Fish in our lives.

What better way to overcome stress in our lives than to enjoy the movement of fish in a pond.

Then again, not everyone of us can afford a pond. Well, that should not deter us from enjoying such natural wonders in an aquarium.



However, we should not place our fish in too small an aquarium as they would not have sufficient space to frolic around. You would not feel good to see the misery of a fish that has not the space to swim vigorously when the whim to do so arises.

One of my hobbies is keeping aquarium fish. I ensure they have enough room to play in, clean water to live in and good food for excellent health.

They have to be in excellent health where my fish is concerned, for without it they might not be able to breed; and that is something I would do with my fish, breed them.

To this day, I have bred a good number of them. The live-breeders are the easiest. Egg-layers are more difficult. The easiest egg-layers are the goldfish, zebra fish, angelfish and fighting fish. To see them multiply in numbers is one of my joys. To watch them swimming around merrily has me forgetting my problems and stress.

My romance with them started very early at the age of nine or ten when I had a few guppies in a big bottle. Each day, this 'veterinarian' would examine the abdomens of the female guppies to observe the eyes of the 'fish fetus' as they became clearer each day. When it is time for their birth, more aquatic plants such as the Egeria densa is added to the bottle to provide hideaways for the newborn fish. This 'gynecologist' would stay awake up to one or two in the morning just to observe the little ones emerge curled-up and drop downwards before uncurling to settle at the bottom. It was an excitement I remember to this day.

So, whenever life presents too much pressure, my fish helps to dissolve it. Such is the benefit of rearing fish if not also the joy of seeing them being happy and in good health.

Besides, this is one method to instil the love for nature in our children; getting them to care for live things in our environment.

Of course, there are things such as the responsibility, the knowledge gained and the self-esteem derived from being able to care or look after something.

Hobbies are important and even more so as we grow older when there are people who find that time drags by without something worthwhile to potter with.