Thanks in advance. Veteran Member 7,658 Who wants to go sailing around the world with me? Definitions of 'aquarium": 1. container for fish: a water-filled transparent container, often box-shaped, in which fish and other water animals and plants are kept 2. aquatic zoo: a building in which fish and other water animals are kept and shown to the public Defintion of 'fish tank': noun: a tank or pool or bowl filled with water for keepinglive fish and underwater animals I believe the above definitions will be helpful..  Veteran Member 7,005 The first definition of aquarium has the same meaning as fish tank, am I right? Veteran Member 7,658 Who wants to go sailing around the world with me? The first definition of aquarium has the same meaning as fish tank, am I right? Basically, yes. In many situations they could be used interchangeably -- I might ask my daughter if she had cleaned the aquarium lately, or I might say the fish tank. But "aquarium" has a more expensive, decorative implication -- "fish tank" is more basic. The phrase "My, what a beautiful _____________" should be completed with "aquarium" rather than "fish tank." For example, a Chinese restaurant I go to has a beautiful aquarium in the front of the restaurant for people to look at while waiting for a table. Near the kitchen, they have a tank of live lobsters waiting to become someone's dinner. I don't know if restaurants ever keep life fish to be turning into dinner, but if they did, they would probably call the place they keep them a fish tank, not an aquarium.  Veteran Member 5,341   Native speaker of American English (but not a grammar expert). FRIEND REQUESTS WILL BE IGNORED. Don't take it personally -- I just don't understand the whole idea of... Thank you, Khoff for the clear explanation. It reminds me of the difference between a church and a cathedral. Veteran Member 7,658 Who wants to go sailing around the world with me? Hi New2grammar, Typically, a fish tank is something smaller, say, 5-10 gallons capacity which most of us have in our house. If you say “ I have an aquarium in my house”, the impression I have is that of a large and elaborately decorated fish tank with a large selection of expensive, and often exotic tropical species with seascape in aqua color lighting. No one in their normal mental capacity will call the Monterey Aquarium a fish tank in my opinion, although he may call his 10 gal fish tank an aquarium.  Senior Member 3,816 The name says it all! | |
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