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Fish for Feng Shui

atla-091008-fish.jpgOwning a pet requires time and money, things that may be in short supply in your own life. If this is your situation, why not try a fish? Fish not only make good pets for those who may not have the regular life that a dog or a cat requires but they're also good for your home's feng shui. Watching them swim is a proven destresser and anxiety reducer. And, in addition to promoting balance in your soul they can promote it in your home and life as well...

 
 

The placement of your fish's bowl will determine in which area of your life your fish will provide luck:


  • to the left of your front door (as you face it from inside), look for a surge of good energy in your life.
  • In the east side of your home, your fish will promote energy and ambition, health and family.
  • in the southeast, try a square or rectangular container for wealth and general abundance. A round bowl in the southeast will also work as long as it's small.
  • In the north area of your space, the best choice is a round bowl. Here, the placement supports career luck


Multiples of three fish provide the most luck and symbolize “yang” energy. The best combination is two goldfish (representing good luck and energy) and one black fish (representing protection). But even one fish will activate the chi in your space.
One caveat: never place the fish in your bedroom or in your kitchen.


[Image: Jenn Jenn's Flickr, with a Creative Commons License]

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pets: dogs, cats, snakes, etc., feng shui, fish

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Comments (15)

I could never keep goldfish alive. Dead fish are not good feng shui.

posted by Nephthys on September 10th 2008 at 10:47am
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Fish can be very expensive. and needy. I just spent $40 nursing a $4 beta back to good health. I'm probably the one in a million who would go to that extreme though. shhh.... And cleaning their tank is no fun at all. So then you buy an expensive filter to do it for you and a noisy humming filter is not a relaxing time.

posted by parsons3 on September 10th 2008 at 10:52am
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Is it bad feng shui if your cat eats your fish?

...yeah, I thought so.

posted by Cassis on September 10th 2008 at 11:03am
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I had several male bettas. They did just fine, lived quite a while, and were so pretty I enjoyed watching them.

I had 2 female ones, both committed suicide. Literally. They both just up and jumped out of the bowl, flapped around and died.

Not. Good. Feng. Shui.

posted by iheartmini on September 10th 2008 at 11:05am
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I went to Crate and Barrel and got one of those large London Hurricanes to act as a fish bowl. It's tall and narrow and perfect for my studio apartment. I started with four "feeder" goldfish, only $.19 each at the local pet store. They're small and perfect for the size of the bowl. Unfortunately, three died, so now I'm left with one fish. An arrogant little bugger. He knows when he's getting fed and gets upset when I forget to feed him. And strangely enough, I have it set up in my southeast corner of my apartment.

posted by mikeinbrooklyn on September 10th 2008 at 11:10am
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well I have two gold fish in a 10 gal tank on my fridge in my kitchen. They seem to like it. and it is a small low fridge so everyone can enjoy them as well as the antique marbles and colorful plants in the tank. I even made sure the top of my fridge didnt get warm, so that they would be most comfortable as goldfish enjoy cooler water. I am a little bummed that in feng shui it is taboo to put fish in the kitchen.There is no way I would ever move Niel and Joni; they are really happy.

posted by breballz on September 10th 2008 at 11:41am
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i got a beta as a house warming present....poor Locutus Tuvok Laforge only lasted two weeks. unlike cats or dogs, fish have a way of not telling u when they are sick or hungry or about to die.

posted by mfpants on September 10th 2008 at 11:43am
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Fish are not inexpensive to do properly. Forget a goldfish in a bowl, check out this link to see pictures of designer Takashi Amano's inspiring underwater worlds.
http://www.hemmy.net/2007/08/06/aquarium-art-by-takashi-amano/

posted by peekay on September 10th 2008 at 11:52am
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when i ever get fish they stay alive way past than they should, i had a feeder fish in a lil 8inch by 4 inch plastic box and it stayed alive almost 6 years!

now i have a lil turtle, he is way more interactive than any fish, he always comes over to say hello when u go over to him, he loves chasin his lil feeder fish around the tank (they all have nicked tails from snappings) and he loves blowin bubbles through his nose. His name is Turbo, he is a very pretty swimmer, but he's in my bedroom atm, but his filter is practically silent (yes it is turned on).

posted by zhenpoo on September 10th 2008 at 12:32pm
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Um, fish require time and money too. Yeah, the actual fish itself is $2... but everything else... yeah, NOT FREE.
And they require more care-taking than a cat or dog or other air breathing creature.

And parsons3, I did the same thing when my beta got sick. I research online a bunch and then ran to PetSmart and bought like $60 worth of fish saving crap. Kept him alive though... until he got sick again.

Ugh, fish are a lot of work... if you take care of them properly.

posted by sparkle on September 10th 2008 at 3:29pm
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Like sparkle said, fish are more than pets, it becomes a hobby.

posted by Johnnie on September 10th 2008 at 11:14pm
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Ah, just as I suspected---the death thread weaves through these posts. And as has been said, the floaters do no provide good feng shui, not do they pre-mortem, as they swim lop-sidedly in their final hours. Long strings of fish poo trailing behind them are another issue, too, not mortal but aesthetic. Mind you, I think fish are amazingly beautiful, and staring at them can produce the rapture of the deep, even in a small aquarium. I just wish I could be a happier owner of them instead of dreading the inevitable flush. . . .

posted by Aulaire on September 11th 2008 at 3:23am
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one thing to keep in mind with goldfish is that they need a lot more oxygen in their water than other fish. if they have enough air they can survive almost anything. unless you want dead goldfishplan on having an air pump too.

posted by itsabecky on September 11th 2008 at 7:17am
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I bought a Beta for my Mom in May and she loves it. His names Zues and she enjoys him.

posted by Snugglitas on September 12th 2008 at 10:05am
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Let's see...I live in a 237 sq foot studio dorm room that is only bedroom kitchenette! Where would I put a betta fish?!?! Closet? Bathroom? Cursed everywhere!

posted by lj322 on September 2nd 2009 at 12:31am
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