I bought the aquarium in December 2005.
My aquarium has now thirty-six fishes of different species. No doubt, all of them are tropical fishes and a large number of them are Gold Fishes. There are different species of Karps.
It was nearly three months back, in the December 2005, I had bought this small world. It is really a prized possession now. I have actually bought nearly sixty two fishes by now but twenty six of them have died. I lost eight fishes in the very first week because I was not fully conversant with the techniques, science and intricacies of keeping and maintaining an aquarium. I was not able to maintain the temperature at the required level. I had bought the heater along with other gadgets but the heater was not working. The month of December was quite cold and therefore I lost the fishes. It was only after that when I discussed the problem with the vendor, that we realized that there might be some fault with the heater. It was actually first identified by my wife who is M. Sc in Zoology. She did not help me much with her knowledge but when the fishes died every other day, then she pointed out that being a tropical species, they could not survive in extreme temperatures. No doubt, I was a novice but I think the main excitement of life and any hobby is to explore and learn. When you do not know anything then it becomes more excitable to learn from the follies and in discovering ones own ignorance. One enjoys learning more when he or she is not taught by an expert and the person learns gradually.
There are some more devices which are being used to maintain the aquarium. One, as I have already mentioned, is a heater with a thermostat. It helps to maintain the temperature of water between 12o c and 32oc. Then there is a filter. It is basically a submersible pump which sucks water through a sponge and the blow the water out side. In this manner, the sponge holds back the particles. The third device is an air pump which throws out bubbles of air through ducts. The ducts are kept at the floor of the water tank of the aquarium covered in some toy or some thing like that. Apart from these three main devices, I have fixed a fluorescent light below the lid of the aquarium. The size of the aquarium is 2 feet X 1 foot X 1 foot.
It is not difficult to maintain an aquarium. I am finding it more easy than keeping a pup. You have to train them in first three months. Then, you have to take them for walk, to the doctor, chain them when some guests come and similar many other excursions and exertions. Secondly, you can not leave them unattended. You can not lock them in a room and leave the city for a night. No you can not do that to your pet. In case of fishes, there is no such problem. The fishes can survive without food for more than a week. Secondly, their food requirement can be easily managed. There are specialized foods available in the market. A pack of 100 g can last for a month. Then, the freezed worms can be given as additional food which I call the non-veg food for the fishes. As far as medical attendance is concerned, there is anti-itch liquid. You have to put five to seven drops after every three or four days. One can change water after three months. You have to just clean the filter regularly. However, if one does not clean it for four to seven days, it can do. I have found other way out. You may not change the whole water. Just take out a bucket of water from the tank and add fresh water after twenty to thirty days. Clean the tank after three months. It is quite an effective activity.
It is really relaxing to watch them moving around in the tank. It is really exciting to find them growing and making brisk movement when you sit near the aquarium. At the time of getting the food, they become excited and on the mere sound of you in the room, make them huddle together near the place from where you drop the food. After that, it is really an indescribable spectacle. It is really an experience watching them holding the small granules in their month and then taking them out and retrieving them and making movements of mouth as if they are chewing them.
Most of the guests get attracted to them. The girls are really excited to watch them and they tend to sit near the aquarium. Same is with the children. No doubt, they are inquisitive and ask you such questions that you can not answer them. It was really fascinating when my son suggested that we should name them. It started a fascinating activity in the house. No doubt, we have named some of them.
The eye specialists strongly recommend watching aquariums as it works as an exercise for the eyes. As per Vastu Shastra, an aquarium consisting of seven or nine or thirteen gold fishes and one black fish is good for the prosperity of the house and keeps away bad influences. I have not kept it with above mentioned motives. Being a nuclear family, both of us leave for our jobs and the house remains locked for the whole day. It is my belief that it is not good that in a home the movement should cease during the day. When I gave this reason to my wife, she retorted that the movement remains in the house because there are ants, flies, lizard, cockroaches and rats. No doubt, I was not able to counter her but this feeling that the house remains locked during the day time and there should be some active movement keep going in the house and that is good for the house, prompted me to bring the aquarium. Now it is other thing that when my wife watches movies or soap operas, it is observed that in every movie wherein some urban or city seen is depicted, one can locate an aquarium in a frame. We learn that Magasthense had specifically mentioned that Chandragupta had maintained a tank in his palace in which he had kept coloured fishes. We find similar mention of such fish ponds in different ancient books. On of the avtaars of Lord Vishnu is fish. Hence, all these arguments had been used by me to maintain an aquarium in my house.
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Further Links:
Check Aquarium Lore of Eugene Lim. I have tried to learn about other bloggers earlier. May be I was not searching rightly. However, on this blog you will find good information provided it can be counter checked. Lim seems to be perturbed by unappreciative remarks. Wikipedia remains the best source for furthering information for person looking for it as a hobby provided you put the right query in the search of Wikipedia.
