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What is it that you get out of aquaria? What emotional or mental need is met by having fish? I keep looking at my tanks and wondering why I have such a burning desire to start more and cultivate the ones that I already have. I think that it's kind of amazing that I have living creatures in my care. I have my mollies and platies, who eat from my hand, my bettas who follow me a round the room, and my fry, who don't do much of anything. But I spend so much time looking for great deals on new aquarium set-ups and more fish. I don't buy fish like I used to. Now, it's more like I'm trying to make the ones that I have as happy as possible. I know that my mollies and platies in my 38g are content. When I a shove a siphon into their tank and start sucking the water out, they don't freak out and hide, they nibble on my fingers and rub up against my arms. I know that this isn't necessarily a display of affection, but it's acknowledgment and trust, to an extent. They know that when I'm in front of the tank, it's food time. There's something very satisfying about coming home and seeing every single one of my fish at the front of the tank, moving around wildly, following me around the room. Even when I'm doing a 50% water change and there's detritus floating around and the current is messed up, Upton and Kale are still doing The Baby-Making Dance. If they'll spawn even though I'm emptying their tank and rearranging their habitat, I feel like I've got happy fish.

I know that this is random, but I'm just wondering why it's so intensely satisfying to know that I have five happy, healthy molly fry, four healthy and happy bettas, three happy and healthy platies, and nine very happy, healthy and active mollies. I feel like I'm doing something good for creature that may have been doomed to die in the aisles of Wal-Mart's fish department (I bought Upton and Kale from Wal-Mart on April 21, 2004, seeing as it was the only pet store in my town). It's not that, though. I'm glad to know that I helped a defenseless animal out. I know that no one's going to take them back to their native homes and release them, so I should the best job I can to provide them with the happiest life they can have in captivity. I think I'm going a good job of that. Upton and Kale have been with me for almost a year and a half, and they're still making babies. One of the babies from their most successful spawn is swimming with them right now, six months old. All of the other mollies I have are products of the other mollies that I purchased last year. The only fish that weren't born in my tanks are Upton and Kale (my sailfin and my silver molly), and platies I bought a few weeks ago. All of my other ones were born and raised with me. It's nice to know that I've set up an environment for them that's actually conducive to life.

Fish fascinate me. I love observing their behavior and discovering their personality quirks. One of my male bettas (Birkin) loves to play in the bubbles that his air pump produces. Aidan, my other betta, likes to swim for hours in front of the filter output.

Anyway, aside from taking care of animals, why else do you like aquaria? How does it make you feel? Obviously there's something about it that keeps us all coming back and causes all of those cases of MTS.

The most important thing I get out of my tanks is peace and quiet. My job is rather hectic and when I get home after a hard day's work and sit in front of my tank for 15 minutes, the stress just seems to drop off my shoulders.
The fish look happy and peaceful, with not much on their minds as to "what's that over there? can I eat that?".
At this point in time, the time little I have to invest in my tanks goes into the large one (152 gal.), which is still in the process of becoming the best Laos biotope you've ever seen [shrugs shoulders]. I've been working on it for 6 months now and I'm app. 75% through.
The fish live in my old 95 gal. for the time being, but seem to be perfectly happy in there. They're not spawning, because 4 ft. is too small a tank for 9" tinfoils to spawn. (I doubt if they'll spawn in the 152 gal, which is 5 ft. 4" long.)
I can look at them for hours on end, playing with each other and getting the flying fox in come out of it's cave and chase them around. I also keep wondering that the flying fox and the spotted algea eater decided to move in together. They even accepted the garra I recently bought as a room mate.

My third tank is a 15 gal. in which I keep one tiger barb and one lepoard danio. They belong to a friend of mine, who is redecorating his tank because of slime algae. Once the tank is empty, I'll try to get my hands on some rasbora reticulata.

The main reason for keeping multiple tanks: I want to give my fish the best possible biotope and you can't make one biotope for fish from different area's.

I would like to say that my main reason is the same than tinfoil’s, namely peace and quiet.

But on the other hand, it’s also the hectic and stress that is generated as soon as something is not right with my tank or fishies, like Ich outbreak or plants dying.

And on yet another other hand (guess I need more than 2), I enjoy the whole planning aspect of a new tank. It is almost disappointing when a tank is filled and all is going well. I guess that is why so many of us here have Multiple Tank Syndrome.

And as a side reason, it gives me something to talk about.

Ingo

Last edited by Little_Fish at 28-Jun-2005 09:02

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

it's a project that i enjoy working on. keeping aquaria is really a lot of work. i guess i like the fact that you have to make lists and schedules and keep track of different levels and fluctuations of different factors in the tank, and when everything's done right it's very satisfying and rewarding.

it's a lot like gardening, in the way that you have to maintain your hobby on a daily basis, and you really are creating and growing things in an aquarium, and even the aquarium itself.

i've always had a fascination with animals, and water. i love learning too. those are also contributing factors, i guess, to why i like keeping fish. you never stop learning about fish and fish-keeping when you have them.

What i get out of it is the challange, after one tank is doing well i get board so i buy another and another, and all my friend and family love to come over and look at them, Nothing puts me to sleep better than watching the fish swim right before i fall asleep. (and i like the humm of the equipment) I like to learn how each fish has its own personality, and job in the tanks, they all seem so happy. well i hope they are!

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