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Fish Keeping
14 years ago
"The purity of a person's heart can be quickly measured by how they regard animals"
I have little time as it is right now so unfortunately that essay will take a while. That said since it's relevant to current goings on in my life and may very well be for others I'd like to say a piece about fish keeping. This involves one of the most popular forms of pet keeping today. It also involves care of (often small) animals that are wholly dependant on their care taker. Let me repeat...these animals are wholly dependant on their care taker. There are times where I feel that if a person is unable to properly keep fish alive and in a clean healthy environment that they are ill able to care for other animals that are larger and require even more upkeep.
So what does it take to take care of fish well? The first thing is obvious. Budgeting...you need to stop right now and think about just how much money you can afford to put into this endevor. You need to put forth the initial expense of a set up. Then once you have your set up you have to buy actual animals and the items you need for care long term. Now I can only speak for my own experience with fresh water tanks. The basic set up however includes:
A tank(often a stand), hood(which often holds a light), heater, thermomater, filter, air pump, and an airstone. This is your basic hardware. Now when it comes to size I suggest reading this carefully: "The larger the aquarium, the easier it will be to maintain. This sounds contrary to what common sense would predict but here is the reason why: A large aquarium has a better chance at replicating nature, which is the natural cycle that fish live with.
The larger the fish tank, the more likely it can sustain it's own biological processes, the more space beneficial bacteria has to grow and flourish on which in turn reduces the nitrate levels in the aquarium, allowing the water chemistry to be stable and the tropical fish to be happy and healthy." ( http://newaquariuminformation.com/a.....r-aquarium.htm)
Some other links worth checking out are : http://www.petfish.net/articles/Aqu.....sics/equip.php
and: http://www.firsttankguide.net/upgrade.php
Moving along something I have noticed that is frustrating is the inability of fish owners to do their research or maintain their tank properly. I am now going to share some stories with you of people I come across at pet stores that are well..rather stupid.
I will call this first story "The mystery of the disappearing fish".
There was a couple that frequented Petsmart, and they had a big community tank stocked with small schooling colorful fish. I overheard them arguing in the dog section of Petsmart over if a cat was eating their fish, or if the fish that they had added several months ago was eating his tank mates. I ended up steppingin and asking what kind of fish had they had introduced. I kid you not these people introduced Bachirs. They had put one of these: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fis.....natebichir.php and one of these: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fis.....graybichir.php into their tank. They did not know that both of these fish are predators and will eat any living thing that fits in their mouths. They didn't want to believe me at first until they asked the person working in the fish department and got the same answer.
Bichirs are not community fish. They willl eat their smaller tank mates if they can catch them and if they can fit it in their mouths. Lesson here is research fish before you add them. Make sure the conditions your current tank has will accomodate them and know what to expect for different species as they mature and get older.
The second story is "Shocked".
It's very simple. A couple started bickering while talking to the person working the fish department because one accused the other of killing their fish. Apparantly one of them took out over 50 percent of the tank water, and the other one dumped too many of different chemicles into the new water. Together they effectively shocked their fish, killing them. Also it is interesting to note that the last time they did a water change was 6 months prior to the death of their fish. Lesson here is: Don't do mass water changes, read up how you use your chemicles and don't overdose your tank, and do frequent water changes.
The third and final story is called "Derp"
This is even shorter. Some idiot bought a fresh water fish and put it in a salt water tank. He went to the store demanding a refund. Yeah, don't do that. Don't not look at what kind of water your new fish should be in. :C
I've seen others from people who leave a dead fish too long in a tank and it causes an ammonia build up and the rest of the fish die. There are people who shock and kill new fish by A: Not floating the fish so that they can adjust to the new temp, or B: not introducing water in the tank to the bag during the float and thus kill them because they can't adjust to a sudden change in PH, or chemicle make up.
Research research research. Perhaps fish keeping isn't as simple as it seems with the whole water aspect but if you can't bother to be responsible enough to do your research and act on it than that's not a good start to keeping animals. So for now that's it. I hope to have an actual essay on what the value of keeping animals but it will have to wait.
