Things to Consider Before Buying a Pet

Cont’d....

An aquarium as a habitat is limited by the available space to start with. Although there are recommendations such as an inch of fish per gallon of water – originally only meant for the likes of smaller tetras but somehow became like a ‘mantra’ for every hobbyists afterwards even with wider and bigger fishes – studies have shown that fishes kept in an aquarium only grows on the average up to 60% of their maximum growth potential compared to that of fishes measured in the natural setting. With this limitation in space, it is thus highly suggested that one get the biggest tank one can afford and keep the number of inhabitants to a minimum.

Related to the available space which in reality also translates into volume is the realization that in reality, a typical aquarium is a closed system. The idea of a closed system is used here to differentiate it from the setting in nature which could be considered as an open one – where nature replenishes what it loses without any intervention. A river is a good example of an open system wherein nothing remains stagnant - upstream water replacing the water that flows downstream with all the waste materials that can be deleterious to living organisms that inhabits that particular space. A close system meanwhile is akin to a pail of water, evaporating a little each day, accumulating dirt thus in a few more days, the water quality will have deteriorated without human intervention. Or just imagine, a person living inside an fully-enclosed room where human waste is produced and not eliminated, the room will definitely will be unbearable once enough waste has accumulated. This is one of the rationales for doing regular water changes in a fish tank.

More tomorrow.....