Not everyone can have an aquarium in the house.
Aquariums are in. They are made so beautiful, so irresistible. And they are everywhere. I see them in shopping malls, even at the newspaper stall. Interestingly there was a fengshui magazine and some books telling people how to place an aquarium for wealth. A very enterprising news agent indeed.
What should we know about aquariums especially aquariums in the house? And what does fengshui have to say about aquariums?
Everybody is talking about wanting an aquarium. Even the sweet secretary wants one next to her cluttered desk. Incidentally it used to be a small water plant which did not come cheap. I think the reason for this is partly due to easy access to information in our e-society.
I love fishes and aquariums. Used correctly that is. I find them beautiful and nice to look at. I only have trouble with the downside of having an aquarium in the home.
Let’s look at the down side of aquariums. We shall assume that there will be fishes in them.
1. It always come with at least one electric pump, water or pneumatic.
This is where the problem is. The pumps are noisy even if you have a low powered one for rearing guppies. If it is an arowana or any of those active amazon fishes, they need lots of oxygen and filtration and the only way to get that is to have a larger more powerful system.
With this comes vibration and noise.
2. The fishes produce waste
It is a constant cycle of eating and waste. If we are not careful, it becomes a source of smell and contamination.
3 Fishes are territorial and predatory
Most fishes do feed on prepared feed. However some thrive better on live food. In that sense it is a constant survival jungle teeming within the home.
If my observation is correct, the more aggressive the person, the bigger are the fishes. Not only are the fishes big, they tend to be carnivores. They feed on other live fishes. Pity those poor little fishes which are thrown in daily as food. Do they feel terrified every time the big fella looms by. And there is no escape. A never ending horror!
4. The display of lights
To make them look beautiful, aquariums are fitted with lights and they are often left 24/7.
This is another downside. With the lights on it becomes a constant in that space. This is not good feng shui no matter what the wealth experts say.
Aquariums are pretty much a recent fad. Aquariums are nice to have and if you really do want one, wise it is to go through the four downsides and see how to minimize them.
Here are some suggestions.
a Not too big not too small
I would suggest that the aquarium must match your space. That is, it must blend with space. I am referring to size. It should not be too large as to overpower the space.
B base must be solid
The aquarium should sit on a solid base. This will help to absorb and dissipate the vibration of the pumps(s). The base should murmur when you place your palm on it.
There was mention of a modern feng shui case with a bad ending. I do not want to fear-monger but please keep what was just said in mind.
C keep the aquarium clean
D avoid carnivorous aquariums
e use commercial feed rather than live food
In our own small way we can contribute to a better environment. The chase after the good life always involves some form of selfishness and selfishness can only contribute to some negativity somewhere along the way. In playing our part and doing our best, at the very least, we have done our bit.
(There is a record of aquarium being used as a feng shui tool. It was recorded on You XiYin’s record of Yang houses – Dong Ting Shandong Zhu Zhai .
In this case the use of aquarium was more towards the application of water in the interplay of the five elements. Its application was more of using the energies on a subtle level. Students may like to note this is different from contemporary propaganda which teaches so much about the benefits of aquarium.)
Vasthu Shastra, the Indian practice, if I remember well, strictly forbids rearing fishes inside the house.
