About the benefits of aquarium fish
Psychologists and medical specialists have proven that observing aquarium fish has a positive effect on the human psyche and body:
- Relaxation and stabilization of the psycho-emotional state.
- Increased stress resistance.
- Normalization of blood pressure (for these purposes, it is enough to simply observe the inhabitants of the aquatic world for 10-15 minutes).
- Improved appetite (achieved due to the effect of bright colors of ornamental fish and plant crops on certain areas of the brain).
- Stabilization of pulse and heart rate.
- Reducing the load on the visual apparatus, relieving eye fatigue and preventing ophthalmological diseases.
Improving the microclimate. In addition, the presence of an artificial pond in the room helps create a good microclimate and humidify the air. This is especially important in the autumn-winter period when using heating devices and space heaters, since dry air provokes the development of rhinitis, bronchial asthma, viral and respiratory diseases.
Who especially benefits from an aquarium ? It is recommended to install an aquarium in a house where elderly people suffer from mental disorders, senile dementia, and memory problems.
Contemplation of decorative fish and other inhabitants of the aquatic world reduces stress factors, relieves muscle tension and has a beneficial effect on the general well-being and mood of older people.
For the same reason, psychologists strongly recommend keeping aquarium fish for patients suffering from depression, neuroses, and people who often experience stress and psycho-emotional turmoil.
Where is an aquarium usually installed?
The installation of an aquarium must be approached competently. It should fit perfectly into the decor of the house and highlight the features of the interior. You can find an aquarium to suit your taste in a huge variety: round and rectangular, with and without lighting.
Floor round aquarium
For the most demanding buyers there are design firms. Specialists will manufacture and install an aquarium of any complexity, and in the room that the customer chooses. Wood and plastic are used for the living room. In the bathroom, the base of the aquarium is finished with ceramic tiles.
What are the benefits of an aquarium for children?
Having a home aquarium has a positive effect on the development of children. Kids enjoy watching decorative fish, shrimp, shellfish, their habits and behavior, learning about the world. However, as a precaution in an apartment where very young children live, the artificial pond should be located higher so that the children do not break the glass tank.
An older child may well take care of the fish himself, feed them, and clean the aquarium - this will allow him to develop a sense of responsibility and discipline. In addition, having a home aquarium broadens children's horizons.
Child in the family
Aquarium and child / Photo taken from open sources
You have a child in your family who asks to make a friend. Who should I choose? Puppy, kitten, hamster or fish? It has long been no secret that an aquarium with fish has positive emotions on a person !
Possible difficulties and problems
Beginner aquarists have to spend a sufficient amount of time and pay attention to caring for their pets. After all, in order for the tank to look beautiful, and for the aquarium inhabitants and green spaces growing in it to feel comfortable and healthy, they need to be looked after.
This process cannot be called too complicated and time-consuming. All that is required from the owner of an artificial reservoir is maintaining optimal parameters of the aquatic environment, periodically replacing the fluid, and regular feeding.
You can find out more about the conditions of detention by reading specialized literature, consulting with a specialist, or talking on forums with other experienced aquarists. To avoid unnecessary problems, beginners are recommended to purchase a small artificial pond and fish that are as strong as possible and easy to care for.
What is an aquarium
Aquarium - what is it? Even a child can answer this question. A transparent house in which the inhabitants of the underwater world live: fish, snails, turtles, crayfish. Unusual plants grow: anubias, Indian moss, hornwort, ambulia. Taking a closer look, it becomes clear: this is a whole world, with its own unique nature, interesting life, created by amazing inhabitants of marine flora and fauna.
Seawater aquarium
What harm can a home aquarium cause?
In some situations, an aquarium in the house can cause certain harm to human health:
- Increased tendency to allergic reactions . Allergies can occur to low quality dry food. But if you feed your pets with frozen or live food, then there will be no health problems for both the fish themselves and their owners.
- Salmonellosis is a disease that can be transmitted to humans from sick fish through contact with them or the aquatic environment. Persons with weakened immune systems and young children are especially susceptible to this disease.
- Fish tuberculosis is a bacterial disease, the causative agent of which can provoke the development of tuberculosis in humans.
How to protect yourself. Monitor the health of your pets, clean the aquarium and change the water weekly. Also, once a month, complete disinfection is recommended, followed by cleaning the tank and decorative elements, siphoning the soil and completely replacing the fluid in the tank.
It is recommended to give preference to small pebbles, which, unlike muddy or sandy soil, can be easily washed and disinfected. But, unfortunately, such soil is not suitable for every breed of ornamental fish.
