Water is Life
What if you want the health benefits of owning a pet but can’t afford a dog or cat because of allergies or something else? Is there any point in getting a pet fish? The answer is yes.
People are attracted to water. It is in our nature. Any civilization that developed did so around a body of water as necessary for its survival. Water is considered sacred in various religions and is essential to human life. So, how can sitting around an aquarium and watching aquatic life benefit our lives? This article explains how having goldfish or an aquarium can benefit people’s health.
The aquarium is good for mental health
Aquariums provide a distraction, stress, and/or chronic illness in everyday life. Aquarians, relax and calm people by calming the mind and reducing anxiety. Building and maintaining an aquarium can be a stress management project. Focusing on the various hues and colours of tropical fish can lift one’s mood while providing a healthy distraction at the same time. That’s why having an aquarium or being around one is often good for people’s mental health.
What does an Aquarium help?
Help with insomnia.
Reduce high blood pressure.
Relieve anxiety and/or stress.
Help children with behavioural problems and/or mental problems.
Help people with dementia.
Help the chronically ill.
Help cry babies due to colic or separation anxiety.
Effects on the heart
In 2004 Purdue University analyzed the effect of having an aquarium on patients undergoing a medical procedure. People who were around an aquarium before the procedure had 12% less anxiety. In 1985, a study was conducted on dental patients. They found that an aquarium increased relaxation due to its effects on patient’s blood pressure and heart rate. Studies have proven that even looking at an aquarium can reduce muscle tension and lower heart rate.
A similar study by the National Marine Aquarium, the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter found that people who looked at swimming fish had lower blood pressure and lower heart rates. When some people started to look at an empty lake with rock and seaweed, their heart rates dropped by seven per cent. This is considered very beneficial for senior citizens with high blood pressure.
Benefits for Adults
A 2009 study by Purdue University found that adults exposed to an aquarium consumed 17.2% more food, gained weight, and required less nutritional supplementation than those who did not. They also saw significant reductions in disruptive behaviours such as physical aggression, wandering, pacing, screaming, and requiring less medication. Also, patients with Alzheimer’s disease show better short-term memory.
Calming Qualities
In a study called Calming Qualities, it was noted that patients in doctors’ offices required less pain medication after viewing fish in an aquarium. Marine biologist Deborah Cracknell said that “fish tanks are often associated with patient sedation efforts in doctors’ offices and dental waiting rooms.”
Fish is good for children
Having an aquarium at home is good for children because it not only reduces their anxiety and calms them, but also helps them learn about biology, chemistry and responsibility. Additionally, a fish tank inspires creativity in children and encourages them to think. It is a pet and they have limited care responsibilities and can still observe the behaviour of the fish.
Children can learn about different species of fish, how they breathe underwater, and how to care for an aquarium, and in more advanced aquariums they can even learn trade skills like plumbing and carpentry. Fish use their imagination and creativity when they have to build a playground and arrange various aspects of the aquarium. When children complete tasks and achieve their goals, their self-confidence grows. If children are able to identify a need in the fish world and fill it, it is a valuable social skill to apply to humans.
Fish in Feng-Shui
In feng shui (the Chinese system of trying to harmonize all things in the environment by arranging furniture, etc., and closely related to Taoism), fish tanks are commonly used in the belief that they increase money and luck. Most Asian restaurants have a fish tank near the entrance. It is also believed to counteract negative energy. They believe that a fish tank should have nine goldfish, eight of which are red or gold and one black. It is believed that if the black person dies, it absorbs all the negative energy in the atmosphere. Various cultures have historically placed great emphasis on keeping fish as pets.
Pet fish are amazing
Finally, having a pet fish or aquarium has various advantages for the owner’s overall health and well-being. It is good for people of all ages. People are attracted to sea creatures and water for various reasons. An aquarium improves one’s mood while being a learning tool as well as being a good hobby for some, especially those who are too busy to care for a dog or cat. Pet fish can be a wonderful thing.