dwarfgourami
Fish Connoisseur
Ok so I had another visitor round to comment on the new Rio 240 (well, actually that wasn't what he came for, I was giving a private lesson, but he couldn't well miss it, it takes up quite a bit of the living room). And, like they all do, he said: 'well, not that fishkeeping appeals to me, but of course it is very relaxing and calming for the nerves.'
After he went away I started thinking about what fishkeeping does do for me. Well, certainly not calm the nerves: I am always paranoid about them falling ill or falling out or even falling down (if you met my son, you would understand the extent of the latter risk). If nothing else, I can always worry about the next algae infestation. Or about not being able to find room for more tanks. Or whatever. I find it about as relaxing as having a newborn baby. And babies are a whole lot tougher than fish.
What fishkeeping does to me is totally different things: provide intellectual interest, the pleasure of feeding and nurturing living creatures, the sense of achievement when I've been able to catch and remedy a nasty situation, the excitement when I've been able to observe and understand a display of animal behaviour, occasional bursts of sheer beauty (in between plants dying and algae infestations).
But calming? relaxing?
I think my GP would be well advised to keep dishing out the blood pressure drugs instead.
I suspect if fishkeeping is doing my blood pressure any good it is in the same way as having babies did, by providing a counterirritation, to take my thoughts off more damaging subjects. Like they used to give skin infections to the inmates in Bedlam, to take their mind off their illness?
So what about you folks? Does this hobby work like a soothing mantra? Or is it more like a roller coaster ride?
After he went away I started thinking about what fishkeeping does do for me. Well, certainly not calm the nerves: I am always paranoid about them falling ill or falling out or even falling down (if you met my son, you would understand the extent of the latter risk). If nothing else, I can always worry about the next algae infestation. Or about not being able to find room for more tanks. Or whatever. I find it about as relaxing as having a newborn baby. And babies are a whole lot tougher than fish.
What fishkeeping does to me is totally different things: provide intellectual interest, the pleasure of feeding and nurturing living creatures, the sense of achievement when I've been able to catch and remedy a nasty situation, the excitement when I've been able to observe and understand a display of animal behaviour, occasional bursts of sheer beauty (in between plants dying and algae infestations).
But calming? relaxing?
I think my GP would be well advised to keep dishing out the blood pressure drugs instead. I suspect if fishkeeping is doing my blood pressure any good it is in the same way as having babies did, by providing a counterirritation, to take my thoughts off more damaging subjects. Like they used to give skin infections to the inmates in Bedlam, to take their mind off their illness?
So what about you folks? Does this hobby work like a soothing mantra? Or is it more like a roller coaster ride?
) did seem quite restful.
.
