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My Insights as a “Fishmom”

My Insights as a “Fishmom”

Photo | Mouline Sagun

Fishkeeping is the activity of keeping and taking care of fishes. It is no different from taking care of the usual pets at home such as cats, dogs, and other furry animals. Fishes relief and comfort just like the common domesticated animals. Similarly, fishes also require utmost care and attention.

First mistakes

It is not my first time taking care of fishes. I don’t know if I really did take care of them because they ended up dying anyway. As a kid who is inquisitive, I found fascination with these scaly friends. The first “fish” that I had are clams and snails—really thought they are fish since they can be found in shallow waters, which I just sneaked inside our kitchen. I then grab some food container, put some soil in it, fill it up with tap, and bury the poor shelled creatures. They are fortunate if they last a day, which rarely happens.

Because of this, my lolo always taunted me. I always remember he would jokingly say, “Ibabad mo kasi sa mainit na tubig, tignan mo lalakas ‘yan” and even, “Kung binanlian mo ng kumukulong tubig, edi sana may nakain pa tayo”.

Luckily, my mom put her faith in me and this time bought me an actual goldfish. I transferred it to a fish bowl together with a betta or fighting fish, which is a territorial one. It is no surprise that it also died. I no longer wanted to be accountable for these deaths, so I decided to quit and focused on cats and dogs instead.

Back to Square One

Although I already thought of quitting, why not give it a try? Around April or May this year, my sister decided to keep some fish. Just like my failed attempts as a kid, they also died. The good news is, they lasted for a week. The week-long life span somehow proves that I can be better at taking care of aquarium friends.

The aquarium fishes that I mentioned are Zebra Danios, Oranda, Mollies, and Guppies. Just a month ago, we welcomed others as part of the family. They are Black Moors, Black Oranda, another Zebra Danios, and Skirt Tetras.

Photo | Mouline Sagun

I do a couple of research every now and then on the internet, reading some articles about proper care, and watching tutorials and vlogs. It truly helped in enlightening me as a beginner. Still, I admit that I make some mistakes and added fatalities to the fish death toll in our home. A few months passed, and I still can’t fully grasp the right way to keep our aquarium fishes alive.

Although fishkeeping is strenuous, the hard work still pays off. Seeing a community of fish swiftly and calmly gliding and diving through water gives me joy and comfort. At the same time, it relieves my stress from external pressures. The same goes for my family who always sits in front of the aquarium, quietly watching. Another fun thing is, they interact and resurface every time you do a hand gesture of feeding.

See Also

GIF | Mouline Sagun

Sharing with those who are interested in fish keeping, is trial and error. It requires thorough research of information and guides for it to be successful. Feeding is just one requirement as you also need to closely monitor that water parameter, temperature, filtration, bacteria and algae growth, etc. As a beginner, there is no need to start grand. Starting small also goes a long way.

What I learned so far in Fish Keeping

GIF | Mouline Sagun

Actually, I learned a lot because of fish keeping. To some, it might sound shallow or absurd, but it always reminds me that there is no difficult or tiresome task as long as you enjoy doing it. You will spend time and effort just to achieve even the smallest goal. Just seeing that my fishes are well, makes me happy and fulfilled. I guess this is also applicable in our lives.

In addition, it thought me to enjoy the simplest things in life. Enjoy even the mundane, like watching or observing the tank or aquarium. There are no “should” or “must” in the hobbies that we enjoy the most. That is why, if you’re looking for a new activity or a pet, then fish might work for you. It is guaranteed stress-relieving and worthwhile.

Now convinced fishes are keepers as well? If not discover other pets you can try to take care of them through this link.

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