Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Big Fish Small Pond - negatives.

As you probably know by now, I love pet fish and have had, and still have both tropical and Coldwater fish. As stated in other blogs, one problem with keeping fish is that you sometimes end up with fish that become too aggressive. Another problem is that there are just so many interesting fish out there that there is the problem of having to decide what types, varieties and even size fish you will have in your tank.

If you are fortunate and have the space, (& a lovely wife who will let you have more than one tank in the house,) that is not too insurmountable a problem and you can have separate tanks for different size fish. Smallish ones in one and biggish ones in another. {And if you are really lucky even a third tank for some others, who you would not normally put with your favourites.}

An altogether amicable arrangement, accept for one thing. What to do with the occasional fish that doesn’t clearly fit either designation and you have to decide whether to make it a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?

Some people are a bit like this big fish - small fish Conundrum. Putting them in a small pond makes then the BIG Fish. If they are of benign character this is no problem. However if they are an aggressive specimen and have no bigger fish to keep that aggression in Check they can be disruptive to the whole eco system of the pond. Which being small offers little to protect the little ones from these aggressors.

How to handle the problem? Remove any and all aggressors either completely or to a bigger tank if possible/ practical, where they will be relegated to their proper place in the pond’s “Pecking order”. Alternatively move most if not all the smaller fish to a bigger tank where they will have the opportunity to ‘Shine” without constantly being bullied by not necessarily more important fish, just bigger aggressive ones.

Restoring and maintaining a happy environment is all important whether in a fish tank or the work place. Where do you fit in and do you need a change of fish tanks? Not necessarily for your own sake but for the sake of the others, because you have simply become too big (even if only in your own head) for the common good.

Again what can you do to restore the natural or safe environment? Over to You: Walter.

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