Ever considered a fish tank?
By arkaf61
@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
October 30, 2007 3:30pm CST
Goodbye St. John's wort! The most relaxing thing I have in my house is my fish tank.
The little ones swim back and forth in pretty flashes of color that really bring a soothing and calming effect in me.
WHenever I"m upset or anxious about something I sit on my sofa and just look at the tank. Immediately I feel more relaxed and calm.
DO you have a fish tank? How does it make you feel? Does it only relax me?
IF you don't want one, did you ever consider it?
3 people like this
11 responses
@yanjiaren (9031)
•
31 Oct 07
I would love to have a fish tank but I haven't my own home yet so I am very limited in what I can do. Maybe one day if I am livijng in one country and have a settled life then I will get one as I love colourful and exotic fish too and they are very relaxing to look at as I had some of my friends have fish tanks and I always used to sit and look at the fish and their great swimming skills.
@Seraphine (385)
• Finland
31 Oct 07
I have two fish tanks running (have two more in the basement but there's no room to set them up) and find them very relaxing to look at as well. I even think it's fun to do the weekly water changes, so when I get the space and money I will probably set up some more.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (164632)
• United States
31 Oct 07
I have had aquariums in the past, and might actually do so again in the future, but it does not fit the agenda right now. They have done lots of research about the fact that having one to look at will lower blood pressure. Other benefits are added humidity in your home, a quick source of high nitrogen food for your house plants, if you light it, it is a night light, being near moving water changes the ionization of the air around it. It is a pretty cool thing to have. I congratulate you on enjoying the benefits of having living things around you and letting it relax you.
2 people like this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
31 Oct 07
I am considering it right now, however all people keep telling me that it is alot of work as well, especially cleaning it... Is it really?
1 person likes this

@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
1 Nov 07
Thanx alot for the feedback - now I am not as scared of getting one 0)
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
31 Oct 07
Marie it really isn't much work. A lot of people think that there is much to do but in reality it's very easy and it doesn't require much.
The important is that the tank is usually clean to start with - for that it helps if we don't over it the fish or the food in the water will make it cloudy and dirty. I also have a fish - cat fish - that helps out cleaning any algae on the glass.
A friend thought me to just change a bit of water each week, about 15% and then a bigger change about every 2 or 3 months. But of course it depends some tanks get lots of algae specially on the glass and that requires more cleaning - a good thing to help avoid this is not to have the tank close to a window or direct sunlight.
WHen I change the water I use the tube that I'm using to take the water as a vacuum in the bottom, very slighly not to take out much of the gravel or even fish.
Most filters need cleaning and changing charcoal - if they still use it - every week - something that takes no more than 5 minutes.
The watear in my tank is always nice and clear, my fish rarely get sick and believe me I don't work much on the tank :)
But then again I have easy tropical fish. I know that some fish are more complicated and mess up more LOL
1 person likes this

@Fishmomma (11463)
• United States
31 Oct 07
I have 6 tanks set up now. They are relaxing and I would encourage everyone to get one that has some room for it. They are relaxing and do lower my stress level.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
31 Oct 07
WOw!!! 6? YOu have to be the less stressed person in the world LOL
No, really, I only have space for one, but even so I can feel the effects. The sofa in front of the tank is my favorite place.
WHen hubby comes home, he sits on the sofa and turns on the TV. WHen I come home I sit on the sofa , put my feet up and look at my tank hehehehe
1 person likes this
@foxyfire33 (10005)
• United States
30 Oct 07
I miss having a fish tank. They are so relaxing. The gentle moements, the hum of the filter, the little bubbling noises.
2 people like this
@tess1960 (2385)
• United States
30 Oct 07
My brother has a rather large fishtank and he loves it. I think for him it too has a calming effect. He has also caught his little daughter, age 7, sitting and watching the fish after arguing with big brother and they seem to have a calming effect on her also. I have never had a fish tank myself, however , we did have a small one in my youngest daughters room for a while. After about a year of the fish dieing her crying and not wanting another, then wanting another and it starts all over again, she finally gave up on fishies. (Then we got hamsters, then gerbils, then went to cats. I still love my kitties and she has grown and has kitties of her own.)
@tess1960 (2385)
• United States
31 Oct 07
Oh I cana agree with that. There is a Mall in a town not far from mine that has a huge wall size fish tank and they have River fish in it, like bluegill and cat fish. I always want to go and sit and watch the fish and the childrens reactions to the big one. They have it decorated nicely and yet similar to what it might be say in the bottom of a Lake.
My cats can be calming and restrative to me but when they are too playful they can be a source of agitation. I don't think fish do that.
Must be why my brother prefers fish. He doesn't need any more agitation.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
1 Nov 07
Oh yeah.. I can just imagine the effect of such a big tank. I would sit there for hours too :)
But yes. I have the fish, but I also have the dog and the cats and it's true. Sure they can bring a sense of relaxing or amusement but sometimes it's not only what they bring LOL now the fish.. yes.. always calm .. always relaxing :)
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
31 Oct 07
It really isn't much, believe me. Or I wouldn't do it LOL If the tank is usually clean enough the maintenance part is a breeze:) I only change the whole water thing about every 2 or 3 months and I confess that sometimes longer than that. But I do clean up the filters - 5 minute work - weekly and that I vacuum the bottom weekly as well - another 5 minutes.
I have much more work with my dog or my cats than with the fish, believe me :)
@oscarbartoni (2581)
• United States
10 Nov 07
I only have 10 aquariums set up and running right now but I am going to built a fish room hopefully with up to 100 aquariums in it. It will be for breeding fish and that is something that I want to do so that I can help keep some of the fish that would be caught in the wild from being caught and their habitat from being destroyed in the process. For people that like to go fishing , having an aquarium can let them get to know how a fish will react to certain things such as feeding etc. Just make sure of the legality of keeping fish that are wild caught from your area.
