Goldfish bowl crimes

It finally happened, a European City has passed a law disallowing bad aquarium keeping. According to a Reuters news article from its OddlyEnoughNews, the town council of Rome has passed a by-law penalizing the keeping of Goldfish in smal round aquarium bowls.

Here is a link to the article:
Rome bans goldfish bowls
Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:38 PM ET
Link to the article

The Reuter's article said that a newspaper reported that the putting of a goldfish in a fishbowl causes blindness and the same newspaper said that a number of fish experts says that the bowl did not provide enough oxygen for the fish.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. However, there are certain assumptions mentioned in the article that should be clarified.

The keeping of goldfish in a small fishbowl does not cause blindness. The improper keeping of fish in fishbowl does this. The blindness is actually caused by an infection that is caused when the fish is stressed. It happens when the environment of the fish compromised, ie too much pollution in the system.

The Aquarium is a mini-enclosed ecosystem. Waste products from the food and the fish are recirculated in the system. They are removed by aquatic plants or converted to less toxic substances by aged biological filters. Physical, chemical and bacteriological filters also aid in removing toxic and potentially toxic substances. And ultimately water change removes the toxci substances from the aquarium.

Aside from an an introduction of toxic ingredient into the aquarium, bad aquarium keeping is the main reason behind deceased fish and and aquarium failure.

Keeping fish in a small container is possible, as long as you follow the correct stocking rate. My personal rule of thumb is when it comes to stocking fish is five to seven gallons per total body length of fish.

Even if you disregard the volume rule it is still possible to keep the fish in a small aquarium. I have known and met several people who have succesfully and humanely kept goldfish in fish bowls. The reason why they are succesful, despite the size of the tanks, is because they changed their water with conditioned water everyday.

It really boils down to proper aquarium keeping.

I do not hate the law;I think its proper in order to encourage proper aquarium keeping. It is just that one hopes that they did for the correct reason.

Maybe one day they will require people to own a license in order to keep aquariums.

I wonder what law will be passed next?

Aquariums & a Fish Show

Spent nearly the whole weekend setting-up aquariums, purchasing fish and plants for the simple aquarium project. So far so good. The endeavor took me to old familiar routes and old friends.

I was able to get a couple of good bettas from Angel Ampil. Three pairs of Bettas all in all. Angel must be the prime source of ornamental fishes in Metro Manila at the moment. I have know Angel for years and we sort of grown old in the hobby. Its nice to see familiar faces in the hobby.

Next day I went to Cartimar and bought some plants. Cartimar is the center of the tropical fish trade in the Philippines, at least the retail trade. There are several dealers in Quezon City, Manila and Paranaque but because a lot of the tropical fish and pet shops are in Cartimar there is a tendency for the prices to go below the prevailing rate. Plus at one go you can see ten or even twenty shops at one go. For those not so hot on ornamental fish Cartimar also is the place to buy garden plants, shoes, bicycles, Japanese goods and winter clothes - its probably the only place in Metro Manila that you can outfitted for a journey to the South Pole.

The funny thing about not going to a place for years, my friends who are really into the hobby make a regular pilgrimage each week, is that things change. One of the shop I used to visit and befriended the owners was gone. Instead of aquariums and fishes I saw a room full of cages of budgies. I was surprised at the time I frequented Cartimar they were probably one of the most succesful businesses there. I wonder, what happened to them? Where did they go?

A few days later I found myself viewing some fish at the fish show at Glorietta Mall. There were a mix variety of fish from guppies to goldfish and from bony tongues to cichlids. I came though for the fish I fancy for the moment... the bettas. I think the event was a laudable attempt for local hobbyists and everyone involved deserves adequate praise but as in all things there is room for improvements.

A simple aquarium project

My aquarium keepining has taken a hiatus for the past four or five years. I still keep fish but the time and energy I allot for fish keeping has been kept to a minimum. I still have my aquariums and ponds. Nearly all my ponds and tanks are in the state of perfect equilibrium.

I hardly go to Cartimar or any of pet shops anymore. Unlike my friends who habitually go there every other day. Some still make the trek to Cartimar for business (their interest in fish have developed into a money-making venture) and there are some whose spending capacity has increased that now they can afford to buy a fish everyweek, or it could be possible that the fish die on them, hence the need to repopulate the tank.

I once had a petshop. More exactly I once had a fish shop. It seemed like a good idea at the time. A friend of mine and I hatched upon the idea. The shop lasted for two years or so. Although hobbyists, we were literally fish out of water. Keeping fish and going into the fish business are two different things. One is concerned with keeping the fish and satisfying one's taste, while the other is concerned with keeping and selling the fish.

It was good (not splendid but good) while it lasted. As in any business you really have to focus your attention on it. Situations change and priorities begin to rearrange themselves. And day by day we found ourselves drifting away from the business. In the end we had to give up the business and went our separate ways.

Still, lessons were learned and not forgotten, I hope.

So here I am now in the present with a surplus of aquariums, a stable population of fish, two or three types of aquatic plants, and the fish bug has bitten me again.

Yet, the lessons from my days as a tropical fish shop owner still lingers. The shadow of disappoinment continues to haunt me like a Bengal Tiger ready to pounce.

The thing is I am not even starting a business. I am just trying to make the tanks useful and possibly of some worth. Who knows down the line what this might bring.

Musing over the possibilities and cost involved I have resolved to make the following my goals:

1. Set-up and establish my fish ponds and aquariums with little input of electricity and change in water.

2. Attain equilibrium in each pond and aquarium

3. Breed fish and propagate plants

I think this is possible because it has been done. The trick is in the stocking rate, the presence of aquatic plants and the input of solar enery - sunlight. Taking these three things into the equation I believe it is possible to maintain an aquarium in equilibrium without the aid of electrical powered filters.

Konrad Lorentz did and recounted the tale in his book King Solomon's Ring (1952).

"It costs almost nothing and is indeed wonderful: cover the bottom of the glass tank with clean sand, and insert in this foundation a few stalks of water plants...As sson as the water has cleared and the plants have begun to grow, put in some little fishes"

And in my experience in keeping Planted Freshwater Aquariums, Salt Water aquariums with algae scrubbers/sea grass this is possible.

Anyway, I will find this out in a the preceding days.

Fish Show at Glorietta on the 18th of October

Aquarists, tropical fish keepers, fish fanciers and assorted piscinarii:

The Philippine Arowana and Lou Han Society will be hosting a Fish show at the Glorietta 2 lobby in Makati from October 18 to 23. Exhibit will be open during mall hours.

I have learned that the fish show will include exhibits and competition involving several categories of fish groups - including but not limited to Bettas and goldfishes.

If you are in the hobby, starting out in the hobby or contemplating in the hobby the fish show would be a nice place to see assorted fishes on display.