10 Benefits of Keeping an Aquarium

1. Chillax with the fish 

Feeling stressed?
Have high blood pressure ?
Bad day at work?

Whether it's a saltwater aquarium, or a freshwater aquarium, watching those beautiful fish going about their daily business is great for your stress levels and your blood pressure.

Numerous studies have shown that watching aquarium fish can make you feel calm, reducing feelings of anxiety and so help bring down your blood pressure.

Now you know why so many doctor's and dentist's waiting rooms have aquariums; you'll feel that bit more chilled by the time you get to see your physician!  

2. Keeping the Hyperactive Kids at Bay 

Another benefit of aquariums is for hyperactive kids. More studies have indicated that kids' curiosity means they want to watch the fish and they feel much calmer while, and after, watching fish.

Just as they relax us adults, the kids also get a feeling of calm and peacefulness from aquarium fish.

Of course, by getting your kids to watch the pretty fish, you're using diversionary tactics to steer them away from their hyperactive activities!

3. More Medical Benefits 

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and Purdue University's Dr. Nancy Edwards and Dr. Alan Beck studied the effects on Alzheimer's patients' appetite while they watched aquarium fish at meal times (v. seeing a picture of a fish and v. no fish tank)

The study showed that those patients who had the live aquarium stayed at the dinner table for longer than the others and ate 21% to 27% more food.

Therefore, the benefits of owning an aquarium could be huge for nursing home patients.

4. Stunning Decor 

No-one else will have a room like yours.

That's because your aquarium is unique and the life it brings will add vibrancy to whichever room you choose to place it in.

It is a constantly changing, living piece of art. The lighting creates atmosphere, especially when the rest of the room's lights are off.

If it's in the living room, you could actually have a focal point that's not the t.v. - yee-harrr!!

5. Educational for the Kids 

Your kids can really get the benefits of aquariums, especially if you get them involved right at the beginning.

Get them to do some research about aquarium ownership and write down their findings. They could also research which fish they would like.

The set up is important and they will learn the importance of correct pet care.

Kids will learn about discipline too, as they form a routine for feeding and maintaining their fish.

There are endless ways that children will benefit from an aquarium and their imaginations can run wild when they are setting it up - let them have fun with it!!

6. Tranquility... 

Shhh....what can you hear..??

There's no dog barking

There's no cat meowing

There's no budgie err....tweeting.

There's also no pet hair and no walkies in the pouring rain. Although you've got to feed them and change their water regularly, fish are fairly low maintenance compared to other pets. This leaves you time to really enjoy your pet ownership and the time you have with them.

As I type, my neighbor's dog is going through its regular half hour barking frenzy....I've never heard a fish bark yet!!

7. The Fish Can Stay Home Alone 

Yup, no hauling your tank to the fishy equivalent of the kennels when you go on your holidays.

Ok, your fish can't look after the house while you're away, but there are ways and means of automatically feeding them that mean they can stay home alone.

No need even to pester a neighbor to look after them. How cool is that - you can have pets AND go away on holiday!

8. Tap into your Inner Artist 

Let your imagination go wild!

Bring out your artistic side!

The aqua scape is yours to design and you really can let loose if you like.

You can research and buy all sorts of plant life, rocks, and other items for your fish to discover and hide in.

A wee note of caution, though; don't forget that you will actually want to see the fish, so don't overcrowd your aquarium.

9. Inexpensive Start up Costs 

This is especially true for freshwater aquariums, as they have lower set up costs than their saltwater counterparts.

You could go completely mad and buy everything the pet shop owner puts in front of you, but start off with the necessities to keep your costs under control....and don't buy fish until you are ready for them.

Starter kits can help as they give you the essentials and save you money, so these are always worth considering.

10. My Hobby is My Business is My Hobby 

You can of course turn this wonderful hobby into a money spinner.

Start breeding your fish much easier with freshwater fish than for saltwater fish, which are a bit fussy when it comes to breeding.

You can also start selling aquatic plants, rocks, etc

How lovely to make money from your hobby.

Become an expert and those who want the best will certainly seek you out, as the local pet store may not always be the best source of expert help and advice.

15 ways to go Green

For most people, it isn’t the easiest transition to make. Going green is prohibitively expensive. Contrary to popular perception, it reduces the cost of living in the long run. Here are some ways you can convert your home.

WHAT’S A GREEN HOME?

Green home is a generic term for houses which are environment friendly, uses recyclable or sustainable resources and reduces waste. They aim to improve the quality of life in terms of the air you breathe, the materials used for construction and the money saved.

