Fish Tank

Benefits of Tropical Fish Tanks

2006-09-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

Bonding with a cat or dog has long been known to have therapeutic benefits for humans. But the simple observation that watching fish makes people calmer and healthier is also backed up by studies. For people of any age, the bright but calm little marine environment in either a freshwater or a tropical fish tank brings an increase in health and wellness.

Kids

Have you ever taken a child to a fish store? Or even to the vicinity of a fish store? It’s like a magnet pulls him in, his nose against the glass, staring at the little creatures moving inside. To this day, I remember being a child and watching some pink coral in a tropical fish tank at a store, just hypnotized by its motion.

Just as watching that fish tank cleared my mind years ago, so too would it calm many kids. Aquariums in the classroom are known not only to reduce anxiety levels in students but also to be a good tool to teach the kids the responsibilities of caring for a pet and some chemistry basics.

Adults

While adults may control themselves near a fish store more than a kid would, at the city aquarium or zoo, the grownups are just as entranced as the children. Everyone feels wonder watching the biggest shark or the humblest goldfish paddling through a tropical fish tank.

Several studies have outlined the specific benefits of watching fish for adults. They are known to reduce blood pressure, at least temporarily for people going through stressful situations. And the actual fish seem to be the key; take away the animals, and a gently bubbling tank of water and ornaments doesn’t do the trick. Scientists in Japan are studying the possibility that watching delicate jellyfish in a tropical fish tank may be even more therapeutic.

Many people have personal stories about how seeing fish tanks helped a loved one deal with disease. Hospitals and nursing homes have started to take notice, and more of them are installing aquariums. The dining room is a good spot, as studies show long-term patients are more able to relax and focus on completing a whole meal in the presence of an aquarium.

But Note Well

These health studies put people in the proximity of a tropical fish tank, without giving them responsibility for maintaining and paying for it. In other words, the best way to maximize the benefits of watching fish may be to get a membership to the city aquarium.

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Fish Tank News Roundup

2006-09-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Useless Fish Tank Information
ESPN - 7 Sep 2006
... slightly. So let's just look at the many ways that the Fish's playoff surge is about the least likely in baseball history: Keep ...

The Glass House: fish-tank living
Rocky Mountain News, CO - 2 Sep 2006
The Glass House, depicted in an artist's rendering, features floor-to-ceiling windows on several sides of many of its condos. By Rocky Mountain News. ...

The farm report
SLAM! Sports, Canada - 8 hours ago
Two seasons ago, he put in a fish tank in the clubhouse and added a fish after every win. At the end of the season, there were 55 swimmers. ...

Fish tank to drunk tank for heckler
Winnipeg Free Press (subscription), Canada - 30 Aug 2006
... Benson to the Main Street Project, commonly referred to as the "drunk tank." Benson said ... t going to stop Benson from taking a verbal hit at the fish elsewhere. ...

One afternoon at a fish shop . . .
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 8 Sep 2006
... But aren’t they a fad like the flower horn and the arowana? “The arowana and the flower horn are territorial and so you can only keep one in a fish tank. ...

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Aquarium Fish Tank Possibilities

2006-08-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

Water life has a captivating charm for human observation or why else should the ancient Chinese breed Koi fish in ponds over two millennia ago. This attraction towards observing fish continued over centuries until it became a hobby in the nineteenth century Britain to keep fish in fish tanks. After the first World War, the hobby assumed a wide popularity and is ever increasing in Europe, America, and Asia.

But watching fish is more than a hobby; it connects man to his ancestral presence – his evolutionary predecessors. Researchers in health studies today are discovering interesting connections of looking at an aquarium fish tank with live fish in it and its positive effects on human health. Hence the relation between fish-watching and personal health is biologically related, reinforcing the commonality of our origin from aquatic ancestors.

Stress Alleviation

It has been found that observing fish in an aquarium fish tank lowers the blood pressure, letting one feel stress-free and relaxed. Though the decoration of the tank plays its role, research finds that the drop in blood pressure is more pronounced when fish are present in the tank than when they are not in the same tank. Children suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) have been found to calm down significantly after watching live fish in an aquarium fish tank. Great news for caring parents!

Aquarium Fish Tank as a Natural Analgesic

It is a matter of common observation to eye an aquarium fish tank in offices of physicians and dentists. The reason is the association between watching live fish in the tank and reduction in the intensity of pain. Less dosage of analgesic is required to quell the pain of patients when they have watched fish in the aquarium. This natural analgesic also works in bringing about a hypnotic trance and has been tried by psychoanalysts.

