Fish is often associated with abundance.
The Chinese phonetic sound of the character “yu” (餘) – “to have enough food to have leftovers”, has the same sound as fish.
Reading: Feng shui aquarium
also in the yijing (book of changes), there is a saying: “to moisten 10,000 things there is nothing more enriching than water”. (潤萬物者莫潤乎水)
Because of its nutritional quality, water has always been associated with wealth. having fish swimming in the water would correlate with the abundance of wealth being stirred or quickened. that is why it is considered very auspicious to have an aquarium in the home and workplace.
however, because this functions as an omen, it must be performed in a ritually correct manner. otherwise, it can bring more harm than good.
Consequently, we should pay attention to the following 5 factors when considering having an aquarium with fish in your home:
- aquarium location
- aquarium shape
- number of fish in an aquarium
- fish species
- colors of the fish
I’ll walk you through each of these considerations using feng shui principles so you can apply them to your aquarium.
location of the aquarium
In terms of feng shui form, an aquarium should be located in the “ju qi” or “gathered qi” corner (sometimes called the “wealth corner” because qi accumulates there). it is usually located diagonally across from the entrance to a room, such as the door to the living room or the front door. aquarium placement should also be against a solid wall for support.
In terms of time, during the time cycle of Period 8 (2004 – 2023), the Indirect Spirit is located to the Southwest. That is the best place to have water.
In terms of the five elements, north correlates to water, while west and northwest correlate to metal. These three directions are also good to have the aquarium because the metal generates water, and being the same element it is also solidary.
so apart from the “gathered qi” corner of a room, the southwest, northwest, west and north are also good places to place your aquarium.
shape of the aquarium
A circular shape is associated with the element of water. Since water harmonizes with each other, it is considered an auspicious shape for an aquarium. however, its size can be restrictive.
a rectangular shape is associated with wood. wood can weaken water, but since they are mutually interactive with each other, and wood is associated with growth, the rectangular-shaped aquarium is also an auspicious shape. its size can be larger and fit better in the furniture of the house.
See also: Lesson 6 | Feng Shui For Your Home
A square shape is associated with Earth, and Earth can imprison Water. Thus, it is not desirable unless it is located in the West or Northwest direction, where the Element of the direction can neutralize its harmfulness.
a triangular shape is associated with fire and fire with water. not an auspicious shape to use as an aquarium. also, it is difficult to clean a triangular tank and the corners cannot be used.
A multi-sided configuration, such as a 5-sided, 6-sided, or bagua (8-sided) shape, has different connotations. it’s best to avoid them unless you have a good reason to use them.
So, of these different shapes, rectangular and circular shapes, which can be elliptical or wavy, are the best for an aquarium.
Also keep in mind that the size of an aquarium can affect the number of fish you can keep. so be sure to get expert advice on what is the maximum number of fish you can keep in a particular size tank before your fish mysteriously die.
number of fish in an aquarium
the number of suitable fish to have in an aquarium can be calculated in 5 different ways:
1. according to the yin and yang of numbers
odd numbers are considered yang numbers and even numbers are considered yin numbers. Generally speaking, odd numbers like 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are considered auspicious, while even numbers like 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 are considered less auspicious. That’s because, in terms of phonetics, the sound of “a pair” and “injury” have the same sound (‘shang’).
Some justify the rule by saying the Chinese prefer Yang over Yin, but that is not quite the case. Rather it is better to have Yin and Yang together instead of two Yin or Two Yang together.
2. according to phonetic sounds
if you have a good sized aquarium then 9 is an auspicious number of fish to keep. That’s because 9 is not only the yangiest of yang numbers, it sounds like “having more than enough.”
3 is also an auspicious number because it sounds the same as being alive and growing.
6 is also auspicious because it sounds the same as “having a good income”.
3. according to the luo shu 9 stars
In feng shui, 1, 6, 8 and 9 are the purple-white auspicious stars, so they are a good number of fish to have.
However, 1 is a singular number by itself, it is not the best. you may want to reconsider having just 1 fish unless that’s the only number of fish you can have in a small bowl.
4. according to hetu numbers
See also: 6 Fantastic Feng Shui Tips For Teens Room – SunSigns.Org
In feng shui, the combination of the numbers 1, 6 and 4, 9 is considered to be water and primeval sky metal. both are associated with wealth, so having 1, 6, 4, and 9 fish numbers are also considered auspicious.
You can also have these two combinations with two batches of different colored fish, especially the 4 and the 9, as the number 4 by itself is not the favorite of the Chinese. that’s because 4 has the same sound as “death”.
5. according to your Chinese zodiac sign
Your animal sign can also be correlated with an element, coinciding with the hetu number pairing mentioned above, which can be considered auspicious.
- rat and pig (water): 1 or 6
- snake and horse (fire): 2 or 7
- monkey and rooster (metal): 4 or 9
- tiger and rabbit (wood): 3 or 8
- ox, dragon, sheep and dog (land): 5 or 10
fish species
There are many species of fish that you can keep in an aquarium. In general, they can be divided into 3 main categories:
- saltwater fish: Saltwater fish such as angelfish and clownfish are very colorful and very pleasing to the eye. however, they die quickly unless you can keep a close eye on the salinity and ongoing maintenance of the water.
- Tropical Fish: Tropical fish like guppies and danios are also very colorful to look at, but they are more difficult to breed and maintain than saltwater species. otherwise they die, and that is not an auspicious sign. if they die, they should be replaced immediately to avoid bad luck.
- goldfish: By comparison, goldfish are relatively easy to care for as they are a smaller member of the hardy carp family . The term goldfish is misleading because, in addition to the color gold, there are many varieties of colors and shapes to choose from. goldfish is the preferred choice from a feng shui perspective.
fish colors
Most of the fish in the market are generally bright and colorful to promote sales, as the colors can stimulate a happy and positive feeling in those who perceive them.
From a feng shui perspective, the different colors correlate to the five elements, with blue and black belonging to water, gold, white and silver belonging to metal, yellow and brown belonging to earth, red and purple belonging to fire, and green and jade belonging to wood.
The best colors in an aquarium should be those that pertain to metal, and this should be the predominant color of most of your fish. That’s because metal can generate water, and water is associated with wealth.
Colors belonging to Water are second best because they are of the same kind to the water.
You can also use a bit of fire because fire and water can generate each other, like cooking rice in water to make a meal. however, the fire cannot be too strong.
Both earth and wood will tend to combat or weaken water, so it’s best not to have them as the main color in an aquarium.
conclusion
Feng shui thinking is based on correlations. what is considered auspicious or harmful, in other words, is what is considered lucky or unlucky. they are correlations.
Furthermore, correlations are not causalities. so please don’t get the idea that just because you have an auspicious or lucky number of fish, everything in your life will be rosy. it’s not that simple.
Like I said before, what you read here are man-made omens or omens that will make you feel positive and energized. you still have to work hard to get what you want out of life.
good luck!