A building’s initial construction expense is just 20-30% of the cost incurred during its lifetime. Usually, the cost of constructing green building sis 15% - 20% more than that for regular structures, but they help you save nearly 30% energy annually and up to 50% in water consumption. Here are some options that can help cut costs, either through a lifestyle change, intelligent construction, or use of efficient appliances and fixtures in your home.

STRUCTURE & VENTILATION

Potential saving on power bill: 10%

1. A well- lighted house: Daylight should infuse at least 50% of the house. Use light colored paints as they absorb less heat. The reverse is true for houses in colder regions.

2. Design of sunshade: The angle of the sunshade should allow some light and heat from low winter sun, but help block summer’s heat and bright light.

3. Intelligent Layout: Wet areas in the house, such as kitchen and bathroom, should be close to each other to reduce plumbing and consumption of hot water.

4. Direction of windows:  Windows should face the north or south direction. In hot climates build bigger windows in the north and smaller windows in the south.

LIGHTING

Potential saving on power bill: 25%

1. Shift to CFL, solar lights: CFL bulbs use 20% of power compared with regular bulbs and last 10 times more. Cut power bills by 80% by using a mix of CFL and solar lighting.

2. Use dimmers and timers: Lights needn’t be uniformly bright all the time. Save power by installing dimmers. Timers turn off lights automatically after a preset time.

3. Install light sensors: If you never remember to turn of the lights, get motion sensors. These are more useful for lights in common passages or at the entry.

4. Fix points wisely: Don’t fix bulb points where light isn’t needed (close to windows), while leaving out darker areas. As far as possible, try to use task lights.

AC & THERMOSTAT 

Potential saving on power bill: 50%

1.      Keep fan on: A fan with AC makes you feel cooler. Save power by setting a thermostat for higher temperature.

2.      Reflective glass: reflective/ tinted glass in windows keeps out the heat, cuts power bills.

3.      Insulate: A false ceiling or a fire retardant thermocol on the ceiling can insulate from heat or cold.

WATER

Potential saving on water bill: 50%

1. Use thrifty taps and flush: Taps with aerated flow save up to 30% water compared with regular taps. An efficient and dual-flush system cuts the use of toilet water by up to 60%. A low – tech alternative is to keep a brick or plastic jug filled with pebbles in the tank. The space it takes up reduces the amount of water needed to fill the tank, so you’ll save water – and money.

2. Slow on shower: Give the shower a miss and use a bucket instead. It reduces water usage by over 50%.

3. Fix the leaks: A leaking tap or commode can waste several buckets of water a day. It usually costs very little time and money to repair.

4. Recycle used water: Use a filter and appropriate plumbing to recycle the water flowing out of a wash basin, bathing area or sink for use in the flush to irrigate plants.

Carpooling

Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing,lift-sharing and covoiturage), is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car.


Carpooling reduces the costs involved in car travel by sharing journey expenses such as fuel, tolls, and car rental between the people travelling. Carpooling is also seen as a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel as sharing journeys reduces carbon emissions, traffic on the roads, and the need for parking spaces. Authorities often encourage carpooling, especially during high pollution periods and after fuel rises. Carpooling where the driving is shared can also decrease driving stress as each driver gets a break from being at the wheel.


Some sites having carpool networks : 

1. http://www.commuteeasy.com/
2. http://www.carpooling.in/city/Bangalore
3. http://www.carpooling.in/search/regular/from-Bangalore
4. http://bangalore.locanto.in/rideshare-carpool/102/

While we keep complaining about the congestion on roads, the traffic and the pollution, carpool is a concept which can can be a big rescuer. So for all those people driving alone to the office, how about some company,  savings in your fuel and of course the good feeling of doing something for Namma Bengaluru :P Your kids can be safely brought home and dropped to school, ladies can catch up with all the gossip travelling together. Men, this could be the excuse for that escape :) Time to carpool. 

Conserve water

Say No to Plastics

As we step out of our homes, we will probably step over a plastic bag, see tin cans, and plastic bags littered around the corner of our streets, cross a drain covering our noses thanks to the stinking clogged drain. We will grumble upon the municipality not doing its “job “ properly, neighbors dumping garbage in the locality or restaurant and paying guest owners for the litter. To add to the woes, thanks to the wasted food in the plastic bags thrown all around, you will have to ward of stray dogs too, and save yourself from getting run off by  a vehicle thanks to the already narrowed street.