Aquarium Fish Tank and Brain Disorders

Fruitful results of fish watching have been observed in patients suffering from brain disorders like dementia. By placing an aquarium fish tank in their room, it has been found that patients of Alzheimer’s disease, which can include a severe case of dementia, showed improvement in behavior and nutrition.

Given the health benefits of watching live fish, it is advisable to make use of this natural medicine by placing an aquarium fish tank in the rooms, offices, clinics, and halls of our living and working places. The perpetuation of this existential, cross-species link between man and fish is for our own benefit and that of our lovable aquatic creature.

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The Attractions of an Acrylic Fish Tank

2006-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

An acrylic fish tank offers both novice and experienced fish lovers the beauty, strength, and convenience needed to piece together a fine aquarium environment. But before you go out and purchase an acrylic fish tank, it is important that you know what your other options are, the cost factor, the quality of an acrylic fish tank, as well as the cons of owning an acrylic fish tank. Read below for examples of each of these considerations.

What are My Other Options?

Before you go out and purchase an acrylic fish tank, take a moment to consider its biggest rival: glass. Glass fish tanks are a considerable option for those considering the purchase of an aquarium, providing the ability to get a large tank for the whole family to enjoy. If you are searching for something on a smaller scale, such as a bowl for a beta or a character themed aquarium for a son or daughter, there are also tanks made from plastic.

The Cost Factor

Now that you know the two options you have in purchasing your aquarium, you should carefully weigh out the cost factor: Which costs less an acrylic fish tank or a glass fish tank? In general, a glass fish tank of equal size costs less than an acrylic fish tank. This is not due to the quality of material, but rather to the cost of shipping the material. Even though glass is heavier and is in many ways easier to break than acrylic, it is more scratch resistant, leading to more sellable pieces on the end of the shipping line than acrylic. This leads to lower costs for you.

The Pros and the Cons

Even though it might be cheaper to purchase a glass aquarium, which are more scratch resistant, acrylic fish tanks offer several other pros that make them a great option for aquarists. For starters, acrylic is less breakable than glass, and much less acrylic is needed for the production of a tank. This leads to a tank that weighs much less than a glass tank and thus needs less support.

In addition to the durability of acrylic, purchasers of acrylic aquariums have more style options available to them. It is very difficult to find a glass fish tank that is in a shape other than that of a rectangle. Acrylic can be shaped, providing more options for tank buyers, such as round aquariums, semicircular aquariums, and the like.

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Plants in a Fish Tank

2006-07-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

A fish tank is an enclosure, such as a tank, pool, or bowl; that is used for keeping pet fish and/or other aquatic animals, for example crabs, mollusks, etc. Today, the word aquarium is commonly used for a fish tank, though aquarium also refers to a place for exhibiting live aquatic animals and plants to the public. A fish bowl is more specifically used to denote a transparent bowl for keeping live fish. A more specialized type of fish tank is the Marineland, which is used for featuring fish, particularly dolphins, for commercial exhibition. Whatever the kind of fish tank, one biotic component is an integral part of its environment: plants.

What Plants Do in a Fish Tank?

Live plants are an essential presence in every aquarium for many reasons. First, they add a natural and attractive look to the aquarium, and secondly, they provide the pet fish with a natural source of food. Presence of live plants reduces the growth of algae in the fish tank, but most importantly, live plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis and continuously add it to the water for the fish to breathe. Also, plants absorb wastes of the fish like exhaled carbon dioxide and ammonia; if allowed to accumulate in the tank water it can be hazardous for the fish’s health.

Keeping a Healthy Aquarium with Plants

Certain considerations need to be taken into account when letting live plants inhabit your home aquarium. The following points are important to consider:

* Only select those species of plants for your fish tank that can stay healthy while completely submerged.
* Make sure the plants you select are able to survive well in the existing lighting conditions and chemical nature of the tank water; most plants are suited to live in pH values 6.5-7.5. Also, check about the suitable temperature range for the plants you select.
* Certain plant types, like sagittaria, are fast growing and tolerant of even hard water; thus, they are ideal for the first inhabitants of the fish tank. More sensitive plants can be added later for keeping diversity and giving the aquarium a natural lush and attractive look.
* For visual effects, you can use a combination of plants of varying sizes so as to impart an impression of depth and contrast. Red plants, like ludwigia, bring a beautiful contrast against the natural green of other species.
* Plants with tall stems and those bearing adventitious roots need regular pruning so as to keep the other plants healthy against their overshadowing effects.

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Fish Tank website 1st post

2006-07-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, this is a new blog all about fish tanks. I hope to cover all the different types of fish tank available in the coming months.

Rodders