Last summer on a whim, I went out and bought my very first pet! For absolutely no reason other than I had the money to do it, Benny the Beta Fish joined the family. Since then I have had two other fish and three snails.
Now you’re probably wondering why this is what I chose to write about. Ever since becoming a fish mom, I can honestly say I feel more confident in keeping up with routines. Feeding the fish, cleaning their tank, and talking to them every once in a while has kept me on track the past few months.
Going to school and leaving them behind was actually really tough because, believe it or not, I became attached to these little guys. Benny was the first Beta I purchased and I still have him, he is thriving to say the least and his partner Kenny the snail is also doing extremely well. A few weeks after purchasing Benny I bought Reggy.
Now sadly Reggy is no longer with us and neither is his snail companion Peggy. They, however, were both amazing comrades to Benny and were a great addition to my tiny aqua family. After Reggy passed, I decided that Benny needed a friend still.
Keep in mind Beta fish will attack one another if they are in a tank that doesn’t separate them, so my tank has a divider that cuts it right in half. With that being said I decided to mix it up a little and add a female to the family. Her name is Mary Lou and she has gotten super big since I bought her. She also has a snail named Stew and they are best buds!
All of them have become part of my daily life. Studies say that watching them swim around and talking to them about your day actually eases anxiety. I have done both of those things and I almost feel like they can recognize my voice at this point. They always swim to the front of the tank and look at me, probably because they are like “what the heck is that giant thing?!” I like to take it as they are saying “hi mom!”
Either way, I love the little guys with all my heart and would stop at nothing to make sure they are healthy and happy just as I would for my land animals. If you’re looking for an easy and maintainable pet I definitely suggest purchasing some fish. Make sure you get all the proper materials to care for their tank and livelihood and have fun! Be the fish parent you’ve always aspired to be!