Why Do You Keep Fish?

I love to get to know their little personalities

 

I have Asperger's Syndrome (aka Autism Spectrum Disorder) and fish keeping became one of my "special interests". I find it to be a very relaxing hobby. Working with my tanks and learning everything I can about fish care gives me a lot of peace and helps my anxiety because it keeps me busy and there is always something new to learn. My passion is Betta fish!

When I was 4 years old mother got our first aquarium. I had one dream as I grew, to be a marine biologist. Life took some twists and it never happened. This is as close as I got to the one dream I ever had.

And of course there is my passion for photography. First camera at 8-9 years old. Aquariums and my love for closeup and macro are a perfect match.

Your pictures are amazing! I love the ghost shrimp close-up!!

 

Your pictures are amazing! I love the ghost shrimp close-up!!

Thank you "T'Pol

 

When I was 4 years old mother got our first aquarium. I had one dream as I grew, to be a marine biologist. Life took some twists and it never happened. This is as close as I got to the one dream I ever had.

And of course there is my passion for photography. First camera at 8-9 years old. Aquariums and my love for closeup and macro are a perfect match.

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Your photos are absolutely breathtaking!!! 1 & 3 are my faves!

I have Asperger's Syndrome (aka Autism Spectrum Disorder) and fish keeping became one of my "special interests". I find it to be a very relaxing hobby. Working with my tanks and learning everything I can about fish care gives me a lot of peace and helps my anxiety because it keeps me busy and there is always something new to learn. My passion is Betta fish!

I love Bettas too!!

 

Your photos are absolutely breathtaking!!! 1 & 3 are my faves!

Thank you mamabear

 

I’ve always loved animals—including fish—but before this year, I hadn’t kept aquarium fish in well over 15 years (when I was a kid.) It was an unbearable tragedy that spurred me into fish-keeping, again. Being an amateur aquarist takes a lot of time, dedication, and micromanaging. Water changes keep me busy. Testing water parameters keeps my mind off of things. Watching fish, reading about their habitats, doing research in order to give them the best lives possible, at least within an aquarium environment...I chose this hobby because it fills my time and I get a lot of enjoyment from making my fish happy. Earlier this year, I watched my Dad die from a rare terminal cancer, and after he passed, I needed something to fill my brain and my time other than deep, dark, depressive thoughts. Fish gave me hope, as weird as it sounds. Watching my little cories and panda loaches wiggling around, glass surfing, sticking their snouts out from their hiding places, darting through rocks and driftwood...it fills me with a sense of responsibility, and of love. I want to be the best fish parent possible, and I want my fish to enjoy their little lives. They’re essentially the reason why I can wake up every day. I only wish I had room for 20 more tanks, LOL!

 

I just find animals especially fish interesting and beautiful. my parents used to have a community tank with platys, mollies and all sorts of fish, I found the tank to be beautiful I could watch the fish swim for hours. so eventually I asked if I could have my own and so I started fishkeeping with a small plastic tank, saved up my allowance for a 10 gallon and then eventually a 20 gallon (which I still have but I can't use it anymore). ive kept angels, guppies, gouramis, bettas, mollys and a few others over the years but I always find myself attracted to bettas, so I'm mostly a betta keeper lol. I just find it to be a really rewarding and relaxing hobby, there is a lot of things you can possibly do with your tank that its never boring and the fish are just so fascinating and beautiful to watch, despite what people tell me XD. I just wish I had the room for more tanks haha

 

When I was little I had a goldfish bowl but I really don’t know why I got in to fishkeeping on a realistic level (not a goldfish bowl). When I was 12 I guess I was just like I kinda I wanna fish tank! I’m gonna save and get one. Then it was like I went into this mode where I planned and planned and planned for my future fish. I got the tank a few weeks later and everything that could go wrong went wrong but here I am now 3 years later with 8 fish tanks . Now I keep fish because it gives me something to do, helps with my anxiety and the fish are just so fun to watch! I have tanks ranging from 2 gallons to 120 gallons and I can now call my self a complete fish nerd

 

