Before moving your goldfish into its tank, let the water sit for at least a few weeks. This time is necessary for the tank to provide a healthy biological environment for your goldfish, so be patient! More specifically, allow the tank to build colonies of bacteria, which will develop on the filter and in the gravel.  You’ll maintain this biological environment via a process called cycling.  Once your tank is setup and the filter is installed and turned on, add ammonia. Continue adding ammonia – while trying to keep it’s amount at 0.06ppm – until enough bacteria have developed to eat both the ammonia and nitrites in your tank. Determine your levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates by using test kits designed for this purpose. Continue the process until you get readings that indicate zero ammonia and zero nitrite. Regularly cycle the fish tank by changing 100% of the tank’s water while taking care to keep the bacteria that are present in the tank alive. This will help your water “cycle” nitrogen, which is necessary to keep your fish alive.  After the emptying the tank of water, add fresh, conditioned water. Repeat the process of adding ammonia and testing for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Once you have reading of zero ammonia and zero nitrite, as well as a bit of nitrate in the water - which is produced by the bacteria - your tank has been successfully cycled. Keep the water slightly warmer during cycling to increase the speed of bacteria growth.  You can even borrow bacteria from a friend who already has a well-established, recently cycled fish tank.  Seed your own tank by taking some of their gravel or cutting off a piece of their filter’s sponge and adding it to your tank. Alternatively, add a bottle of ready-to-go bacteria from the fish store.  If you go this route, still expect to add some ammonia and test until the tank is balanced. You need to change the water even more often than you cycle it. To curb the buildup of waste, change 25-50% of the tank’s water once a week. Leave some of the water in the tank, however, to maintain a healthy amount of bacteria developed by less frequent cycling.  When changing some of the tank’s water, rinse the filter and any tank décor with water your remove from the tank. Never use tap water to rinse anything that goes in your tank. Only add clean water that you’ve treated with conditioner.

Summary: Grow healthy bacteria in your tank by adding ammonia. Cycle the fish tank’s water once a month. Speed up the cycling process with a few tricks. Change some of the tank’s water once a week.


Think of outside-the-box solutions for problems that you encounter. Try to see all aspects of a situation so that you can come up with solutions that no one has thought of before. Don't rest your opinions on old assumptions. Go against common trends and let your mind wander to unexpected places.  Meditate on ideas before you form an opinion or solution. You can keep a dream diary to give you more creative ideas. Whether it's a style of art or a brand of tea, quirky people are often engrossed in obscure niches. Look online for things that have a small cult following and do research on them. Engross yourself in hobbies and subjects that many people are unaware of. Unique hobbies could include beekeeping, quilting, or doll collecting. Most quirky people will be deeply invested in important causes like environmental justice, civil rights, or women's rights. Some quirky people will find even more obscure issues to educate people on. Find an issue that's important to you and let everyone around you know how passionate you are about it. Obscure issues might include saving a rare species of plant in the Amazon or demanding the return of your favorite actor in a sci-fi show. If you’re always trying to come off quirky at any cost, people may find you to be disingenuous. Most quirky people will act and dress how they want, regardless of what other people think. Do things that you truly like and wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. Don't do things just so that you can appear more quirky. Quirky people are often described as happy and energetic. Don’t be negative or judgmental. Try to maintain a positive attitude and always look at the upside of a situation rather than the downside.  For example, if you miss your train for a vacation you can say something like "Well, at least it's nice outside! We can always catch the next one."

Summary: Think creatively to solve problems or complete tasks. Develop interests in unique and obscure things. Be passionate about a few key causes. Don't act fake for the sake of being quirky. Maintain a positive attitude.


If you're trying to study or work, bring your laptop or books with you to a public place. Many people go to libraries, cafes, and parks when they need to focus. If you have a car, simply driving to a parking lot or a garage can be the escape you need. If you're avoiding your sibling for other reasons, try going for walks or hanging out with friends more often. Try your best to make yourself busy outside of your home. If you have your own bedroom, locking the door is the best way to ensure your privacy, if you're allowed to. This will cut down on any unwanted intrusions into your space. This is especially important if your sibling has a bad habit of not knocking or is too young to realize that it's the polite thing to do. This is your best option if you share a room or will be with your sibling on a long car ride. If you use headphones, just be careful not to raise the volume too loud or you may damage your ears. Active noise-cancelling headphones can block out noise without the need for high volumes. Deep breathing exercises work to relax you and may be a great help if you find yourself getting angry or annoyed at your sibling. Inhale slowly through your nose while mentally counting to five. Exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat this until you're calm enough that your sibling no longer bothers you.
Summary: Get out of the house more. Lock your bedroom door. Wear headphones or earplugs. Reduce stress through deep breathing exercises.