestic market but also many customers in neighbouring countries. Fish breeding is still a popular pastime here.Aquarium keeping is changingThe transformation in aquarium keeping roughly mirrors the change that this hobby underwent around fifteen years ago in western Europe. It has to be as convenient as possible, should not take up too much time and mustn't be too complicated. Thus aquarium kits, which already contain all the equipment and care products required, have given a real boost to fish-keeping in Czechia, Poland and Hungary. Some professionals in the aquarium business rightly point out, however, that the quality of these kits often leaves something to be desired. If the fish die after a short time because the equipment doesn't work, they argue, this could do more harm than good to the aquarium segment.As the purchasing power of people in central and eastern Europe increases, so does their willingness to spend more on aquariums, equipment and high-quality food. This trend in turn not only benefits all the major manufacturers, who are meeting the demand for greater convenience in fish-keeping with a wide range of products, but also the hobby in general. The range of aquatics products available in the pet stores and aquatics shops of central and eastern European countries is now virtually indistinguishable from that on offer in western countries. This is noticeable above all in the big cities.Trend towards nano-aquariums?As rents rise increasingly fast in metropolises such as Prague, Budapest and Warsaw, however, the average living space available to families is likely to decrease…