I've had a lot of animals over time, including a very poorly done fish tank like ten years ago. Fish died way too soon, it was a ton of neon tetras in a ten gallon, my parakeet died after two weeks of having it, my hamster ran away, two out of four of my hermit crabs starved to death, the other two actually lived to ripe old age. Two of our cats died from old age, and now I have a fish tank, a cat, and a dog. My family has agreed on not getting more animals once these guys pass lol too much work.
But what got me into fish keeping was actually a fishing trip to a lake. A quarter of my family loves fishing, I love playing with the bait minnows and the caught fish. Well one day after the trip I really wanted a fish of my own. So I went to PetSmart late at night, got a betta, a one gallon tank, and two pieces of decor. The filter was too strong but it came with the tank, I didn't have a heater and I didn't know what I was doing. When he got really lethargic and his fins tattered I began to Google....wow did I feel awful. I went straight out and got a heater, threw away my decor and got two small silk plants. One of my friends sold me her three gallon eclipse and I got more silk plants and marimo balls, trashed the old tank but kept the small heater and made some polymer clay decor. Soon he upgraded to a better three gallon critter keeper and I got a light, some Indian almond leaves, and a small filter for him. After about a year he got a 6.6 gallon kit with new plants. He loved that tank and I got two nerite snails to go with it. After half a year of switching plants and the filter dying every now and then, I upgraded to the 20 gal long I have now. Everything was bought separately and picked out by me. Sadly one snail passed away at the beginning of this month but on December 29th that same betta fish will be two years old (the remaining snail will be a year old in January). My family thinks I'm crazy for giving ONE fish and TWO snails all that space but I like it. Dunno if I'll ever get more fish, I feel like I've mastered bettas and nerites as best as I can and I'm a college student. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a long time (6 years) but now I'm leaning more towards marine biology. I think being an aquatic vet would be awesome but I also don't picture there being a lot of jobs for that. I hope I can work at the Georgia Aquarium one day, that place is beautiful. I even went behind the scenes of it all and got to see how they feed their whale sharks! Their whole aquarium was built on donations and all of their animals are rescues from either people that don't want them or abuse. The whale sharks were rescued from a shark fin soup boat.

Sorry if I rambled...just got...really into it lol...

 

I love caring for animals since I was little and my mom would always complain that I'm turning the house into a zoo. Now, having three tanks somehow helps me cope with my depression.

 

I’m an animal lover. Always have been, but been particularly fascinated by fish.

 

Like T'Pol I have Asperger's Syndrome and animals in general become my special interest. I was also diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety when I was a child. My family always had a fish tank around, though we never bothered taking care of them properly. Nobody knew better. But a little over two years ago my family had three major deaths just months apart. During that time it felt like I had lost control over everything and I needed something that could introduce a sense of control back into my life. One day I noticed our poor abused fish and the rest was history. My mental health has improved a lot since those dark days and caring for fish had no small part in that.

 

I'm really not sure why I keep fish. Was actually thinking about this a few weeks ago. I think I like responsibility? That's probably it.

Started keeping fish when I was 12 and by 15 I had 30 fish tanks. Since starting I've always had a love for large, predatory and aggressive fish species.

Then at 16 I got into bodybuilding which taken up virtually all my time. So all the 30 tanks was gone by my 18th Birthday.

Decided to get back into the hobby about 4 months ago and now I have 2 x 100 gallon 1 x 15 gallon marine and 2 x 5 gallon nano tanks. Can't wait till my new arowana plywood tank is finished!

 

Like T'Pol I have Asperger's Syndrome and animals in general become my special interest. I was also diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety when I was a child. My family always had a fish tank around, though we never bothered taking care of them properly. Nobody knew better. But a little over two years ago my family had three major deaths just months apart. During that time it felt like I had lost control over everything and I needed something that could introduce a sense of control back into my life. One day I noticed our poor abused fish and the rest was history. My mental health has improved a lot since those dark days and caring for fish had no small part in that.