The second horror: aquarium granuloma, or fish tuberculosis (pseudotuberculosis)
This is the only zoonosis (disease transmitted from animal to human) that aquarium fish can suffer from.
Moreover, this disease is very widespread and its causative agents - mycobacteria - are present in almost every aquarium. However, it only affects weakened fish that live in cramped conditions, dirty water, or with a lack or poor quality of food. Of course, fish tuberculosis cannot cause pulmonary disease in humans: as a rule, everything is limited to a long-lasting rash, wounds or crusts on the skin of the hands. It is through damaged skin that the bacterium enters the human body, but cannot cause systemic damage and continues to parasitize at the site of its introduction.
This disease is treated with antibiotics. Some experienced aquarists recommend holding your hands over a warm heating pad or lamp as a treatment, since the fish bacterium does not tolerate heat.
Avoiding granulosis is very simple: do not put your hands in the aquarium when there are wounds or inflammations on them, and if this is necessary, then you should do this with long veterinary gloves. And, of course, it is important not to forget to wash your hands after handling the aquarium.
The most common myths about the dangers of home aquariums
There are a large number of myths and legends around artificial reservoirs, informing about their potential danger. The most widespread:
- Mold formation . The aquarium helps increase indoor humidity levels, but not to such an extent as to provoke the appearance of mold. Moreover, most artificial reservoirs are covered with protective glass or a lid for the safety of their inhabitants.
- Allergy to fish . There is no such thing as an allergy to an aquarium or ornamental fish. Only food can act as an allergen, which can be replaced with another, eliminating the problem.
Thus, it is obvious that most stories about the dangers of home aquariums are just myths, an erroneous opinion of ignorant people that has become widespread. Just in case, if you have any doubts, before buying an aquarium you should consult a doctor, zoologist or veterinarian on this topic, asking all your questions.
The third horror: food allergy
Indeed, fish food such as dried daphnia and gammarus often cause allergies: they crumble into fine dust, and this dust, consisting of tiny particles of chitin, is very dangerous for allergy sufferers. But what is the need in the 21st century to feed fish with dried daphnia?
There are a lot of modern dry food, including granulated or made in the form of tablets, which do not crumble or create dust.
And besides them, fish can also be fed with live food, including those grown independently and therefore clean and safe, minced fish and seafood, omelettes, vegetable mixtures and much more.
In short, there is no need to breathe chitin dust.
It turns out that what doctors scare us with is not so scary, it is not at all necessary to get sick from an aquarium, and there is also no need to carry out endless disinfection procedures that harm animals. It is enough to follow simple and understandable hygiene rules.
Interesting facts about the influence of aquarium fish on human health
Scientists, through a number of studies and clinical trials, have come to the conclusion that keeping aquarium fish in the house and regularly monitoring them, at least for a short time, has a beneficial effect on the condition and functioning of the cardiovascular system, reduces the likelihood of developing hypertension, arterial hypotension, cardiac pathologies.
Experiments . Volunteers spent some time simply contemplating the aquarium and observing its inhabitants. The result was a noticeable improvement in memory and the ability to concentrate for everyone who took part in this experiment. In addition, according to the subjects themselves, their mood improved, a charge of strength and energy appeared, signs of overwork and overstrain were eliminated, and their ability to work increased.
Studies of the Dutch and Americans. Dutch scientists proposed decorating offices, restaurants, and various organizations with artificial ponds. According to the results, it turned out that watching fish has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system, thereby reducing the likelihood of conflict situations in the team.
American scientists also conducted a number of studies, the results of which showed that people who have an aquarium at home achieve greater success in their careers and creativity, and a friendly and calm atmosphere reigns in their family.
An aquarium in the house brings great benefits to both the physical and psycho-emotional state of a person, and has a positive effect on mental abilities, mood, the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the visual apparatus. Potential risks that can be caused by having an artificial pond in your home can be easily avoided by reading the information regarding fish care before purchasing an aquarium.
History of aquarium farming
Who was the first to “domesticate” fish, who was the first to think of placing them in their home?
China can take the lead in this. The Chinese were the pioneers in keeping fish at home. And the first domestic fish was crucian carp . Later, the idea of pet fish was picked up by the Japanese and Egyptians.
In the 16th century, Tsar Ivan the Terrible often received glass balls with goldfish as gifts from foreign ambassadors. And similarities of aquariums in noble houses appeared under Peter I.
