January 08, 2009

Like little colourful marbles, they swim about clumsily in their fancy aquariums, following your finger patterns. They wait all day for you to come back and switch on the lights and then follow you around inside whatever space they have as you walk by. They blow bubbles in the water to show excitement over a good news, play peek-a-boo with you by hiding behind aquarium rocks and seaweed and then suddenly popping out. They help you get over bad days by staring at you with their tiny black eyes and doing wonderful mermaid tricks in the water. Now why wouldn't fish be the best pets in the world?

Easy to get and easy to keep, these amiable little sea creatures make the most wonderful pets, for they're not only extremely low-maintenance but also have a million other advantages over other domestic animals.

Whether kept in a jug, a fish bowl, an aquarium or a pond, they add a lot of life and colour to your home, room or garden. They neither shed hair, nor need potty training, nor do they bite; they don't bark at strange sounds or howl at the moon and the best bit is that fish are one of the least expensive pets to buy. The cost of the aquarium and associated equipment can be expensive to set up, however, one could do without all that and still keep a happy, dancing pet fish, or maybe even two.

Healthwise, pet hair allergy sufferers can breathe easy knowing their finned pets won't be shedding on the carpet or bedcovers. For parents, fish can be the safest bet (read pet) with children or infants in the house.
 

Interestingly, the rate of mortality for pet fish compared to other animals is notably higher in comparison. But that doesn't mean they don't need love and care. Pet fish do not require any further exercise than swimming in their adequately sized aquarium, but they do need regular water changes, maintenance and cleaning. One also needs to be watchful about over feeding or over washing the fish. They are tiny creatures and even if they aren't all that tiny, they need very little food to survive and over feeding can prove fatal for them. One also needs to make sure that for smaller containers, there should be one small sized fish or maximum two per container; stuffing too many in a small space can cause them to jump out and die.

Available on kiosks, aquarium shops and pet stores in a hundred different shades, shapes, colours and sizes, fish can prove to be the best pets ever, if handled with care.