An odd little addiction

[bozco]

I am now in my second semester of university and I am suprised at myself.

This past summer in preperation to move out of my parent's house and into school dormatory rooms I sold or gave away almost all my aquarium stock and equiptment. I kept only a 33 gal tank stocked with the odds and ends of fish that I had become personally attached to, and one betta in a 1 gal container.

Sadly the betta died the day before I moved away to school. Rules prevent the keeping of pets in the dorm rooms, unless it is a fish in less than 5 gal of water.

While the tank at home remains under the care of my dad I found that after two weeks in september of not having a living creature under my own care I returned home for the weekend to get my betta bowl and bought myself a new fish.

I later aquired another container and stocked it with plants and snails which I find oddly entertaining.

Then two weeks ago, while home for a visit I discovered that the tank I left behind (which has suffered man losses under my dad's care) was still home to a dwarf frog I was given from my neighbour's over stocked tank back in the summer. Since the tank was losing its occupants it was getting fed less and so not enough food was sinking to the bottom to be eaten by the frog. He was the skinniest thing I have ever seen, literally starving to death. So I've scooped him out and brought him to school with me which involved buying a bigger container (I got a 3.5 gal critter keeper) and live foods (roommates still don't know what I've got in that plastic container in the fridge)

My intention had been to not have any pets in my dorm and I was certainly not going to invest any more time or money into fish or their aquatic counterparts. But, here I am again, though limited in what I can get away with watching a frog munch on worms while his new roommate the betta builds another bubble nest.

What is it about fish that is so appealing, that once you start you can't let anyone keep you away from them?

[Golfnut]

Yeah I agree, when I first saw my friends 10 gallon with flourescent lights and neons I got hooked.... when was that... ohhh about grade 5 or 6. Yeesh.

In university I bought my largest tank a 25 gallon and it helped me get through school by relieving stress ...

Now I have 6-8 tanks and they still relieve my stress, but from work. Thank good ness for AA and Buy & Sell.

Cheers,

Andrew