By Elle Logue and Laurel Merrick,
Editors-in-Chief.
Have you ever walked into a friend’s room, seen every surface occupied by tanks of water and weird pebbles and thought that there might be something fishy going on there? Perhaps your friend is secretly a mermaid! But as they walk in and explain, you realize they’re simply an avid fish owner. Though not the most common pet, once you get one fish, it’s not long before there are two fish, red fish and blue fish.
Sophomore and fish admirer Haylee Javier Yang is the owner of six fish that have managed to stay alive for one whole year, which is pretty impressive considering the track record of fish. “Personally, I like how colorful. . . my fishes are, ‘cause they’re really nice to look at,” said Javier Yang. She added that although the fish tanks do take up some room, it’s worth the counter space to have these companions.
Sophomore Fin Simmons also has quite an affinity for these aquatic creatures. Simmons is the owner of a whopping 21 fish and two snails: “I started getting into fish in 2023 and only realized my obsession when I purchased my second 20-gallon tank.” Simmons explained that the reason they love owning fish is because “I find comfort in being able to make things pretty, so arranging the landscape and plant life in the aquariums is really enjoyable.”
However, not everyone is built for owning these lovely creatures. “They have a tendency to be dramatic,” warned Simmons. “If they have trouble acclimating [to] a tank or they don’t like a certain food, they get sick, so having to buy a lot of medicine and chemicals to make them happy can definitely hurt the bank account.” If you aren’t prepared for fish potentially playing dead and having to spend your hard-earned money dealing with these wannabe theater kids, it might be smart to avoid these fishy friends.
That said, Simmons recommends getting a pet fish to anybody who has an interest, but not without proper research. “I know so many fish owners that don’t understand proper care and give their fish mediocre lives,” said Simmons. “I believe that if someone understands the responsibility of having a fish is the same as any other pet, they should 100% try to be a fish owner.”
Fish are the perfect pets for those with some free time, open surface tops and empty tanks. If you don’t want the hassle of any other pet (daily walks, vacuuming up fur, buying pounds worth of dog food and scooping kitty litter), but don’t mind putting the time into cleaning tanks and supervising your fishy friends, then a fish might just be the right pet for you!
