Life in an Aquarium

Many an evening in Ampang, the family would sit around and just watch the 'fishy' antics in the small aquarium that B keeps. B started the aquarium with an Oscar cichlid, a catfish and a little lobster. She also had a decor piece with green and other coloured plastic plants placed in the tank. She later introduced some other tropical fish (including Rainbow) into the tank but over the next few weeks the smaller fish 'disappeared', cleaned up by the little lobster after the dominant Oscar had probably terrorised and killed them. Medium sized fish (Midas cichlid?) seemed to be charging and nipping at each other even as the bigger Oscar did the same to them!

Oscar and Lobster (CNB 2011)

Then the other day we read an article in the latest National Geographic magazine about 'Life in a fishbowl'. Biologist Ronald Oldfield's study indicated that pet fish behaviour is greatly influenced by tank size and decor. The fish usually nip and charge at each other in the small typical home tank (like B's), and the attacks subsided in bigger tanks with decor of alcoves and plants. He explained that in the small home tank environments 'aggression becomes cost effective' because fish have nothing else to do in their confined spaces.

Oscar and 'friends' (CNB 2012)

Oldfield's findings means that B has to reduce to a minimum, the number of residents in her little aquarium so they have enough individual space. And the family (read: moi) will not get so worked up about pet fish dying well before their usual life span of 2-3 years!
** Update: 7.6. 2013 Oscar, RIP.