pets teaching lessons.... about electricity?
We have fish. We needed pet(s), we had some refund money, the dog scene is muddled. So, fish.
After some ... ah... equilibrium seeking we have apparently settled at a 10-gallon tank, some cool "Grecian" columns and plastic plants and rocks, bright magenta gravel, one pink-and-blue male Betta (the first one we got), 4 Mollies (out of 6 originally, we have remaining 2 Gold Dust, 1 Marbled, 1 Lyretail bigger than the others), and 2 different Cory Catfish (who replaced the first Cory Catfish). The frog got stuck in the filter and didn't make it. Sigh. Poor fellow. Pretty sure the Marbled Molly is a male (watching him chase the Lyretail gives it away), and the other 3 are females (given how rapidly fatter they are getting!). This will likely lead to more fish, which is not quite what we had planned! As for the rate of death in the first weeks, we probably added too many fish too fast. And the filter should have a net covering.
It's interesting and weirdly lovely. The deaths of fish to whom we were really attached was odd, and led to requests for giving this up and getting a guinea pig or bird. It also led to a near-electrocution (don't know how near) as Mo, wanting to put the net nursery in the tank for one or more pregnant Molly, tried to take the lid off while the light was on and plugged in, and dropped it half-way into the tank while I was in the other room. Thankfully, the light went out, rather than shock the bejesus out of Mo (or the fish). He called for help, I came into the room, and rather stupidly yanked the stuff out of the tank before unplugging it. Blessedly this was moot but I should know better. (Even more oddly, the light tried to come back on when it was out of the tank before I got to the plug.)
I exaggerated my worry to Mo about electrocution, which made an impression on him (good!)(although perhaps better impressions could've been made; I'm still not sure how I could've done it). The light is drying out and maybe I'll try it in a couple of days.
And don't get me wrong, I still really, really want a dog. If Trekker -- Dad's dog -- weren't coming this summer -- tonight -- or if she doesn't -- petfinder.com, here I come, dammit!
After some ... ah... equilibrium seeking we have apparently settled at a 10-gallon tank, some cool "Grecian" columns and plastic plants and rocks, bright magenta gravel, one pink-and-blue male Betta (the first one we got), 4 Mollies (out of 6 originally, we have remaining 2 Gold Dust, 1 Marbled, 1 Lyretail bigger than the others), and 2 different Cory Catfish (who replaced the first Cory Catfish). The frog got stuck in the filter and didn't make it. Sigh. Poor fellow. Pretty sure the Marbled Molly is a male (watching him chase the Lyretail gives it away), and the other 3 are females (given how rapidly fatter they are getting!). This will likely lead to more fish, which is not quite what we had planned! As for the rate of death in the first weeks, we probably added too many fish too fast. And the filter should have a net covering.
It's interesting and weirdly lovely. The deaths of fish to whom we were really attached was odd, and led to requests for giving this up and getting a guinea pig or bird. It also led to a near-electrocution (don't know how near) as Mo, wanting to put the net nursery in the tank for one or more pregnant Molly, tried to take the lid off while the light was on and plugged in, and dropped it half-way into the tank while I was in the other room. Thankfully, the light went out, rather than shock the bejesus out of Mo (or the fish). He called for help, I came into the room, and rather stupidly yanked the stuff out of the tank before unplugging it. Blessedly this was moot but I should know better. (Even more oddly, the light tried to come back on when it was out of the tank before I got to the plug.)
I exaggerated my worry to Mo about electrocution, which made an impression on him (good!)(although perhaps better impressions could've been made; I'm still not sure how I could've done it). The light is drying out and maybe I'll try it in a couple of days.
And don't get me wrong, I still really, really want a dog. If Trekker -- Dad's dog -- weren't coming this summer -- tonight -- or if she doesn't -- petfinder.com, here I come, dammit!