Fishy Woes

Dexter before the move

I don't know if I have talked much about Dexter the Fish, but he was the sole survivor of all my fish purchases in 2011, and we theorized that he was killing off any of the other fish I put in the bowl with him. This earned him the serial killer nickname, and he then completed a five hour car ride when we moved confirming his toughness. He was a Zebra Danio, which turns out to be a very sturdy little fish. Normally they like to be with at least two others but he seemed content to be on his own.

Anyhow, as a fish owner, over the years, I have come to know that fish do not live very long and it is best to not get too attached. So when I found him in his bowl curled upside down, I was not surprised. I had him for 1 1/2 years and that is pretty good for a small schooling fish, especially when you don't know how long he might have been at the petstore before purchasing.

The koi looking feeder fish

I went a month or so, with no fish in the bowl, but then I decided to pick up some new fish while shopping at a store near the petstore. I wanted to try something a bit different and decided to go with two small goldfish. They were both colored like koi and I liked the idea of having my own small koi...little did I know that I had purchased feeder fish (the price should have told me this). The first one died a couple days after getting home and the second one lasted a couple of months. This is a pic of the one that lasted longer before she started to show signs of dying. Turns out that feeder fish aren't supposed to live very long...they are bred for feeding to other fish, not for being pets.

So when I was back at the store near the petstore again, I decided to check out my fish options. This time I decided to avoid the feeders, even though they are pretty, and thought that I might give the Danios a try again. After talking to an employee who reaffirmed that they are sturdy little fish, I got three of the smallest ones in the tank, figuring one would turn out to be a new Dexter.

I haven't taken pics of any of them because I am waiting to see if any of them perish first, but they are all doing well. The larger of the three was being a bit of a bully at first and I had to pull him out and put him in a separate bowl but I have added him back in and they seem to be doing okay now. We'll see how it goes. I hope to get pics of these three friends soon.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Naha Harii
Perfect timing since Children's Day is today (May 5th) in Japan