What do fish have to do with dogs?

My tank setup

For me, this New Year brings… a new pet!
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I recently bought myself a fish tank for a new little betta fish!

As it happens, getting an actual FISH is more complicated than it seems.​

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I decided on a sturdy surface in a quiet location to place the tank. I installed the light and filter, and I filled the tank with water, gravel, and plants. It has been running for a week now, but it’s missing one very important element:

Where’s the fish?!?

I’ve had fish before – in college I had several betta fish in little fish bowls, and later I had a small tank with schooling fish – but it has been many years since I've had the experience of setting up a tank.

A typical betta fish setup

In these years, I’ve learned a lot through my career training dogs about how, as animal trainers and pet owners alike, the health of an animal must be our number one priority. I appreciate maintaining working relationships with local vets, and often the first question I ask my new dog training clients is, “When was the last time your dog has been to the vet?”

With our pet dogs and cats it’s often easy to see when they are sick, but with smaller pets and exotic animals it’s much more difficult. I have been to animal training conferences and seminars in zoos and aquariums, and have come to understand the importance of making sure an animal’s habitat – his home – is safe, clean, and healthy for him to live in.

In college my betta fish survived just fine in their little bowls; but now I have to ask myself, were they really ok, or was their habitat actually as comfortable and healthy for the fish as it could be?

A betta fish's native habitat... doesn't look like a fish bowl.

Our animals – domestic, yes, but especially the more exotic pets – didn’t ask to be pets. The little betta fishes would probably rather be out in their native Asia swimming through rice paddies, than stuck in a tank with people gawking at them all day. It is our responsibility, then, as pet owners, to respect their lives and help them be as happy and healthy as possible in the time we have them.

Now, instead of just putting some water in a bowl and dropping the fish in, I’m making sure my fish tank is truely ready for the fish. That means making sure the lighting and temperature are appropriate for the fish to not just survive, but to live comfortably and thrive. And most importantly – and most frustratingly – checking the water quality to make sure that the water will be free of toxins which the fish may or may not be able to tolerate.

Still too much harmful Ammonia for a betta fish to be comfortable

The tank has been set up now for a week; when will it be ready for a fish? Unfortunately, all I know is, it will be ready when it’s ready. It takes time for water conditioners to work, and I'm trying to practice patience.

Without even realizing it, we so often tend to rush into getting a pet and make irrational decisions about when is the right time. It may not be the right time to get a little puppy when your life is already busy with other family activities and priorities. It may not be the right time to take in a cat when you’re not sure how your dog will behave around a cat. And it may not be the right time to get a pet bird if you have neighbors or roommates who will be bothered by the noise birds make.

None of us like to see an animal suffering (who among us DOESN’T change the channel when we hear that Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial start??), but often we don’t even realize that we could be doing better for our animals.

Oh NO! Where's the remote??

So I will be patient, and wait until the time is right to bring home my new betta fish!

Do you have a fish tank? How long did it take until your tank was ready for fish? Comment below - I'd love to hear your stories and see pictures of your setups!