Fish are one of the options which are under-appreciated for pets.
Especially when there are rivals like dogs and cats. However, having a fish as your pet has its own pros and it can help you in keeping healthier and happier.
But it does have cons which make it important to understand if considering a fish as a pet is a smart choice or not.
| Pros Of Fish As Pet | Cons Of Fish As Pet |
| Reducing stress | Setting tanks need time |
| Keep you calm and reduce anxiety | Need to plan beforehand |
| Lowering blood pressure | They live for a long time |
| Lowering the heartbeat | Bit costly |
| Adorable and have no demands | They can be a hassle if you move a lot |
| Fascinating and learning for kids | Not for you if you change apartments |
| Improve productivity | Not much interactive |
| Improve sleep | Can be messier |
| Aesthetically pleasing | Need to take care of food |
| Cheaper to purchase | It can be boring |
| No need of attention | |
| Good for Alzheimer’s patients | |
| Good for ADHD treatment | |
| Don’t need the space | |
| Improve your mood | |
| They don’t make noise |
Pros Of Having Fish As Pet
They Can Help In Reducing Stress
Keeping the fish in the same room or just spending some time observing them in the aquarium is shown to reduce stress at some level.
According to a study in 2015, it has been shown that having a partial or fully packed aquarium can help in reducing stress.
They Can Help In Keeping Calm And Reducing Anxiety
Fish can also help in reducing stress but studies have found that fish reduce anxiety and are helpful in keeping you calm.
It brings you mental peace, and study shows that having the aquarium in a dentist’s clinic helps in reducing the anxiety in patients who are waiting for the work to be done.
Help In Reducing The Blood Pressure
Fish are also good for the heart too. Observing the fish can help in reducing blood pressure.
Not just that, you can also reduce the heart rate too and it is roughly around 5 or 6 beats per minute.
Helps In Improving The Mood
Having a fish as your pet can improve your mood, and it can help in making you feel good.
It is calm and content, and you can get a fish depending on what you like, there are different colors and sizes available.
They Don’t Make Any Noise
To those people who are living in an apartment or a place where pets are not allowed, since most pets such as cats and dogs make noise.
You can consider having fish as pets, and they do not make any noise too.
Unlike other pets, they don’t need any space or have loud noises.
Fascinating And Learning For Kids
Fish are one of the pets that are good for kids, as they are fantastic learning experiences.
Learning to take care of small animals helps in teaching more about how to be responsible and the importance of caring regardless of how small they are.
It helps in improving the curiosity of your kids.
Fish Don’t Need A lot Of Space
Having dogs or cats means you need a space for them, to rest and to play.
However you just need an aquarium depending on how small your fish is, the space you need is just what the aquarium needs.
There are a lot of people who live in small homes or flats, and having a cat or dog is not a good option.
But you can consider the fish as your pet.
Fish Are Cheaper To Purchase
Compared to options in pets, fish are inexpensive. Also, your cost might depend on the breed, accessories, food, and aquarium.
So you can purchase the pet without having any big budgets, as they are cheap.
They Don’t Need Too Much Of Attention
You don’t have to buy different toys or items to keep your fish entertained.
Not just that, it doesn’t need to have the proper maintenance. You don’t need to take them for a walk, exercise or anything.
They do most of the work to keep you entertained. Fish are independent, and even if you don’t attend to them too much, still they will not suffer from anxiety.
You don’t have to put your attention on them. If it’s an emergency, you can get a replacement.
Fish Are Aesthetically Pleasing
Perhaps one of the reasons why aquariums are easy to find in houses, offices, and different settings.
Having fish is aesthetically pleasing and they look beautiful too.
This helps in promoting the peacefulness and calm feeling. It can also be attractive and hold the attention of anyone.
Fish also have different shapes, colors, and sizes. Watching them for a few minutes can help in relaxing and connecting nature.
Helpful For The Alzheimer Patients
While having pets like dogs and cats can help in dealing with loneliness, Alzheimer’s patients are more exposed to the fish, and they are more alert as well as relaxed.
They focus more on mealtime as well as eating more. They exhibit less aggressive and disruptive behavior which compares to the patient without having the fish tanks.
Helps In Keeping You More Productivity
Fish are helpful in giving stress relief, calmness, and help in improving productivity.
There are different companies that add aquariums at work, and it was reported to provide benefits including boosting productivity.
So you can also keep the fish at your workplace as it will improve your productivity.
It’s Good For The ADHD Therapy
For people who are suffering from ADHD, aquarium therapy can help in improving their condition.
It can help in keeping them feeling better and you can get the results more beneficiary.
Not just that, it’s good for the children and the treatment.
Help In Improving The Sleep
Not only does having fish can give you relaxation, lower stress, and anxiety but you can get quality sleep too.
Studies in the 80s showed that watching the fish can help in lowering blood pressure and is ideal for relaxation therapy as well as mediations.
If you find it difficult to sleep after having a stressful day at the office, you can have a fish as a pet. It improves the chances of having a quality sleep.
Fish Are Adorable And No Demanding
If you don’t want to have serious commitments that are needed with dogs and cats, you can consider the fish.
They are not demanding, you just need to take care of food and clean. And the rest can be independent.
Cons Of Having Fish As Pets
It Might Cost Little Bit Extra
There is no surprise that pets need the budget, and it can be purchased to pay for food.
However, you don’t need such things with fish but the cost you need is often underestimated.
There is an initial outlay of steps. You purchase the fish as well as an aquarium, it might need the equipment, also it needs depending on the size of the fish.
The fish also need the food , and it can be expensive/ You need to take care of the equipment such as :
- Water conditioner for the water treatment
- Net for catching the fish
- Gravel vacuum to keep the bottom of tank clean
- Electricity to power the filters, air pumps, lights, and heater.
Fish Are For Long Term
For the pet, you need to take care of them including love and fulfill their needs.
However, it can be challenging as it is a novelty especially if it’s for the children.
Depending on what breed you have, a well-looked fish lives at least for ten years and even more.
So it’s important to know if you are ready for that long commitment. If you are considering the kids, take care of the whole thing, acknowledge, and be more realistic.
Aquarium Requires The Maintenance On Daily Basis
Fish might not need regular feeding, however, there are different works that need to be done in order to keep a healthy environment for the fish.
The regular work that you need to do are :
- Cleaning the walls of your tanks
- Vacuuming the floor of the aquarium
- Cleaning the filter
- Changing the tank’s water
You also need to test the water on a daily basis as well as monitor the ammonia levels including nitrites, nitrates such as GH, KH, pH.
The chemistry of water is important to keep your fish healthy.
These all take time and if you have the smaller tank might be more problematic instead of having the larger ones.
You Need To Plan Before Taking A Vacation
Many pets can be easily dropped off by relatives or friends or even neighbors.
There are even businesses that are ready to take care of the pets.
However, not with the fish, you have to plan where and how your fish will be taken care of.
You don’t want to come back from vacation to take care of the dead or sick fish.
It’s not for those who move a lot or change apartments frequently should avoid having fish as pets.
Setting The Tanks Might Take Time
Before fish are added, you need to do the process which is called cycling the aquarium that is important to do it.
It basically needs pushing the tank through the nitrogen cycle, it might take the weekend and it’s crucial that your fish don’t get sick.
The whole process can take time and it can be frustrating. It’s necessary, as they build up the population of bacteria which break down the bad chemicals which are caused by waste, including fish poop.