I can agree with this 100%. My father died three months ago from congestive heart failure. I made it my life's goal to take the best care I could of his Betta Gil. Gil used to live in a tiny little .7 gallon cube with no filter, no heater. Like Zeeth29 I didn't know any better. My dad loved that fish and got a lot of peace from watching him swim (as much as he could in a little .7 gallon). After reading everything I could I upgraded Gil into a 5.5 tank with a heater and filter, learned about the cycling process, about planted tanks and their care, DIY filters ... just anything I could. I know fish keeping helped me and still is helping me get through this grief.
Also, glad to meet a fellow Aspie

 

I can agree with this 100%. My father died three months ago from congestive heart failure. I made it my life's goal to take the best care I could of his Betta Gil. Gil used to live in a tiny little .7 gallon cube with no filter, no heater. Like Zeeth29 I didn't know any better. My dad loved that fish and got a lot of peace from watching him swim (as much as he could in a little .7 gallon). After reading everything I could I upgraded Gil into a 5.5 tank with a heater and filter, learned about the cycling process, about planted tanks and their care, DIY filters ... just anything I could. I know fish keeping helped me and still is helping me get through this grief.
Also, glad to meet a fellow Aspie

We gotta stick together right?I'm sorry for your lose, my dad was the first to go. But yeah fish keeping has brought me a lot of peace.

 

Let me know how you got into Fish, and why you love them!

Two reasons, the first of which is that they fascinate me - and I honestly don't know how to describe it. But one of the things that really gets me is how they pass water though their gills to get their oxygen. Wow. And then: labyrinth fish?! Don't get me started...

The second reason is that I have this neurotic, incurable drive to save every hurt or suffering animal - physically or otherwise, as fish are sentient beings.

Where do fish come into this savior complex? Tiny Cup Bettas. I can't fathom the despair that drowns me when I see these fish, and I want to get 112 five- or 10-gallon tanks and give them all a decent life.

But I can only relieve one at a time, and that's where Fishy Boris Karloff, the PetSmart Tiny Cup Survivor, comes in. I bought him on Friday the 13th, just this past April. What a fish! He is thriving, and seems truly happy.

Here are a couple of photos of Fishy Boris, as well as one I shot at my LFS. Comin' at ya! They ALL fascinate me.

BTW, great topic!

 

I got into fish because of axolotls. I got into axolotls because of a cave salamander, named the olm. Native to Slovenia. Thank you olm

 

for me I keep fish because it gives me a sense of belonging. I feel happy around them. I think that each and every fish is its own individual and they each deserve to be cared for in their own ways. It's fascinating how they behave, and interact with me and other people. And the plants for example, in my 20 long they're really taking off. And my little cories and honey gouramis love them. You can tell they feel safe. And if I can make even a few little fish happy, I feel accomplished my green terror is my favorite. So interactive. They really calm me down and destress me. My bettas are so cool. I hate seeing them in those little cups. So I felt I needed to spoil them with lots of plants and care. Same with really all animals. one day I plan to have a farm and have lots of them.

 

for me I keep fish because it gives me a sense of belonging. I feel happy around them. I think that each and every fish is its own individual and they each deserve to be cared for in their own ways. It's fascinating how they behave, and interact with me and other people. . . . You can tell they feel safe. And if I can make even a few little fish happy, I feel accomplished

Right on, Mike1995. You nailed it. These are the things I couldn't articulate in the "why do you have fish?" thread. You should post this there.

Mike1995, I just realized that THIS IS the "why do you have fish" thread. Duh.

 

Mike1995, I just realized that THIS IS the "why do you have fish" thread. Duh.[/QUOTE

 

I was asked today by a none fish keeping friend why I keep fish and I found it hard to answer. You can't take them for walks, teach them to fetch tennis balls or sit with them on your knees.
I know I enjoy the hobby but I don't really know why. I enjoy watching my fish, I find it relaxing but that's only a small part of it, I think there is something very satisfying in keeping the fish healthy and overcoming the problems you inevitably face along the way. I suppose you are mastering nature in the same way a gardener masters plants to create their own little world.
I have spent a lot of time, effort and money on my tanks and sometimes when things don't go well you spend time worrying about disease problems or that fish that's acting out of character and you don't know why. But despite this I still enjoy it.
When I got my first fish I did pretty much everything wrong and not surprisingly the fish died but I quickly learnt from my mistakes and did a bit of research and got on top of things. I think learning from your mistakes is in itself satisfying.
I think many of my fish have personalities but this may just be in my mind and some I have even named and I admit I do on occasion talk to them so in this respect they are like " proper pets " as my friend would say.
Why do you keep fish? I would be interested to hear what other people get out of the hobby.