The first aquariums were primitive . A glass vessel was filled with water from a well. Care was extremely simple: feeding the inhabitants of the aquarium, replacing dead fish with live ones caught in the nearest body of water. The water was replaced only after it began to deteriorate and emit an unpleasant odor.
In the mid-19th century, while experimenting, the English scientist Ward placed goldfish in a container with water and plants. He is the inventor of the modern aquarium. By the end of the 19th century, the aquarium hobby swept the whole world.
Now, speaking about an aquarium, you should understand that it is not just a vessel filled with water. After all, only water is not enough for fish . This is a glass container with special equipment. Moreover, it contains not only fish, but also creates a certain ecosystem.
The aquarium has become an integral part of our life . Few restaurants, beauty salons, or children's institutions do without glass houses for the most diverse and whimsical inhabitants of the water element. Many people have aquariums at home.
Aquarium at home: pros and cons
Even a half-hour rest near the aquarium will help you look at life's troubles more simply and give harmony and tranquility to life.
Pros of an aquarium at home
Another way an aquarium can be useful is for children – a children’s aquarium. Your children will be able to observe the amazing aquarium life in practice. An aquarium will help children understand nature better. Will develop qualities such as perseverance and responsibility. The plant began to produce young shoots, the fish gave birth, the male began to build a nest... Such aquarium little things can awaken the best feelings in a child.
On the other hand, an aquarium can show your status . If the aquarium looks good, then it says a lot about the owner. This is comparable to a well-groomed purebred dog. After all, everyone understands that a purebred puppy is expensive, and so is caring for it. Only the aquarium in this case turns out to be cheaper. But the aquarium matures over time. Therefore, when you have an aquarium at home or in the office, guests understand that everything is fine with you.
If you compare it with other animals, the aquarium will not chew your wires, will not ruin the furniture in your apartment, will not fray the rug, will not make noise and require more and more space, has no smell, and will not demand attention to itself.
If you want to keep part of nature for yourself, a very good option is to create your own aquarium 2 meters long. And if you give him a piece of your love, he will definitely make you happy. You can safely put it in the most prominent place and be proud of it. There are also aquariums with live plants.
The video shows an example of an aquarium in an apartment
Disadvantages of an aquarium at home
About the disadvantages of an aquarium at home. He makes noise. Yes, it has water movement noise. Just like old desktop computers. Can't hear it during the day. But at night it can be annoying. Secondly, if you don’t get the food into the water, it will create an odor. Well, and even more trouble if you have completely turned the aquarium into a “swamp”. And yet, any aquarium requires time and finances. Therefore, if you start an aquarium, be prepared that it will take away some of your time and money. Or the aquarium will turn into a beautiful swamp. And it would definitely be worse if there were no aquarium at all.
That it is harmful to health, that you are allergic to it is not true. You can be allergic to fish food, but not to an aquarium. That the humidity there will be disrupted. These are all excuses why you can’t give your child an aquarium. But they have nothing to do with reality.
Humidity from the aquarium
Very often you can hear that the aquarium provides high humidity. That you will live like in a greenhouse with cucumbers. And it will be a-yay. But in reality it is quite the opposite. The water in the aquarium evaporates just like that. She's going to disappear. And the humidity will increase. But, let's figure out what the evaporation rate depends on. Evaporation is affected by wind, temperature and humidity in the home. We create wind with the flow of water and aerators. But, it does not greatly affect evaporation. Temperature differences and air humidity play a more important role. The greater the difference, the faster the evaporation process will occur. In winter, old windows blow more when the temperature outside is lower. There is also a temperature difference created there. And the greater the difference, the stronger the blow in the cracks. If you have dry air, then there will be a lot of evaporation. But, if you have normal humidity, you won’t even notice it.
From practice, many of our aquarists lived among aquariums. And so, let's put about 10 of them in the room. The noise at night does not interfere with sleep. We were young then, and at 3 o’clock in the morning we returned from the party. Because we didn't care. But nothing happened to anyone’s health. And if you put 1-2, then you can forget about this phenomenon.
And everything is solved very simply - a cover glass is placed. And the problem is completely solved.
Centenarians
You need to understand that some fish live for decades. Therefore, you should not purchase them in order to temporarily provide them for children to admire. These are the same pets that require constant care. Therefore, you need to be aware that you are making a long-term commitment. You will not just feed them and maintain normal conditions during the days you are at home. you need to take care to delegate these concerns during your vacation (when you want to travel to another region or country).
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