Day of Fish.
This day shall go down in my history as The Day of Fish. I knew it would be, it started last night.
I had called the local fish store that I visited back in January and asked if I could bring in my oldest babies. The ones that were born January 29th. I've started seeing aggressive behaviour from two of the biggest ones, nipping at the babies. I'm pretty sure that the babies I've lost have been attacked by the bigger ones. The biggest ones are just over an inch long and yet, they still seem so small in comparison to the adults.
When I arrived home from work, the 6 gallon tank that I ordered online had arrived. I immediately set about setting it up, pulling water out of the main tank so I don't have to cycle it. The most I have to do is regulate the temperature.
While I was doing that, I selected the four babies I wanted to take over the fish store and put them in a baby net. I continued working on the six gallon tank, turned around and saw the biggest baby attacking one of the other babies in the baby net. It is an image I will never get out of my mind, seeing that aggressive fish seeming to suck the scales off the other one that was cornered facing up. I quickly netted the one that was being attacked, put it in a bottle and floated it in the empty five gallon tank. It was too late, though. While still alive, he was swimming upside down. My heart broke. Within a half hour, he was gone. Poor baby, I felt so bad. I didn't know those babies would do that. They're just babies.
It reinforced my decision to take them to the fish store.
I isolated the aggressive baby into the five gallon tank. Didn't acclimate him at all, I figured he's too mean to die. The other two were fighting with each other, so I netted one and lifted the rim of the net up above the water, leaving him to swim in the net within the baby net. Then I shut off all the lights and went to bed.
When I awoke this morning, I went about the business of catching the aggressive fish that had escaped the baby net and was swimming free in the 5 gallon tank. Boy, was he excited, a five gallon tank all for him. I bagged him and put him in the cooler. Then I re-netted the baby in the net in the baby net that had also escaped and bagged those two fish and put them in the cooler. Then I captured another baby out of the 12 gallon tank and bagged him. Off we went to the fish store.
The four babies were placed in a 20 gallon tank at the fish store. They looked so happy to swim around in that big tank. The kid at the fish store, the son of the owner, was concerned that they might get stuck to the filter intake, I assured him they were big enough to be okay.
The owner came in the store and we talked a bit. He was thrilled to get the babies, absolutely thrilled. He said that cichlids are his fastest moving fish -- he orders 40 cichlids a week and seven days later they've all been sold.
I needed some supplies, like filters, a new bio-wheel for my 36 gallon tank, some floating breeder tanks, etc. I asked the owner if he was going to write down what I was taking. He said no, he knew I would. Hrm. He trusts me. I like this. Really like this.
When I arrived home, my filter intake on the 36 gallon tank had stopped working. This was the second time this week. I couldn't get it going again. Crap.
I disassembled all the aquarium decorations and captured the three holding females, putting two in holding cells in the main tank and one in a holding cell in the new six gallon tank.
Then I captured 16 babies and put them in a gallon tupperware container and placed that in a paper grocery bag, put that in my car, put my coat over top (darkness helps soothe fish). Then I pulled the filter intake out of the 36 gallon tank and took off the for the fish store.
When I arrived, the store was busy. I asked the owner if I could put the babies in the tank, he said yes. After a bit, he came over to help me with my filter intake and, wouldn't you know it, the thing worked the second he plugged it in. *grunt* He said he did push the magnetic assembly in firmly. Okay then.
The 16 babies seemed to acclimate well with the four fish I had brought over earlier in the day. When I left they were all swimming around busily. Their top fins weren't up consistently but the babies weren't on the bottom or hiding in the corners or anything, they were busy eating and stuff.
When I got back home for the second time, I discovered that ALL THREE holding females had escaped their holding cells. Two in the main tank, one in the six gallon tank. *eye roll* There goes another hour capturing them again. This time I rubber-banded the lids on their tanks. All evening long, they've been throwing and wedging themselves against the lids, trying to get out. Making a huge ruckus. Sheez.
I don't have the six gallon tank 100% dialed in temperature-wise. It's close, though. I hope they'll be okay. The tank has been running around 75.6 to 75.1. I've been trying to find the temperature that the heater turns on, haven't found it yet. I guess I could sit there all night and watch. Or not.
There are two females in holding cells in that tank and one in the 36 gallon tank. Of course, now that I've been able to look at each female, the one in the 36 gallon tank is, I think, the one that was due on 3/31, based on the lumpiness of her throat. So I'll need to switch her tomorrow.
Tonight, I'm done with the damn fish.
