The first freshwater aquarium book (das SuBwasser Aquarium) was published in 1857 at Leizpig, German by Verlag Hermann Mendelsohn. In his books he said that too often feeding fishes may be harmful. Fish should be feeding in two or three times a week, and the remaining feed must be immediately removed. Fish feed at that time commonly bread, boiled eggs, worms and small insects.
The fresh water aquarium book also said about aquarium equipment in the past which used simple equipments. For example, aquarium lighting was using oil lamps and incandescent lamps after the tube lamps were found.
Water plants kept in the aquarium quickly rotting because the weak light and no additional nutrients. Consequently, the tank in those days only contains fish not a water plant.