A Moment of Zen with my Fish Tank

Whenever I talk about things that helped with my depression and anxiety, I always bring up my fish tank. It was especially helpful during the peak of the pandemic. Having something to care for and to focus on outside of myself really helped to ground and calm me.

I currently have a little 10 gallon tank that houses six fish and a mystery snail. I got this tank in January 2021. Before that, I had an even smaller tank that held a beta fish and an African dwarf frog. I absolutely loved the beautiful beta fish, and I loved that I could keep the tank on my desk because of its small size.

However, when the frog and fish both died (I think I made the water too warm when I changed it, which caused a spike in bacteria), I decided it was time for something a little more community-oriented. So I upgraded to a slightly bigger tank and filled it with glow rocks and GloFish. 

If you've never seen GloFish, they really do glow under a neon blue light. There are two sizes - the tiny danios and the slightly bigger tetras. I find the danios to be a bit more active and playful. I love watching the danios dart around as they chase each other through the tank. I also love watching the tetras drift around, completely content to have everyday be a lazy, peaceful day.

If you're struggling with depression, anxiety, or just seem to be in a funk you can't get out of, I recommend getting a fish tank. It won't solve all your problems, but it could definitely help to take the edge off and provide some relief. This gentle uptick in your mood could be just what you need in order to change your momentum and get you moving out of the darkness.

Below is a little video from my fish tank. You can see the mystery snail moving across the rocks. Mystery snails will help to clean your tank while also adding to the overall Zen ambience. They come in many colors, and along with my white one, I've had black, blue and orange.