It actually started out with watering a plant. It was one of those plants that was rooted in a bowl of water. I was going to top off the bowl when I saw something moving among the rocks and roots. Upon closer examination it was a small crab. "Where did that come from?" As I continued to look, fish and other small creatures appeared. I thought I couldn't top off the water without messing up the water chemistry.
At some point this bowl transformed into a small fish tank and the angel fish that Ben had bought last year (now living at my sister's) appeared. "I thought we moved him!" and at the same time realized I really needed to move these animals into something bigger.
While in real life I haven't set my aquarium back up since the fire (and was discussing with Ben my desire to just get rid of it altogether last week) in the dream I had two large aquariums, both brightly lit with deep blue backgrounds. The smaller one was nearly empty, so I elected to put these "new" creatures in there. At first the larger one looked barren of life as well, but once I transferred the fish from the plant bowl/tank into the small aquarium, dozens of fish came out of hiding in the larger tank, including a beautiful blue, white and yellow angel fish. (I cried upon seeing him, as I thought I'd lost him forever.)
(I just tried finding a picture online of something similar, but of course this being a dream creature, nothing could be found; apparently that color combination doesn't exist in the freshwater species.)
I determined long ago that when aquariums appear in my dreams, they are indicative of the general state of my mental and emotional health. When I've dreamt of dirty and decrepit tanks, the overwhelming emotion I feel is sadness and guilt that I've ignored them for so long.
You would think that after the last eighteen months, aquariums in my dreams would be a disaster, but it was just the opposite. First new growth appeared in an unlikely location and I transferred it into obviously clean and healthy tanks that had been there all along.
I think the meaning is obvious. I know I woke from that dream with a smile on my face.
Trauma happens when you feel unsafe and isolated. You have Ben. He keeps you safe and connected. He is why you are feeling better than you think you should be.