Six Koi by Stan Shebs, Creative Commons License, Wikimedia Commons (Notice the metallic Platinum Ogon upper right)
For decades, Sitting Bull College Library has had fish of different types. For many years, the library even had an iguana, until it became too large at which time it found a new home.
Currently, the library has two sizable goldfish, a foot long pleco that cleans the tank and an increasingly large platinum koi, all nestled within a 60 gallon tank. Koi can live up to 35 years, so he may be with us for some time and needs a name. We may need to have a competition to name him.
Koi is Japanese for the carp fish. Over the centuries, Japan has developed the wide variety of color variations that make these fish so fun to look at. Ours is a Platinum Ogon, known as Purachina Ogon in Japan. A silvery, metallic looking fish that shimmers in the light. Stop by the library and visit our fish.
The benefits of a fish tank in the library are countless. First and most important is as a fun feature for children and adults. Groups of children who visit naturally gravitate to the fish. Visitors, young and old, are calmed by the movement of fish in concert with the sound of flowing water. A fish tank is an important focal point and calming agent in the library space.
In addition, as humidity levels plummet, especially in winter, a fish tank helps to moderate the dryness, keeping humidity at optimum levels for both people and materials. Fish water is also a powerful natural fertilizer for plants, a cycle from nature to be experimented with and taken advantage of. An experiment with hydroponics, while successful needs more experimentation to discover the "symbiotic sweet spot" where plants and fish are most at balance. I think there are many more opportunities for fish like koi in libraries and public spaces to enhance happiness and sustainability. These koi in Japan are just an inspiring example of what is possible.