Do we ever realize that we are a part of this cycle and actively contributing to shaping the environment around us? So what we get is what we give. An average Indian consumes around 3 kg of plastic annually, in comparison to 80 kgs of plastic consumed by an average European. Even though the difference is stark, thanks to our disposing habits, the scene is still alarming.

If we keep a tag on our personal use of plastics, the rampant use of plastics will definitely come down. Small measures make a big, big difference. We can start with carrying a water bottle with us when stepping out of home, so that we avoid the purchase of bottled water. Carrying a basket for all the shopping needs, rules out packing all the items in shopping bags. Having an ice cream in a cone instead of cups, these little measures can make our planet much litter free.

We, Indians, take pride in our ability to point fingers at everyone else. Little do we realize that even in this case, the litter doesn’t come from aliens. Let’s do our bit. To make our homes and society a better place. ;)

Club House Images

Bhuvana Location

Energy in savings in Home Appliances

The Domestic Sector accounts for 30% of total energy consumption in the country. There is a tremendous scope to conserve energy by adopting simple measures.


Some Useful Tips to Save Energy

Lighting

• Turn off the lights when not in use.
• Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room. 
• Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.
• De-dust lighting fixtures to maintain illumination.
• Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.
• Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting.
• Use electronic chokes in place of conventional copper chokes.

Fans

• Replace conventional regulators with electronic regulators for ceiling fans.
• Install exhaust fans at a higher elevation than ceiling fans.

Electric Iron

• Select iron boxes with automatic temperature cut-off.
• Use appropriate regulator position for ironing.
• Do not put more water on clothes while ironing.
• Do not iron wet clothes.

Kitchen Appliances

Mixers

• Avoid dry grinding in your food processors (mixers and grinders) as it
• takes longer time than liquid grinding.

Microwaves Ovens

• Consumes 50 % less energy than conventional electric/gas stoves.
• Do not bake large food items.
• Unless you’re baking breads or pastries, you may not even need to pre-heat.
• Don’t open the oven door too often to check food condition as each opening leads to a temperature drop of 25 degrees. 

Energy Savings in Home Appliances

• Electric Stove
• Turn off electric stoves several minutes before the specified cooking time.
• Use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with the cooking coil.

Gas Stove

• When cooking on a gas burner, use moderate flame settings to conserve LPG.
• Remember that a blue flame means your gas stove is operating efficiently.
• Yellowish flame is an indicator that the burner needs cleaning.
• Use pressure cookers as much as possible.
• Use lids to cover the pans while cooking.
• Bring items taken out of refrigerators (like vegetables, milk etc) to room temperature before placing on the gas stove for heating.
• Use Solar Water Heater – a good replacement for a electric water heater.

Electronic devices

• Do not switch on the power when TV and Audio Systems are not in use i.e, idle operation leads to an energy loss of 10 watts/device.

Refrigerator

• Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers; frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.
• Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the walls so that air can easily circulate around the refrigerator.
• Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold.
• Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.
• Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
• Do not open the doors of the refrigerators frequently.
• Don’t leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary, as cold air will escape.
• Use smaller cabinets for storing frequently used items.
• Avoid putting hot or warm food straight into the fridge.

Energy Savings in Home Appliances

Washing Machines

• Always wash only with full loads.
• Use optimal quantity of water.
• Use timer facility to save energy.
• Use the correct amount of detergent.
• Use hot water only for very dirty clothes.
• Always use cold water in the rinse cycle.
• Prefer natural drying over electric dryers.

Air Conditioners

• Prefer air conditioners having automatic temperature cut off.
• Keep regulators at “low cool” position.
• Operate the ceiling fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively throughout the room and operate the air conditioner at higher temperature.
• Seal the doors and windows properly.
• Leave enough space between your air conditioner and the walls to allow better air circulation.
• A roof garden can reduce the load on Air Conditioner.
• Use windows with sun films/curtains.
• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower will be energy consumption.
• Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling.
• Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

By following these simple hints one can save energy to a large extent.

Exterior Images : Bhuvana Greens

Green tips

Bhuvana Greens

Bhuvana Greens is the abode of refined luxury living for the discerning few, who are keen to enjoy luxuries responsibly. Spread across more than 3 acres of beautifully terraced landscaped terrain, Bhuvana Greens offers attractive 2 BHK and 3 BHK apartments with options ranging from 1210 sqft to 2105 sqft, across 4 blocks. Conforming to the demanding green building norms of IGBC, Bhuvana Greens provides you living space that perch in greenery, open spaces and plenty of recreational facilities.

Prisha Properties