i’m starting college in the fall and i’m allowed to have a fish in my dorm which i would love but i don’t know if it would be a good idea. i live about two hours away from where i’m going to school, and i don’t know if a fish would be able to do that travel over breaks and i don’t want to leave it alone in the dorm. do you have any advice for any way i might be able to make this work or if i just shouldn’t, or do you know anyone who might be able to help me figure this out? thanks

why-animals-do-the-thing:

I honestly don’t know – I think it depends on the type of fish as well as how your dorm operates. (Sometimes they’ll find off heat / power firing mandatory campus closures, and you need to find out what sort of power backup you’d need for the tank systems in case of a power surge or fire alarm in the building.)

Fishblr, can you guys weigh in please?

It’s not a good idea, honestly. Fish don’t do well with being transported back and forth on breaks, plus it’s a huge hassle. Also, they’ll most likely only allow you a very small aquarium, which will need frequent water changes to keep clean. You also don’t know if any regular spraying of insecticide would get into the water. It’s theoretically possible, but it would be a lot of hassle for you and a lot of stress for the fish. 

You could see if a small insect enclosure would be a possibility, or you could try a terrarium full of plants. I suggest small plants anyway- some recent studies have indicated that people are calmer, less stressed, and more productive if they have plants nearby.