An free write essay for my english class...
Its just a fish. The line I hear whenever I have my face pressed up against the tank. The words I hear whenever I'm guarding a spawn more then a male betta. What is that supposed to mean? Does this infer that they are somehow less then us or I shouldn't care about them in the same way I love my dog. Only someone who has looked into their tank and felt the proud feeling like a parent can understand. There is something magical about creating the perfect aquatic environment because your not just feeding or staring at a fish you are creating a balance of nutrients and organisms. It doesnt matter what the fish is. From anaconda to guppy, if there isnt that magical level of bacteria you are not a fit parent. I find joy from those times when my aquarium is thriving. The water clear as glass like a portrait of a secret world. I think people who say their just fish are jealous of them. What other creature can live under the water in such a graceful way? They have mastered it creating more vibrant forests of color then the largest rain forests. Hiding most of their secrets form their view from man and the creatures on land. The aquarist however has been given the right to see some of their aquatic friends most hidden secrets. These are more then just fish they are messengers from a land we will never be able to join them in. And we only can just watch them in their watery world going about their lives and can only imagine what they might be thinking or doing. They say fish have no mental capacity no personality all they do is swim, eat and poop. I say they are half right. There are fish out there, like some dogs or cats, that have as much personality as a rock. But there are those few fish, like cats or dogs, that just swim their little way into your heart. I invite people to tell me that my puffers have no personality. Those little guys are my spokes fish for the reason I have fish. With their big heads and tiny fins their look like little aliens then when they realize the fish is just following them they like to say its only cause its for food. I realize this but those who have had fish realize that they are masters of survival. I once had a green spotted puffer called Ponder. Friends liked to come and say hi. Once they asked me if they could try to scare him. I said yes as long as they stayed out of the tank and he stayed in. It was the funniest thing to see people try to jump up and scare that fish because he was the mellowest puffer I have ever had. He just sat there at the front of the tank and swiveled his little eyes. After determining they didnt have food he went back to picking amongst the rocks in his tank. Then when I wasnt looking they stuck their hand in the tank. Ponder darted up and started attacking their hand. Keep in mind he never once tried to even nibble on me, even when I fed him from my hand. From then on whenever the person entered the room Ponder darted out looking rather angry, not to personify him of course, and darted across the front of the tank.He would darken his belly a little a sign of stress is puffers and as soon as they left he went back to white. This is the type of fish that makes you feel loved when you come in. Even after they have eaten they follow you around. This is why I never understood the plight of the betta fish. These fish are stated to be mean little fish that live in tiny puddles. People always ask me why my males dont eat the tetra in the same tank. It makes me sad. These amazing little fish can take a lot of trauma, but that doesnt mean they should. Just like any other animal just because you can torture them doesnt mean you should. At least a hundred abused and neglected betta have gone through my hands. Each one has a separate personality and anyone who has had a fish knows this for a fact. But once again I hear them say but its just a fish. But if a fish is just a fish you are just a person.
Its just a fish. The line I hear whenever I have my face pressed up against the tank. The words I hear whenever I'm guarding a spawn more then a male betta. What is that supposed to mean? Does this infer that they are somehow less then us or I shouldn't care about them in the same way I love my dog. Only someone who has looked into their tank and felt the proud feeling like a parent can understand. There is something magical about creating the perfect aquatic environment because your not just feeding or staring at a fish you are creating a balance of nutrients and organisms. It doesnt matter what the fish is. From anaconda to guppy, if there isnt that magical level of bacteria you are not a fit parent. I find joy from those times when my aquarium is thriving. The water clear as glass like a portrait of a secret world. I think people who say their just fish are jealous of them. What other creature can live under the water in such a graceful way? They have mastered it creating more vibrant forests of color then the largest rain forests. Hiding most of their secrets form their view from man and the creatures on land. The aquarist however has been given the right to see some of their aquatic friends most hidden secrets. These are more then just fish they are messengers from a land we will never be able to join them in. And we only can just watch them in their watery world going about their lives and can only imagine what they might be thinking or doing. They say fish have no mental capacity no personality all they do is swim, eat and poop. I say they are half right. There are fish out there, like some dogs or cats, that have as much personality as a rock. But there are those few fish, like cats or dogs, that just swim their little way into your heart. I invite people to tell me that my puffers have no personality. Those little guys are my spokes fish for the reason I have fish. With their big heads and tiny fins their look like little aliens then when they realize the fish is just following them they like to say its only cause its for food. I realize this but those who have had fish realize that they are masters of survival. I once had a green spotted puffer called Ponder. Friends liked to come and say hi. Once they asked me if they could try to scare him. I said yes as long as they stayed out of the tank and he stayed in. It was the funniest thing to see people try to jump up and scare that fish because he was the mellowest puffer I have ever had. He just sat there at the front of the tank and swiveled his little eyes. After determining they didnt have food he went back to picking amongst the rocks in his tank. Then when I wasnt looking they stuck their hand in the tank. Ponder darted up and started attacking their hand. Keep in mind he never once tried to even nibble on me, even when I fed him from my hand. From then on whenever the person entered the room Ponder darted out looking rather angry, not to personify him of course, and darted across the front of the tank.He would darken his belly a little a sign of stress is puffers and as soon as they left he went back to white. This is the type of fish that makes you feel loved when you come in. Even after they have eaten they follow you around. This is why I never understood the plight of the betta fish. These fish are stated to be mean little fish that live in tiny puddles. People always ask me why my males dont eat the tetra in the same tank. It makes me sad. These amazing little fish can take a lot of trauma, but that doesnt mean they should. Just like any other animal just because you can torture them doesnt mean you should. At least a hundred abused and neglected betta have gone through my hands. Each one has a separate personality and anyone who has had a fish knows this for a fact. But once again I hear them say but its just a fish. But if a fish is just a fish you are just a person.