In the mean time did you know looking at an aquarium can lower your blood pressure? http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/t.....riumhealth.htm
http://www.seacave.com/poi/fish.php
http://www.sound-mind.org/aquariums.....ce-stress.html
So what does it take to take care of fish well? The first thing is obvious. Budgeting...you need to stop right now and think about just how much money you can afford to put into this endevor. You need to put forth the initial expense of a set up. Then once you have your set up you have to buy actual animals and the items you need for care long term. Now I can only speak for my own experience with fresh water tanks. The basic set up however includes:
A tank(often a stand), hood(which often holds a light), heater, thermomater, filter, air pump, and an airstone. This is your basic hardware. Now when it comes to size I suggest reading this carefully: "The larger the aquarium, the easier it will be to maintain. This sounds contrary to what common sense would predict but here is the reason why: A large aquarium has a better chance at replicating nature, which is the natural cycle that fish live with.
The larger the fish tank, the more likely it can sustain it's own biological processes, the more space beneficial bacteria has to grow and flourish on which in turn reduces the nitrate levels in the aquarium, allowing the water chemistry to be stable and the tropical fish to be happy and healthy." ( http://newaquariuminformation.com/a.....r-aquarium.htm)
Some other links worth checking out are : http://www.petfish.net/articles/Aqu.....sics/equip.php
and: http://www.firsttankguide.net/upgrade.php
Moving along something I have noticed that is frustrating is the inability of fish owners to do their research or maintain their tank properly. I am now going to share some stories with you of people I come across at pet stores that are well..rather stupid.
I will call this first story "The mystery of the disappearing fish".
There was a couple that frequented Petsmart, and they had a big community tank stocked with small schooling colorful fish. I overheard them arguing in the dog section of Petsmart over if a cat was eating their fish, or if the fish that they had added several months ago was eating his tank mates. I ended up steppingin and asking what kind of fish had they had introduced. I kid you not these people introduced Bachirs. They had put one of these: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fis.....natebichir.php and one of these: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fis.....graybichir.php into their tank. They did not know that both of these fish are predators and will eat any living thing that fits in their mouths. They didn't want to believe me at first until they asked the person working in the fish department and got the same answer.
Bichirs are not community fish. They willl eat their smaller tank mates if they can catch them and if they can fit it in their mouths. Lesson here is research fish before you add them. Make sure the conditions your current tank has will accomodate them and know what to expect for different species as they mature and get older.
The second story is "Shocked".
It's very simple. A couple started bickering while talking to the person working the fish department because one accused the other of killing their fish. Apparantly one of them took out over 50 percent of the tank water, and the other one dumped too many of different chemicles into the new water. Together they effectively shocked their fish, killing them. Also it is interesting to note that the last time they did a water change was 6 months prior to the death of their fish. Lesson here is: Don't do mass water changes, read up how you use your chemicles and don't overdose your tank, and do frequent water changes.
The third and final story is called "Derp"
This is even shorter. Some idiot bought a fresh water fish and put it in a salt water tank. He went to the store demanding a refund. Yeah, don't do that. Don't not look at what kind of water your new fish should be in. :C
I've seen others from people who leave a dead fish too long in a tank and it causes an ammonia build up and the rest of the fish die. There are people who shock and kill new fish by A: Not floating the fish so that they can adjust to the new temp, or B: not introducing water in the tank to the bag during the float and thus kill them because they can't adjust to a sudden change in PH, or chemicle make up.
Research research research. Perhaps fish keeping isn't as simple as it seems with the whole water aspect but if you can't bother to be responsible enough to do your research and act on it than that's not a good start to keeping animals. So for now that's it. I hope to have an actual essay on what the value of keeping animals but it will have to wait.
In the mean time did you know looking at an aquarium can lower your blood pressure? http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/t.....riumhealth.htm
http://www.seacave.com/poi/fish.php
http://www.sound-mind.org/aquariums.....ce-stress.html
Don't get me wrong. There are some pet store workers who really shouldn't be working within five miles of any respectful pet store (case in point, close friend of mine wanted to buy a certain from from the Wal-Mart pet section, a few were dead and the attendant wasn't even aware of it), but stubbornness and ignorance rule.
A lot of people see fish as easy to take care of. you put water in a tank and throw a fish in a voila your done. nnnno.