Something Fishy for Families

While some parents hit the gym or the yoga mat, others find drawing or painting a great way to relax and relieve stress. For still others, nature is the best balm.

Then there are those of us who enjoy the calming presence of an aquarium in our homes.

Scientists at the National Marine Aquarium studied the effect of a large exhibit on visitors. While the tank slowly filled with water and then with fish, viewers’ moods improved and their heart rates and blood pressure dropped.

“Even watching a normal tank — the light and the movement of the artificial seaweed — was quite relaxing for people. (Then) when we added the fish, it definitely made a difference,” the lead researcher, Deborah Cracknell, told the Denver Post.

Dr. Phillip Romero, a family psychologist in Manhattan, told LifeZette, “Neuroscience has made great advances in understanding the mechanisms of toxic stress and ways to reverse it. When relationship stress becomes chronic, it can have severe consequences for all human interactions, including mother to infant as well as marital and family relations.”

Aquariums can play a significant role in a stress-resilient lifestyle, said Romero.

They’re more prevalent in the American household than many of us realize. Some 3 million homes have freshwater aquariums, while another 3 million enjoy the saltwater variety.

The American Pet Products Association notes that 95.5 million freshwater fish are swimming around in those U.S. tanks, outpacing cats in America (85.8 million) and dogs (77.8 million). Saltwater fish are at a modest 9.5 million.

According to the Something Fishy Aquarium Service, which works with Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut as well other public and private aquariums, in the U.S. right now there are 2 million freshwater tanks and 8 million saltwater tanks.

The American Pet Products Association notes that 95.5 million freshwater fish are swimming around in all those tanks, outpacing cats in America (85.8 million) and dogs (77.8 million). Saltwater fish are at a modest 9.5 million.

The movements of fish can have a positive effect on our emotions and psychological state, according to Dr. William H. Sledge of the Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital.

“The fish’s movement is not chaotic or sharp — it’s orderly, fluid and harmonious,” he noted in a recent white paper. “At the same time, the movements are random, not repetitive, so patients don’t get bored watching. I’ve always been impressed with how the tanks become the focal point for people who are in distress or in an anxious state.”

Christopher Higgins, 35, a firefighter and father of two in Westchester County, New York, has an aquarium in his home populated by eight fish.

“It’s cathartic. I just watch sometimes,” he said. “The fish find swim patterns and you just follow them with your eyes.”

The upkeep of an aquarium is low, he said, just about half an hour a month after the full set up is complete.

With their natural beauty, soothing nature, and easy maintenance, fish and their aquariums fit the bill for great stress relievers for families.

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