Unlike many people who started young in this hobby, I started keeping tropical fish as a hobby when the pace of my career shifted to a slower gear and I suddenly realized the need to pursue passions in life.
Over the past four years, my hobby of fish farming has grown in size and depth. Not only have I increased the number of tanks from one to seven to date, but I have also experimented with raising various types of cichlid species.
From my observations, many people are discouraged from pursuing this hobby due to the perception that keeping the fish and the tank is a chore. However, my experience tells me that the benefits of fish farming far outweigh the tasks involved.
1. Bring home a piece of nature
Every time I see schools of fish in the reservoir or pond, there is always an instant rush of joy. As I became engrossed in watching the fish, it gradually put me into a calm state of mind. Water and fish have the unique ability to calm the mind and evoke immense joy. I have always been curious about fish behavior and have always been tempted to seek a more intimate experience with fish.
Keeping fish at home provides the opportunity to observe them up close and personal. I can study the unique behaviors of the fish in the tank, which I can’t possibly do even in the reservoir or pond. For less than a hundred dollars, it is possible to create a miniature piece of nature at home. In fact, it is a wonderful and ingenious hobby. It gives me the comfort to appreciate the beauty of tropical fish as and when I want.
It also satisfies my desire to gain a deeper understanding of fish behavior as an aspiring aquatic scientist. Over the past few years, he had experienced the joy of successfully breeding more than ten species of cichlid fish. I find this to be an invaluable and exciting experience not only for me, but also for my family, especially my seven-year-old son.
Fish farming also provides another avenue for developing my creative talents: aquascaping.
Occasionally I can exercise my creativity in landscape design by changing the rock formation in the tank. The idea of doing this is to simulate a new environment for the fish and allow the fish to re-establish their territories. In fact, this is essential when new fish are introduced to the tank, so that all territories have been entrenched by an existing group of fish. After changing the entire rock formation, the fish will instantly reward you by spending the next few hours tirelessly swimming in and out of the new rock formation, trying to familiarize themselves with the new ground and establish new territory for themselves.
When I’m free, I sit in front of the tank and watch the fish, sometimes for up to an hour. It is interesting to note that the fish demonstrates many types of social behavior that closely resemble human behavior in the corporate world. I will try to write another article on more details of this social behavior of fish.
2. Relaxation
Seeing the fish gracefully swimming around the tank with their dazzling colors can lead one into deep relaxation and even a trance state.
My mind instantly feels more relaxed when I look at the fish. As I allow my eyes to follow the fish and become mesmerized by the graceful body movement and moving colors of the fish, I sink deeper into relaxation. It is extremely therapeutic. It’s a great way to give my mind a break from work and recharge. With the stress we inevitably experience in our fast-paced lifestyles, creating channels for relaxation is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle to keep stress at bay and maintain good health.
Along with exercise, meditation, and music, fish farming has added another avenue to enrich my life, helping me live a fuller, healthier life.
3. Education for children
Most children are fascinated by fish when they first see them, usually in the form of a trip to the local fish market or fish farm. Having fish at home can teach children some good things:
* Learn about the habitats of fish and other forms of aquatic life.
* They learn to care for small animals and aquatic plants.
* When they start raising fish, they will be instilled with a sense of responsibility towards another living creature.
* They learn and understand the basics of water treatment and how to maintain adequate water quality for fish to live in and even to stimulate reproduction. This knowledge will serve them well in the future when they study science and chemistry in school.
* They will be able to witness the life cycle of fish species, which will allow them to appreciate biology.
* Most importantly, they will derive great pleasure from seeing the fish display a variety of personalities. By observing the intricate features and behavior of fish, children will improve their observation skills.
* Caring for fish is a great learning experience for young children. When the child is able to take good care of the fish, he will usually be able to witness a successful fish breeding. This will increase your confidence in the hobby as well as the ability of it.
4. Create energy flow at home
I use the top filters for the few larger tanks in the living room. The water flows down from the filter box through the pipe, creating a soothing trickling sound in the living room. As the flow of water hits the surface of the water, threads of water bubbles are created. These bubbles sync up perfectly with the sound of flowing water, like having a piece of calming instrumental music playing continuously.
Visually, it creates a sense of endlessly flowing energy in various corners of the living room where the fish tanks are located. From the metaphysical or Feng Sui point of view, it creates an energy field that works non-stop at home.
I started this hobby only four years ago. The immense joy this hobby brings to my life and my family makes me wonder how I have been so blind to this wonderfully enriching and affordable hobby all these years.
As I found out more about this hobby, it becomes more and more addictive. I have no doubt that fish farming will be a lifelong hobby for me. The vast species of fish, with their interesting and diverse antics, will take more than one lifetime to fully appreciate. Life is truly wonderful and enriching with fish. For me, life has just begun with fish farming.