Cracking.

I've been lackadaisical about taking down the two extra hospital tanks. Not because I'm lazy, but because I've been using them as water cycling tanks.

My husband has said he'll build me a tank stand to put one up above Mr. White's tank, that way the counter space will be cleared up.

Today I was doing my weekly tank changes and I drained the cycle tank by the coffeemaker, then went to work draining the water from hospital tank #2. The tank was a loaner from the fish store and had a tiny chunk that had broken off in the corner.

While I was draining it, I heard little clicking noises, but figured it was coming from the black rim at the top from me resting my hand on it acting as a hose guide. I finished siphoning water, and hooked the hose from the sink to refill it. It got completely full and I heard a snapping noise. I looked over and apparently the temperature fluctuation was too much for it, as a crack had appeared from the corner chunk to the top of the rim. And water was beading out the crack!!

Uh oh!

I quickly stuck one hose in and started siphoning water into the sink, I heard another crack and stuck a second hose in to siphon it faster. I got all the water draining and breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn't shattered and splattered water all over the floor! I'm also grateful that I was home when it happened AND that the tank was strong enough while I needed it to get Coco well again.

Just not quite the way I had envisioned getting my counter space back!

They're Okay!

I dropped the two albino females into the 36 gallon tank after the house had been dark for about an hour. It's happened before that, despite turning the holding cell completely upside-down for 5-10 seconds, that the fish is still in there -- stubborn fish -- so I've learned to check with a flashlight before removing the container. Don't want no flapping fish!

I turned the flashlight on and had to chuckle because when the two females floated out of the holding cell, they went to the bottom of the tank and landed on one of the other fish. Oops!

The next morning I got up a few minutes early and ran downstairs to check on them. They were swimming around with the other girls as if they'd been doing it their whole life. Sweet! There's no undue aggressiveness, only a couple small nips out of one of their tails. Par for the course, really.

Interestingly, the three white fish seem to group themselves together. They're outnumbered by the grey fish 7 to 3, so it's kind of funny that they feel the need to segregate. Heh. I'm so glad they're doing well.

Now I wonder what would happen if I dropped Mr. White in there. Hmmm.

Consolidation.

I decided tonight that I would move the two albino females out of the 10 gallon tank and into the 36 gallon tank with all the other females. Since we're moving into warmer weather now, I prefer to have them in a larger tank where the temperature doesn't fluctuate as much as the 10 gallon tank's does. Plus, I have an automatic feeder a top the 36 gallon tank and since pretty soon we'll be out of town for a week, I thought that the auto feeder would be a plus.

They've been doing really well in the 10 gallon so, as always, I'm questioning the wisdom of my decision. I hope they'll do well in the big tank.

I'm somewhat suspicious that one of the albino "females" is actually a sub-dominant male, I'm really not sure, though. It has exhibited some behavior toward the other albino female that I've only ever see a male display. They were both the same size when I put them into the 10 gallon tank and now, one of them, the one I'm suspicious of, is quite a bit larger than the other one. Plus, with my fish, the male's dorsal fin ends in a dramatic point while the females dorsal fins are rounded at the end. Its dorsal fin is pointed, but not dramatically so.

I guess we'll find out for sure if I start seeing babies in the big tank.