Who sits and just watches their tank for extended periods?

[GaryE]

There was a great comment on another thread about spending 30 minutes a day just watching the fish. It started me wondering how many people actually do that, rather than intend to do that.

I had a friend whose doctor told him to get a fishtank after a minor stroke, to get him to slow down and appreciate calm. Within a few months he had a huge fishroom with all kinds of challenging fish and was going at learning about them at high speed. True, 30 years later and he's still well...

I'm a fishroom guy, and I like to sit down, with some good music on, and look at the tanks. I pick out one that has something interesting going on, and I watch to see what I can make of it. That's usuyally a solid 5 to 10 minutes. More often than not, I find something to adjust, or decide I need to create some little piece of gear that might work to make whatever more interesting. I see a pair or a group in pre-spawning behaviour, and I decide to arrange a breeding space. I have a very hard time sitting still and watching on a regular basis. My tanks are for adjusting, creating, doing things with...

Because I like to "do", I find that as relaxing as always sitting and watching might be. I think. Maybe. Perhaps.

I'd be terrible at yoga or meditation, and if I were a medieval monk on a rocky island somewhere, I guess I'd ditch the praying and end up trying to figure out the things in the tidal pools... can people really just sit and watch fish swim?

How does it work for you?

 

[Wills]

There was a great comment on another thread about spending 30 minutes a day just watching the fish. It started me wondering how many people actually do that, rather than intend to do that.

I had a friend whose doctor told him to get a fishtank after a minor stroke, to get him to slow down and appreciate calm. Within a few months he had a huge fishroom with all kinds of challenging fish and was going at learning about them at high speed. True, 30 years later and he's still well...

I'm a fishroom guy, and I like to sit down, with some good music on, and look at the tanks. I pick out one that has something interesting going on, and I watch to see what I can make of it. That's usuyally a solid 5 to 10 minutes. More often than not, I find something to adjust, or decide I need to create some little piece of gear that might work to make whatever more interesting. I see a pair or a group in pre-spawning behaviour, and I decide to arrange a breeding space. I have a very hard time sitting still and watching on a regular basis. My tanks are for adjusting, creating, doing things with...

Because I like to "do", I find that as relaxing as always sitting and watching might be. I think. Maybe. Perhaps.

I'd be terrible at yoga or meditation, and if I were a medieval monk on a rocky island somewhere, I guess I'd ditch the praying and end up trying to figure out the things in the tidal pools... can people really just sit and watch fish swim?

How does it work for you?

When I first set up my current tank I didnt and I think its because I over complicated it and it actually caused me stress. But now I've simplified it right down I have to admit I do get stuck on the bench next to it for quite a long time sometimes.

Probably a lesson for me somewhere in that.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I watch mine constantly whilst the lights are on

Far more entertaining than the telly and I get to learn and interpret each fish' body language and behaviour....plus when sitting and watching you often see behaviour that you might not expect (such as my Ram & Platy bromance)

Theraputic wise, the aquarium is extremely relaxing...even with the lights off since that throws up a hole new set of behaviours from the fish.

 

[Beastije]

I do yoga in front of my tank, and if I am to si at a dining room table with friends, I will end up watching the tank rather than the friends when they visit. How rude of me, but the fish are more fun

 

[outofwater]

It's never planned for me. Sometimes it happens when I'm feeding them, sometimes after a water change. I just sit there and watch them go about their lives, sometimes it's just a couple of minutes, sometimes it can go for 5 or 10 and it feels like nothing. I've also caught my son just sit there and observe the dwarf gourami after feeding him. For a rambunctious 10y.o. who rarely can sit still, he can zone out there and he enjoys it. That more than justifies having them. We give them a life, they give us these priceless moments

 

[FranciscoB]

I think everybody should, regardless of how busy. I know I do.
Why having them otherwise?

 

[Rocky998]

When I wake up and come down stairs I feed the fish and get on the forums. I watch the tank for a good 20-30 mins before eating and then going about my day. Then throughout the day I check the tank out in small periods like while feeding or just appreciating it...

 

[Waterbabe]

It's the best thing ever, just loosing your mind in a fish tank! I work with members of the public and have to work in their properties, if there's a fish tank in there I'm zoned out for 10 mins haha .. aquariums are like pieces of living art and need to be admired as offen as possible

 

[OliveFish05]

I love to sit on the floor and watch my pygmy Cories and cherry shrimp in my 20 gallon. Sometimes I watch for 10 minutes, sometimes less. If I’m supposed to be doing something else I watch a lot longer.

 

[Rocky998]

I love to sit on the floor and watch my pygmy Cories and cherry shrimp in my 20 gallon. Sometimes I watch for 10 minutes, sometimes less. If I’m supposed to be doing something else I watch a lot longer.

Me too LOL

 

[Back in the fold]

This is a topic of great consternation to She Who Must Be Obeyed. All my fish are in a separate room so I go in there and spend many an enjoyable hour watching my fish. Friday morning weekly water changes start right after lights on and usually go to 1:00 PM , then feeding for an hour. Check the Grindal Worms and Fruit Flies. Flush out the BBS hatcher and get it going again. All the while SWMBO is sitting and fuming that I don't spend enough time with her . "What's so great about those fish ?" "Do you like those fish more than me ?" "You should have married those fish instead of me !" . I have just about completely bit the end of my tongue off.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have Breakfast and Dinner in front of the tank.

 

[AmyKieran]

With my wife’s cancer diagnosis and constant health issues, my life is hard sometimes. Watching my fish keeps me happy and calm and takes the reality away from the cruel world we live in. I know I talk about my wife a lot on here and I’m sorry if I’m repetitive. But she’s an angel and really didn’t deserve this, and me seeing her like this day in and day out, is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. My fish keep me happy staring at them and cleaning out the tank

Fish tank > medication

 

[GaryE]

With my wife’s cancer diagnosis and constant health issues, my life is hard sometimes. Watching my fish keeps me happy and calm and takes the reality away from the cruel world we live in. I know I talk about my wife a lot on here and I’m sorry if I’m repetitive. But she’s an angel and really didn’t deserve this, and me seeing her like this day in and day out, is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. My fish keep me happy staring at them and cleaning out the tank

Fish tank > medication

I get that. My wife had radiotherapy, chemo and 5 surgeries in a bit over a year, for cancer. It was found right at the start of the pandemic. The fish were a little neglected on the water change front when things were really bad, but they were also a calm space for me, keeping me grounded when a little quiet was needed. Things are going well now, and have been clear for a bit over a year. But I still understand very well how this pastime can contribute to sanity when your world is going wrong.

 

[enricosonic]

One reason I got back into fish keeping was for my own mental health and stress level. I feel it may also be improving my sleep too. It stands to reason I may sleep better if my stress and heart rate are lowered. Maybe even lowered blood pressure. I've not tested that.

My pattern is every day after I finish up with work, I go to the "music" room (a wall of LPs and my guitars, no stereo system), my tank is there and I may play some guitar or not but I will feed them and hang out for a half hour to an hour, maybe more. Sometimes I don't feed them, I power through their physical pleas for food, sit in a big comfy chair and wait as they resume their routines.