Building a fish tank

Wrote this on Arie's facebook, hee hee, want to keep this writing in a more permanent place.

Mommie decided to write about this day - the day I brought fishes home.

We had a school excursion to Pasir Ris Kids' Kampong and I brought back some fishes, 17 in all.

Mommie's first reaction: (thinking) "Ok..... now we have to get a fish tank, and prepare to have our first pets -_-" And I'm totally not prepared for it!! Aiya, these tiny fishes... how long can they survive anyway?? Very troublesome, you know..I'm very busy as it is."

After we got home, we put the fishes in the small tiny pail given by Kids' Kampong because mommie doesn't know where to put them. Mommie is still thinking, "Are we ready for pets?!!"

Anyhow, I was excited about it. It's kind of fun to see the fishes swimming around. However, after 2 hours, things do not look too good in that tiny pail. The fishes were coming to the surface. They were not too active. Overcrowding perhaps? Can you imagine 17 fishes in a tiny pail. We saw some fishes starting to fight... huh? Guppies supposed to fight meh? Suddenly, mommie thought, "Maybe they are out of air?!!" Afraid that they will die, she quickly rushed downstairs (in the hot sun) in attempt to get a fish tank with a pump. Unfortunately, pet shop was not open. She frantically went to the hardware stores to see if she can get anything at all. Luckily they have a manual pump. So, we got back. Mommie pumped air into the tiny pail. The fishes got very scared coz the impact was too great. Hmm... the fishes still didn't seem happy.

After nap, I had my snack. I figured that the fishes must be hungry too. I told Mommie, "The fishes must be hungry, and maybe thirsty... wait, maybe they can drink the water from the pail, but they have no food." So, we rushed downstairs again, in the hot sun, in attempt to get fish food. Luckily, the pet shop was opened. Unfortunately, they didn't sell any fish tank. Anyhow, we bought the fish food. Mommie asked the lady at the pet shop some questions...

We went home, fed the fishes, pumped more air into the tiny pail.. the fishes tried to eat the food, but they were clashing into each other. Some decided to not move or swim at all, but stay stationary. Hmm... the fishes didn't seem too happy and the tiny pail is now so filthy with waste and food. Mommie thought maybe they are not hungry, since they are not eating the food much.

Suddenly, we had an idea!! Maybe the problem is simply over-crowding!! We transferred the fishes into a bigger pail. We noticed they started eating their food! They were swimming, and when asked, "How's your fishes doing?" Il replied, "'The fishes are very happy now. They are swimming." Mommie heaved a sigh of relief.

Daddy came home at the end of the day, with a nice fish tank, complete with artificial plants. Mei Mei was excited to see the fishes. She stood over the fishes, and in her thunderous voice, shouts continuously, "Come! Come!" I think that scared the fishes coz they stopped swimming and gathered together at the other end of the pail, very apprehensive of what mei mei will do to them.

We finally transferred the fishes into a the tank. They have even more space now and even space in between the plants, to take a breather and to hide from giants like us. Mommie, who totally had no experience with fishes, asked Daddy, "So, was there enough air? Was there enough food? Will the tank be sufficient? Do we need the pump?" Daddy replied, "Actually fishes such as these do not need a lot of food. The air should be sufficient, although I will try to get a simple pump tomorrow. They should be quite easy to maintain. Actually what will kill them is stress and rough-handling?" Mommie felt terrible and said, "Oh dear... I must have given them quite a lot of scare this afternoon." Daddy also suggested that now with a nicer, bigger tank now, we can even get more fishes in. I am totally excited about the new fish tank, and even more excited about bringing in new fishes, purple fishes perhaps?? :)


As mommie is writing this, she can't help but smile coz of the many analogies she can draw to this upcoming elections and the problems that we as a nation, is facing now. After reading so many articles, perhaps it is a time to de-clutter and to reflect. Lessons she learns from this day:

1. For this election, many people are angry. Why are people angry? Singaporeans are not complicated people. Most people we speak to, in the food courts, in the taxis, on the train, are simple people. Perhaps people are angry about things to do with their daily lives. Perhaps the problem is overcrowding. With overcrowding, food and other resources seem scarce to many, even if it might not necessarily be so.


2. Having more than 1 point of view is good, for any situation. Mommie has actually consulted the lady in the pet shop on what she should do, while waiting for the fish tank. The lady in the shop says that we need to put the 17 fishes in a pail, perhaps as big as those you use to wash clothes. Oh my goodness! Almost all afternoon, mommie has been putting it in a tiny pail like the ones we use to make sandcastles!! How glad I am, that the overcrowding didn't kill the fishes. Moral of the story, it's always good to listen to different parties.


3. Daddy came home, we built the tank, and boy, was I excited that the fishes now have a nice habitat to live in. We could bring in more fishes now. We waited a long time for the tank to come in, but I'd think it's worth the wait. Moral of the story: As we bring more people in, we need to build the right environment, the right space. Most imnportantly, we need to know what we can expect if more fishes were to go intot he tank. If we were going to buy new fishes, perhaps we need to screen the fishes too, coz we certainly do not want to put in a piranha or fighting fish? We need to assimilate these fishes so every fish will live in harmony. I would think the current fishes that we have now would not have too much of an objection, so long as there is enough space; so long as we provide adequate space and resources.

4. Finally, since it's Mother's Day this Sunday, I msut give mommie some credit for her efforts. Although she has never had a pet in her life, although she has no clue what it takes to build a fish tank, although she was a little apathetic in the beginning about us getting pets, although she has heard many parents tell her that these fishes will die anyway, why bother? she still made the efforts. She may run around like some headless chicken all afternoon, but I appreciate her making a few trips to try getting the tank, the food, in the hot hot sun. She asked and listened - phew, that was probably what saved the fishes).


Finally, whether the fishes will eventually grow and how big our fish tank will get. we do not know, coz we will not know the future. But what I know is, today, all 17 fishes are fine and happy.


These are just mommie's some personal thoughts which she wants to document, to remind us of our childhood days and the watershed election of 2011. On points of the election, these are issues, 'arguments' one has read, probably in a thousand articles. (so, you don't really have to read this one :P) Nonetheless I would think today is a memorable day, and so will 8th of May 2011.


Disclaimer: By the way, and very importantly re. pt no. 4, mommie is not intending it as self praise. At the end of the day, the fishes actually helped her to de-stress. ;) She's actually grateful to the fishes :)