hey yall. kind of a mushy post, not my usual memes to talk about something serious i think alot of people in this hobby struggle with in silence: mental health. I personally suffer from depression, anxiety and have autism that can sometimes be debilitating. While being a pet owner isnt always the right choice, it certainly has been for me. I used to struggle with getting out of bed in the morning because sleeping felt so much easier and more predictable. I got a job and school resumed in fall, I felt even more drained, but atleast my life had purpose. I fell into a monotonous routine with no variation.. But then I discovered fish keeping. I decided to start with a simple freshwater tank, luckily I had saved up around $600 and was comfortable enough in life to spend it on this hobby. I bought a 20 gallon tank and all the fancy gadgets along with it. Picking out plants and decorations was fun, doing research took my mind off of the bore of life. I then started to fill this tank. And then another.. and Another.. And a year later, I have 7 fish tanks I take care of along with my mother, who went through the same depression. It isnt just a decoration, its a responsibility and its incredibly rewarding. I got up out of bed wondering what exactly my fish were doing today, who had given birth, etc. I struggled again when my first fish died: a rainbow platy named Joaquin. I felt like I had let down another life. But then I researched more, I found out how to test and secure levels just right. I still have bad experiences, occasional bacteria growth i have to purge, but its still a wonderful hobby. I didnt make this to suggest necessarily that if you are depressed you should add more things to worry about, but this was my personal experience. Im still going through the trials and tribulations of "how the hell did this shrimp get out of the tank and onto the carpet", but every day I learn more and improve my skill. If you have a similar story, please share it:). How did these scaled, shelled, finned beauties change your life for the better?
Posted by P4ler1der
2 Comments
Very interesting hobby! It has change my whole family daily routine!
I wouldn’t be shocked at all if a lot of us in the hobby use it as an almost therapeutic treatment. I work a pretty stressful job and suffer from being oddly antisocial – maybe it’s lower spectrum type shit I never had diagnosed, who knows. All I know is that I took to gardening to ease my mind keep myself centered. In the winter, I’d get depression. Then I discovered aquascaping. For a YEAR I’d watch videos constantly but kept getting the anxiety of “but what if I do it wrong.” Then I said screw it, got a 40g breeder on sale, and started grabbing all the pieces for it when they went on sale. Now I have something that gets me through the winter, and my office is a sanctuary where I can just trim plants, watch fish (and snails!), and decompress from the world. I’m getting ready to start another 40g in July and honestly can’t wait. Already doing the research for what types of plants and livestock to hunt down for a specific theme I have in mind.
Real glad you found something that has helped you so much in life. There’s way too many people out there who never find that joy. No matter how much life kicks you in the teeth, always remember that. Also, show some full tank pics! Here mine.
https://preview.redd.it/skeaoubyinug1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a97c81a2d3ab9c2605c988fcbb0eff0a679cb866