How to Live to a 100---Keep a Fishroom!

[Innesfan]

There's a title for you. It's the headline of a video interview that appears in the latest Museum of Aquarium and Pet History e-newsletter. Said interview is with Victor Hritz, age 94, who owned the famed Crystal Aquarium in Manhattan for 47 years--1954-2001--and still maintains 30 aquariums and actively breeds, mostly killies.

I was a fixture at his store since childhood. He was also a wholesaler--an operation he ran out of the basement of his shop--and as a result his imports from which he stocked the shop weren't picked over. Through the years I found the most precious Nannostomus by-catch (also a few other rare characins, rasboras and barbs), sometimes just one or two individuals, sometimes several, that came in hitching a ride with hundreds of gold tets, marble hatchets, green neons etc . He'd charge me $1 a piece. When I'd go to the counter after surveying the tanks, he'd smile and say "What did you find?" He'd grab a net and we'd get to work. For several species--N. minimus, N. digrammus, N. limatus etc--I was able to build small colonies of them, a few at a time, from Victor's tanks. This was long before any of them. were imported under their own names--some still aren't. I'm so happy to know he's still with us and clearly doing so well.

When in 2001 his landlord raised the rent exorbitantly driving him out of business, it made the New York Times. Boy, do I miss him and the Crystal Aquarium experience.

https://moaph.org/videos/videos-long/interview-with-victor-hritz/

 

[Colin_T]

It's not just having a fish room that helps you live longer. Having anything to get up for helps and that includes all pets (birds, cats, dogs, fish, etc). You need a reason to live and pets give you that. You are responsible for them and they give you unconditional love in return (assuming you don't abuse them). You get up every day to feed, water and clean up after them. If you have a dog, you take it for a walk every day and that gives you both exercise and you might talk to people in the street whilst walking.

This social contact with other humans is another thing people need to live. We are social creatures and living on your own and never going outside or talking to other people sends you into a downward spiral of crazy depression and suicidal thoughts. Even if you don't go nuts you don't live as long as if you have regular social contact with others.

Having something to do occupies the mind and pets and hobbies do that. They give you respite from boredom and depression. Spending a few hours outside each day working in the garden gives you fresh air, sunlight, exercise and relaxation. Having a pet to hang out with after (including fish) gives you more things to do to occupy your time.

Variety truly is the spice of life in every aspect of living. A variety of food & drinks, hobbies, social interaction, and what you see each day all contribute to a life worth living. The more variety we get, the more we enjoy the real moments of happiness and the more we have to live for (assuming the variety is good and you're not being tortured).

 

[Lcc86]

He's looking great for 94! I aspire to still be as active (although perhaps not with that number of tanks haha).

 

[Mr Limpet]

I really miss Crystal Aquarium. So many species of fish I’d never encountered anywhere else. I bought my first Madagascar rainbows there in 1979. I can vividly remember the display tank in the window containing the largest cardinal tetras I’d ever seen.