Keeping Fish A Rewarding Hobby
Anyone who has ever found the eyes is drawn to a fish tank will attest to their allure and the good news is that nowadays owning such a display at home is far from difficult. A well-kept fist tank can give the whole family a lot of pleasure and according to some studies can potentially offering health benefits.
Fish are one of the few pets that are suitable for virtually everyone, presenting no major allergy risk (providing the tank is properly maintained) and they are child-friendly given they don’t bark, bite (unless you stick your hand in a tank containing Piranha or similar) or scratch. They don’t need exercising, are easy-going regarding feeding times and don’t make a mess in the house.
Red-bellied Piranha don’t stick your hand in with these
Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock
Overall an aquarium will enhance a studio flat or mansion equally and is unlikely to cause complaints from landlords of the neighbours’ (providing the tank doesn’t leak through their ceiling of course). Working irregular hours or having a disability are no barriers to keeping fish and a tank can be set up to suit most budgets.
A Well Planted Fish Tank in an attractive showpiece
By Africa Studio/Shutterstock
Although at first glance pet fish may appear to be more decorative as compared to more traditional pets, probably due to the fact that you can’t really handle them, each aquarium is its own little microcosm. This allows you to choose the inhabitants to suit your personality and commitment level. Further time spent watching your fish has been shown to reduce both stress and anxiety and even reduce Blood Pressure according to some studies. Thus, keeping fish is not only a pleasant relaxing hobby but can be educational as well as offering a unique window into the complexities of underwater worlds that are usually hidden from human view.
When considering the ethical viewpoint well looked after fish will have life spans many years longer than they would in the wild, and in the case of freshwater species the vast majority (probably over 95%) are now bred in captivity, hence they don’t contribute to pressures on wild stocks. So keeping them is no different from farming fish for the table, although tank kept species will have a much better time of it.
Perhaps this is why fish keeping as a hobby can be dated back hundreds of years.