 

For one fish always were one of my special interest. As a kid, every time at the zoo, I was in the aquarium. Every time I passed a store with a tank in the window I would stop to take a look. Even a reason I flirted with studying biology.
Today I'd still say special interest, as well as stress relief. I equally often spend the evening in front of the tank instead of a book or a computer screen. Just watching and enjoying.

 

I honestly can't say, I've pondered it countless times and I just don't have an answer but I love it! I know that much.

 

Because I rarely watch tv any longer! It keeps my eyeballs and brain more active and thoughts more positive.

 

Why do we keep fish? Because we enjoy it. That's enough for me. It doesn't need to be analyzed.

 

I like the need for explanation , and this thread ..
Why ?

I enjoy watching my fish, I find it relaxing but that's only a small part of it, I think there is something very satisfying in keeping the fish healthy and overcoming the problems you inevitably face along the way. I suppose you are mastering nature in the same way a gardener masters plants to create their own little world.

I will never claim to master nature for she surely will laugh I my face tomorrow .
I sure do appreciate all the help she offers humbly ..

I think learning from your mistakes is in itself satisfying.

I am grateful when I can learn from others mistakes but take it hard when one of my own may have crept up behind me again .
I take tremendous satisfaction when I can correct myself or flawed ways .
Even at best we should strive to learn. The secret of life is understanding , not being understood ..

I don't 'name' my fish but I talk to them ,pet and hand feed some and even play music "for them " ..
I have kept fish on a semI normal level since a teen ,but the last 10 years of breeding has become more fulfilling then any of my childhood memories ..
My swordtails let me be a kid today and challenge me like a skilled keeper /breeder would want ..

Tell your friend bandit trains fish ..
He says he trains his to eat !

 

To start off with they are so relaxing to watch, every fish has there own different things about them. They also help to de-stress you, helps lower your blood pressure. It is also very good at keeping your heart rate down, which is a good thing for me ( I have had a lot of medical problems the last 15 years ) Now after dinner, I will grab a drink and just sit for like an hour and enjoy the tanks in my house. After all this is something that we all put together the way we want it and do our best to keep everything alive.

 

I fish for steelhead and smallmouth bass alot. Ive always enjoyed being on the water and for me keeping fish is just an extension of that. I also find it relaxing, and I enjoy taking care of aqautic plants as much as the fish...so there's a bit of gardening to it as well.

 

I enjoy my guppies, they are relaxing for me to watch as they actively swim about or forage, picking at food between the gravel. I also enjoy the surprise of watching how the fry grow up to be, both plain or colorful. Guppies are nice quiet pets. It probably doesn't hurt that I also enjoy the sound of 'a babbling brook' in the background. Perhaps I can add a few more aquatic plants someday.

 

Fish are interactive and have their own personalities. My ram always swims to see me when I stop at the tank. I enjoy sitting and watching what's going on, they make me laugh. Another reason is I love the creativity that goes behind scaping an aquarium. Maybe some people just like rocks and a light, but I love going all in....full plants, caves, trees etc. I'm always redoing things or adjusting and that's enjoyable to me. Why do some people sit and stare at other people throwing a ball around? They're interested in baseball or football the same way I am aquariums. Has your friend never been to SeaWorld or a zoo? Humans just like staring at things, animals or other people. It's what we do, were weird like that.

 

I think it's the challenge. The challenge of can I keep these fish happy and healthy for as long as possible. Can I get these apistogramma to succeed in a spawn and raise some fry? Will I get my plants to take off and grow like weeds? It's the challenge of having the best environment for my fish