I had fish when I was young, didn’t get another tank until last year, I got Maria some fish and snails for her birthday. I started with a 10 gallon, then we upgraded to a 30 gallon tank.

We have three goldfish and seven snails. Maria has named each one of the fish – Frieda, Diego and Trotsky – and the snails are named Socrates, Junior, and Emily, and four more brown snails and tiger snails are as yet unnamed.

Maria is so into the snails I got her two snail books, they are actually quite remarkable creatures. They are keeping our tank clean and free of algae.

I’ve drifted back into aquarium care, I change the water regularly, clean the tank, organize the plants, change the filters, monitor the ammonia and other levels.

I’ve also ordered driftwood from Vietnam and moss sculptures grown out of lava rock. I am proud of the interior design, it is quite beautiful and natural. Twice a month, I use a pump to clean the gravel.

We have simple and happy fish. The tank is crystal clear. The snails are healthy and busy.

The tank has struck a pretty deep chord in both of us, to my surprise.

Maria loves the tank and the fish – she loves all living things – and sits and looks into the tank several times a day,  and  I love taking responsibility for its maintenance.

A healthy tank takes a lot of care, and all of it has come back to me. Fish were my world for some years, I have remembered almost all of it.