We the fish keepers of the world all caught the bug of having aquariums filled with fish for all corners of the globe from somebody or something. This bug has been infecting the human race for decades upon decades. Some of the intellectuals of our higher society have speculated that bug is either has been transmitted from a far off world to ours or that is has been imbedded into the links of our own human DNA structure by a alien life form that has visited us many centuries ago. Maybe this is why a DNA model looks like pyramids connecting???

Well personally I know my own bug did not arrive to me in either of these fashions, of course they do sound plausible. My bug came to me at the age of twelve when a church in my neighborhood was having a large community garage sale.

My purchase was a small round fish bowl no bigger than a crystal ball with three guppies in it. This first purchase cost me a total of a quarter. Come to think of it to this day this is the cheapest amount of money that I have ever spent on my favorite hobby. Of  course after placing my new found friends on my dresser in my bedroom and curiously watching their every move for several days I decided that they needed larger quarters to live in.

At a store first I bought a ten gallon tank which was the slate bottomed type, I hope this info doesn’t give away my age, and after returning home I placed the guppies in. After several return trips to the store more items were attained, an electric air pump(yes daughter of mine they did have electricity was I was a kid), live plants and some decorations. All these things I purchased from money I had earned cutting neighbor’s lawns.
 After several weeks I noticed baby guppies swimming around in the floating plants. I mean to tell you A LOT of babies. This truly was a miracle of life to witness this, don’t forget I was twelve. But the babies kept coming and coming ! If I remember correctly I do believe I got another tank or two at yard sales.

Well at the present point in time this affection with nature and the likes has caused my own bug to go full flame into a virus, I think as long as the electricity bill stays under two hundred a month this virus won’t be a deadly one. My virus at present is currently is up to about forty or so tanks all running(no of course I’m not married be serious)and always extra empty tanks that have been purchased at club auctions or garage sales can be found stacked in corner or two.. or three.. or four….   Of course don’t forget all that  extra equipment we all bought that couldn’t be passed up on.

This is my point to all of this, who will be the next generation of fish keeping? I’m sure some of our own children will someday get this  bug too, it’s contagious you know, but it may be the child who may live in your neighborhood that has been in your home at sometime or another and has marveled at what you have in your own aquarium. Whether you have one tank or several they all will get questions asked about them from a curious admirer of some sort or another. If not by some neighborhood children it could be a relative or friend.

This is a suggestion to all to consider that will surely help this bug of ours to continue to the end of time itself. If a friend of yours seems to quite interested in the fish keeping hobby, you know the ones who’s question one day progresses  to multiple questions on another day, offer to sell him or her a starter aquarium out of all those goodies that you have acquired over the years at modest price. Now don’t forget when you do this good deed for the bug ( excuse me I mean cause not bug ) you have automatically enrolled into answering questions for a long time.

Now this is even better yet, you remember the neighbors child who always seems so inquisitive about your fish? Well instead of selling them a tank it would be better to just give it to them. Yes, I did say give. Giving something away always make you fell good deep down inside. You know that feeling don’t you. Since you still wish to be invited to this child’s home when their parent has that next cookout it would be quite advisable to ask the parent’s permission before the offer is made.

Now if not to one child how about giving the tank outfit to several children. Several children? One tank? Yes how about calling a local school and finding out if this gift could be utilized in a classroom for several children to enjoy. I heard someone say that if you spread this bug around a little here or a little there it doesn’t seem to bother you as bad when you realize that there is  many more out there suffering as you do yourself. So to all out there I say with great love in my heart: "SUFFER-SUFFER-SUFFER!!!"