Ocicat
Premium Member
It only took me a year.
The really sad thing is I still don't know for sure what the heck I am doing with my tank. I'm not going with a particularly aggressive plan any more, I decided. For one thing, I want inverts like crabs and snails - for another, I like schooling fish. So, last night I took the plunge and bought my first inhabitants, 9 blue/green chromis. I acclimated them for ~2 hours. Miracle of miracles, they were still alive this morning!
There was one loner that had me worried - just a little smaller than the rest and with (upon closer inspection) some tiny dull spots on her scales, like she's been beaten up a bit somewhere along the way. Her name is Kia - I asked my husband to name them all, and he started off "Jerry, Billy," and I told him to do better than that or he wouldn't get to name any more, so he got a little more creative.
Any way, I can't really tell the rest apart from each other, but her I can pick out.
I fed them all a tiny bit in the container I was using to acclimate them, and I didn't see her eat - I think there were 1 or 2 others who didn't eat then either. When I put them in the tank, it took them all a little while to find each other and re-form their school, but they pretty much immediately began to make short work of the pods on the glass, plus the teeny tiny star-like things on the glass (I read that they may be some kind of tiny jellyfish).
Kia stayed off on her own, kinda hiding out down by the sand. At first one other larger fish ("Testarossa") stayed with her. Then the other 7 ventured to their end of the tank, and Testarossa - after much hesitation - left her and went with them.
Gradually Kia retreated back into the shadow of a rock, still hovering just above the sand, while the rest of them swam about excitedly picking the specks off the glass. I went to bed hoping that in the dark she would rejoin them.
This morning, there were the 8 swimming about eagerly at the surface, clearly expecting breakfast. Kia was no longer in her spot, and I didn't see her anywhere - but she is a little fish and it's a big tank. I only turned on the light at the end of the tank where she had been, and it didn't take long for the 8 to move to that end. Then I fed them a little - still no sign of Kia. Then, right as I was about to walk out the door for work, there she was, sneaking out from behind a rock. It only took her a moment to make her way out tentatively and finally join the crowd.
I know I'm a dork but I was so excited I called my husband to tell him the good news.
I still haven't seen her eat, but at least she's back with the school now. Hopefully she just needs some adjustment time. The rest seem to be doing great so far.
I will try to post pics this evening.
The really sad thing is I still don't know for sure what the heck I am doing with my tank. I'm not going with a particularly aggressive plan any more, I decided. For one thing, I want inverts like crabs and snails - for another, I like schooling fish. So, last night I took the plunge and bought my first inhabitants, 9 blue/green chromis. I acclimated them for ~2 hours. Miracle of miracles, they were still alive this morning!
There was one loner that had me worried - just a little smaller than the rest and with (upon closer inspection) some tiny dull spots on her scales, like she's been beaten up a bit somewhere along the way. Her name is Kia - I asked my husband to name them all, and he started off "Jerry, Billy," and I told him to do better than that or he wouldn't get to name any more, so he got a little more creative.
Any way, I can't really tell the rest apart from each other, but her I can pick out. I fed them all a tiny bit in the container I was using to acclimate them, and I didn't see her eat - I think there were 1 or 2 others who didn't eat then either. When I put them in the tank, it took them all a little while to find each other and re-form their school, but they pretty much immediately began to make short work of the pods on the glass, plus the teeny tiny star-like things on the glass (I read that they may be some kind of tiny jellyfish).
Kia stayed off on her own, kinda hiding out down by the sand. At first one other larger fish ("Testarossa") stayed with her. Then the other 7 ventured to their end of the tank, and Testarossa - after much hesitation - left her and went with them.
Gradually Kia retreated back into the shadow of a rock, still hovering just above the sand, while the rest of them swam about excitedly picking the specks off the glass. I went to bed hoping that in the dark she would rejoin them.
This morning, there were the 8 swimming about eagerly at the surface, clearly expecting breakfast. Kia was no longer in her spot, and I didn't see her anywhere - but she is a little fish and it's a big tank. I only turned on the light at the end of the tank where she had been, and it didn't take long for the 8 to move to that end. Then I fed them a little - still no sign of Kia. Then, right as I was about to walk out the door for work, there she was, sneaking out from behind a rock. It only took her a moment to make her way out tentatively and finally join the crowd.
I know I'm a dork but I was so excited I called my husband to tell him the good news.I still haven't seen her eat, but at least she's back with the school now. Hopefully she just needs some adjustment time. The rest seem to be doing great so far.
I will try to post pics this evening.