I had called the local fish store that I visited back in January and asked if I could bring in my oldest babies. The ones that were born January 29th. I've started seeing aggressive behaviour from two of the biggest ones, nipping at the babies. I'm pretty sure that the babies I've lost have been attacked by the bigger ones. The biggest ones are just over an inch long and yet, they still seem so small in comparison to the adults.
When I arrived home from work, the 6 gallon tank that I ordered online had arrived. I immediately set about setting it up, pulling water out of the main tank so I don't have to cycle it. The most I have to do is regulate the temperature.
While I was doing that, I selected the four babies I wanted to take over the fish store and put them in a baby net. I continued working on the six gallon tank, turned around and saw the biggest baby attacking one of the other babies in the baby net. It is an image I will never get out of my mind, seeing that aggressive fish seeming to suck the scales off the other one that was cornered facing up. I quickly netted the one that was being attacked, put it in a bottle and floated it in the empty five gallon tank. It was too late, though. While still alive, he was swimming upside down. My heart broke. Within a half hour, he was gone. Poor baby, I felt so bad. I didn't know those babies would do that. They're just babies.
It reinforced my decision to take them to the fish store.
I isolated the aggressive baby into the five gallon tank. Didn't acclimate him at all, I figured he's too mean to die. The other two were fighting with each other, so I netted one and lifted the rim of the net up above the water, leaving him to swim in the net within the baby net. Then I shut off all the lights and went to bed.
When I awoke this morning, I went about the business of catching the aggressive fish that had escaped the baby net and was swimming free in the 5 gallon tank. Boy, was he excited, a five gallon tank all for him. I bagged him and put him in the cooler. Then I re-netted the baby in the net in the baby net that had also escaped and bagged those two fish and put them in the cooler. Then I captured another baby out of the 12 gallon tank and bagged him. Off we went to the fish store.
The four babies were placed in a 20 gallon tank at the fish store. They looked so happy to swim around in that big tank. The kid at the fish store, the son of the owner, was concerned that they might get stuck to the filter intake, I assured him they were big enough to be okay.
The owner came in the store and we talked a bit. He was thrilled to get the babies, absolutely thrilled. He said that cichlids are his fastest moving fish -- he orders 40 cichlids a week and seven days later they've all been sold.
I needed some supplies, like filters, a new bio-wheel for my 36 gallon tank, some floating breeder tanks, etc. I asked the owner if he was going to write down what I was taking. He said no, he knew I would. Hrm. He trusts me. I like this. Really like this.
When I arrived home, my filter intake on the 36 gallon tank had stopped working. This was the second time this week. I couldn't get it going again. Crap.
I disassembled all the aquarium decorations and captured the three holding females, putting two in holding cells in the main tank and one in a holding cell in the new six gallon tank.
Then I captured 16 babies and put them in a gallon tupperware container and placed that in a paper grocery bag, put that in my car, put my coat over top (darkness helps soothe fish). Then I pulled the filter intake out of the 36 gallon tank and took off the for the fish store.
When I arrived, the store was busy. I asked the owner if I could put the babies in the tank, he said yes. After a bit, he came over to help me with my filter intake and, wouldn't you know it, the thing worked the second he plugged it in. *grunt* He said he did push the magnetic assembly in firmly. Okay then.
The 16 babies seemed to acclimate well with the four fish I had brought over earlier in the day. When I left they were all swimming around busily. Their top fins weren't up consistently but the babies weren't on the bottom or hiding in the corners or anything, they were busy eating and stuff.
When I got back home for the second time, I discovered that ALL THREE holding females had escaped their holding cells. Two in the main tank, one in the six gallon tank. *eye roll* There goes another hour capturing them again. This time I rubber-banded the lids on their tanks. All evening long, they've been throwing and wedging themselves against the lids, trying to get out. Making a huge ruckus. Sheez.
I don't have the six gallon tank 100% dialed in temperature-wise. It's close, though. I hope they'll be okay. The tank has been running around 75.6 to 75.1. I've been trying to find the temperature that the heater turns on, haven't found it yet. I guess I could sit there all night and watch. Or not.
There are two females in holding cells in that tank and one in the 36 gallon tank. Of course, now that I've been able to look at each female, the one in the 36 gallon tank is, I think, the one that was due on 3/31, based on the lumpiness of her throat. So I'll need to switch her tomorrow.
Tonight, I'm done with the damn fish.
posted by Jammie J. at
4/01/2006 09:56:00 PM
