Today we bought new fish.
They include: 3 clown loaches, partly to deal with the snails (they have already eaten a lot of what we assumed were snail babies, on the leaves); 6 Siamese Flying Foxes (to eat the algae, and they have been sucking it up like little vacuum cleaners), and 4 mostly-silver angels (because they look cool). The cloaches and angels will apparently get fairly large, so that should be entertaining.
The angels, with their beaky mouths, appear to like tearing into the plant with the feathery, pine-like needles. The cloaches and Foxes look pretty funny, with their mouths underneath, as they mow the algae. The tetras appear to be sulking, but hopefully they will get used to having to share the tank.
We bought a stack of kits, as well – ammonia and nitrite both seem to be about 0, which seems odd for such a new tank. We’ll have another go at testing tomorrow.
Haven’t noticed any other Odd Bits on fish.
My zygo is flowering madly
It was given to me by my dear friend Kate last year, maybe the year before… it has previously had a few flowers, but right now it is flowering like there will be no winter next year. It has almost 20 open flowers, a number of nearly-open buds – which is annoying, since I won’t get to see them for a few weeks – and a few very small buds, which will hopefully only open after I get back. It’s very lovely… and I have been amusing everyone who comes to visit by displaying it proudly. I brought it in from the window just so I could see it easily, and show it off.
We euthanased the Odd Bit Fish.
We figured it was better to kills one, $2.50 fish, than have all 10 die.
There is heaps of algae happening in the tank, which may mean that the light is on for too long. There is also a snail! Darned if I know how he got in there. He’ll just have to stay there until Saturday when we get something to eat the algae, I guess – cories or loaches, or I’ve read about Siamese Algae Eaters/Flying Foxes.
Did the first water change today; probably ought to get an ammonia test-kit. Hope the nine tetras survive without the tenth…
One of the fish has an Odd Bit on it.
It wasn’t there when they went in the tank yesterday… two days in and already we have a medical issue on our hands. It’s on the dorsal fin…
The other fish seem happier.
We got some fish.
They’re Black Phantom Tetras, and there are ten of them. We also got a light for the tank, and a few plants, some rocks and some very expensive driftwood. It was fun working out where to put the rocks and wood to create the best ‘look’ for the tank. The fish seem a little unsure of their new environs.
Randomly Yours, Alex 