Update on the fish

We have some new additions to 'the tank'! 

I 'think' since my last post, we have bought more fish on two separate occasions.  Makayla and I headed to Beckley last week for a leisurely trip to get out of the house (you know how the cabin fever creeps up on ya!).  I tried and tried to catch the Gourami that was giving us some problems before we left the house that morning.  And I 'almost' had him once!  But 'almost' doesn't count.  After struggling for about 20-30 minutes I gave up and said it must not be meant to be today.  So he didn't go back to the pet store that day. 

It was a blessing in disguise.

When we got to Petsmart, they had A LOT of dead fish.  I was shocked.  I had a really bad feeling about buying any there, even in the tanks where all the fish were living and healthy looking, because the water circulates throughout all the tanks in places like those.  So if there was a disease killing the fish, it could infect even the healthy ones.  And I wasn't going to bring anything like that home to my 'healthy' fish. 

So we left.  We went to another pet store.  Thankfully Makayla stayed awake (it was VERY close to nap time by this point in our trip) and we found an awesome selection of fish, healthy fish!  And a very knowledgeable employee who taught me a thing or two about fish.  We purchased 2 neon yellow tetras and 3 platys (1 mickey mouse, 1 sunburst, and 1 tuxedo).  I wanted more but had to stop myself at that!  The guy showed me why the mickey mouse platy earned its name.  I thought it was the coloring (the one I had at home was orange, black, and yellow..classic mickey colors)..but they come in a variety of colors it seems. 

(Do you see Mickey's head and ears on the fishes tail?!!)

On another trip later in the week, it was a spur-of-the-moment-rush-out-the-door type trip.  Snow was in the forecast.  We had had snow already.  Wasn't sure what the weekend was bringing.  It was a last minute deal.  But we made it out (with no incidents I'm happy to report!).  Since it was such a 'sudden' trip, I wasn't even thinking of trying to catch old Mr. Gourami to take him back, remembering how it ended the last time.  I didn't have the time this go-around.

Again, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

I knew going over, it was 'fish day'.  They get their fish in on Fridays at Charleston's Petsmart.  So I knew to expect my beloved Angelfish to be there, in plentiful supply.  So I prepared myself.

We got there and browsed the nice selection of fish they had.  And then there they were.  The angelfish.  So beautiful.  And then I saw one at the bottom of the tank, in the process of dying.

My heart BROKE.

I don't know what it was about seeing that fish about to die (it could have been in shock from just being put into a new tank, etc), but as crazy as it sounds it made me not want them anymore.  I was so attached to our angelfish we had when we were first married, I cried when both of them died. And we didn't 'flush' them.  No, I didn't have the heart to flush Moe or Joe (yes, thats what I named them!).  I made Damon bury them in our front yard.

No joke.

I even constructed a cross out of popsicle sticks.

I know..I know..your laughing uncontrollably over there.  But I loved them fish.  They were my babies before I had a baby (Ravey included).  Sure, I could laugh about it later on, but I grieved over poor Moe and Joe. 

Its why I got rid of my tank back then.  I couldn't bear to do it again.

(Danio, Fabio, and Cheerio..yes..I named them!)

But anyways!!  On this trip, we came back with 3 Giant Danios and 2 Creamsicle Mollies.  The mollies are soooo purdy!  I love em'!  And the Danios..get this..they have put Mr. Gourami in his place!  YES!  When they got into the tank..they went after him.  He looks at them like, "who are you and what are you doin?!" and you know..he's been better.  He's not perfect, but he's not the way he was.

So now I'm happy having the Mr. Gourami in our tank full of fish.  And since he made it past 2 rounds of heading to the fish store and not getting returned..I figured he must have meant to be with us.  He's a nice addition, even if he is a little  hard nosed and stubborn. 

Hey, I can be the same way sometimes.