An Aquatics Meditation

[Fish Folk]

It is dangerously easy to fixate upon what is not going well in our aquariums.

The touch of fin rot . . . a cyanobacteria smear . . . an unsuccessful spawn . . . a dead fish . . . the over-stocked aquarium . . . certain fry that take an eternity to grow out . . . food that needs to be replaced . . . some particular tank that badly needs a water change . . . 

This is just a partial list of gripes from our fishroom today.  But it does not reflect the true tale of wonder which should fairly regulate perspective.

The newly hatched killifish that bounced off the nose of a neocaridina because it hadn't quite learned how to swim this morning . . . the valisneria americana runner that threw down roots on the edge of a piece of wood, and shot up nine inches in just a few days . . . the fevered inhalation of black worms by our little cadre of discus tonight  . . . the male Rainbow Darter who has finally decided that he is comfortable enough now to turn on his colors . . . the eighteen killifish eggs yielded by our Scheeli in just a couple day's time . . .  

How full of wonder we ought to be to bear witness to such beautiful life. 

Think more about the joys in this hobby than the defeats.  

 

[Jennifer V]

You are so right! I'm a worrying nerm ... A worm! So I'm constantly on the lookout for something I need to fix but I think as I become more seasoned, I'll hopefully learn to just chill out and take each day as it comes, with all the beauty the hobby provides. Thank you for the reminder! 

[Fish Folk]

11 hours ago, Jennifer V said:

a worrying nerm ... A worm!

I think we should officially dub this common state "WERM" 😅

[morphy1701]

I first read this as "An Aquatics Mediation" and thought it was going to be asking advice on how to make two fish stop fighting!  <facepalm>

[Jennifer V]

8 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

I think we should officially dub this common state "WERM" 😅

Completely agree! 😆