Weather you failed to keep your Sea Monkeys alive for more than a week as a child or you have had goldfish in your family for years, owning an aquarium containing complex plant life and fish from distant and unique waters can be a rewarding experience. It doesn’t matter if you failed to keep your Sea Monkeys alive for more than a week as a child or you have had goldfish in your family for years, keeping aquariums is a skill that can be learned and is likely to make a beautiful feature in your home. But why else might you want to have an aquarium?...
Status symbol
Ok, so having a well-run aquarium may not impress people as much as sports car or Hurligham Club membership, but historically the keeping of fish has been seen as a cultivated activity and one championed by the wealthy elite. In ancient Rome, around the first century BC, having fish ponds became popular and the rich politician Lucullus was known for his extravagant waterworks where he used intricate canals to mix salt and fresh water. He used to put gold rings in the fins of his fish to make them look smarter.
Unless you have a full sized aquarium in you home filled with lemon sharks and seahorses, you are unlikely to drastically alter anyone's opinion of yourself in the 21st Century, but a well ordered aquarium, much like anything else, is indicative of a well ordered mind, and it will prove that you are a person with unique and interesting tastes.
Health Benefits
Aquariums have long been seen as a relaxing edition to any environment and it is believed that spending time tending an aquarium and sharing a room with one can lower one's blood pressure and generally reduce thy symptoms of stress.
Image: smerikal
Raising eco awareness
Owning an aquarium is a great way to educate yourself as well as friends and family about sensitive habitats and the kinds of creatures and plant-life that live within them. Children enjoy aquariums as much as adults and, especially as we currently know more about the moon than what lies beneath the oceans, it is a great way to spark a lifelong interest in children or young relatives who might be overly interested in watching TV and playing video games. It is the wonderment created by well-run aquariums and zoos that can actually boost conservation efforts by reminding people just how beautiful and amazing the world outside the cities really is.
How to get started:
The first thing to remember is not to go too small. Many people starting our will get one of these small aquarium packages thinking that they will be low maintenance but, because the volume of water is smaller, it means that the key water parameters can change very quickly and there is very little margin for error. If you are concerned about what size of tank might be appropriate for where you live, remember that if you are renting a property your landlord may have put something about pets in your contract – which could technically extend to fish. If you are interested in information on finding your own place where you can have all the tanks you want, get onto a website like Rental Yield, it will be worth it.
You should wait before adding the fish to your tank, giving the water time to stabilize. There will be many gasses, minerals and chemicals present in the water at first that will need to balance out. It is also important not to start with too many fish. Most aquariums will depend on certain bacterial colonies being present, and they need to grow until a full colony can be supported.
Make sure you research which fish go with which and what kind of filtration system they need. There are a while variety of little skills one need, such as a proficiency at being able to test the aquarium water and a sense of organisation regarding feeding times. These can be learned easily enough. The most important thing to know is that there are many places, such as Aqua Essentials, who can provide assistance and advice for those looking to get started in this interesting and therapeutic pass time.
Guest post by Sue Williams www.rentalyield.com
