Mako Shark II
Fish are Friends not Food
Once upon a time…. as every good tale of lore begins, there was this small vibrant kingdom which resided in a little 10-gallon fresh water tank.
Now this was a special tank, and in it, lived a tiny band of mighty fishies. There were bright and playful Neons, fierce Swords, black mollies and a mighty and vigilant Plecostomus, always in the shadows overseeing the cleanliness of the kingdom. The fishies thrived among live plants, darted around plastic rock formations and played merrily in the return water jets, always careful not to get too close to the Inlet to the mean box filter, which had previously sucked up a small Loach, when the security strainer had fallen off!
So everyone played in this special 10-gallon tank, everyone that is, except for the Plecostomus, who was much too busy with the affairs of the kingdom, and couldn’t be bothered by such frivolity, particularly when there was work to be done, cleaning glass and plants and rocks and such.
It was a happy place and these were happy times! Every night, a Giant Ogre, who wasn’t nearly as ugly as his role would indicate, would feed and bring amazing bright light to shine upon the inhabitants of this watery wonderland. And all delighted in its completeness. Every now and then, the friendly Ogre would even clean the little 10-gallon tank, replace the carbon cartridge and do a water change, removing all the evil nitrates from this happy community.
Now the Giant Ogre had a sidekick; a small Troll. And it became the sidekick Troll’s responsibility to provide the required maintenance to the kingdom and provide for the little fishies and their live plants. And so it went.
Then one day, the friendly Shrek-like Ogre stopped coming around, until one day, the feedings just became less and less. Oh sure, there was the occasional scrap of flake food which lighted upon the surface of the water, but those were consumed immediately, by the hungry little fishies. And so it was, that a great famine began, followed by periods of protracted darkness. And eventually, as it is with most kingdoms, it had become forgotten. The sidekick Troll had became interested in far more important things, like outer space, apart from this watery world of the little 10- gallon’s bright light and live plants. Eventually, even the sidekick Troll never came around anymore and the bright light refused to shine. Thus began……. the Dark Ages!
Over a long, long period of time even food became scarce and a great fear was born out of necessity, until a Great Plague of green hair algae ruled the deep waters. The crystal waters were replaced with ominous murkiness. Eventually, even death fell upon the weak and this once heroic little tank, was witness to the passing of many of its once vibrant and colorful inhabitants. In the end, even the once mighty and vigilant Plecostomus succumbed and soon perished.
Following this mass extinction, a tremendous drought flooded the algae laden aquascape with Air! In time, Liters and Liters of Air (!) had replaced the once flowing seas and the dryness destroyed even the green hair algae, which had seen the passing of the little fishies so long before.
Oh sure, the small prodigal Troll had returned to see the little 10-gallon tank’s affairs, but alas, it was too late and so, in a moment of mercy, the giant Ogre had even returned, only but only to switch-off (!) the bus bar, effectively “pulling the plug†on it’s now euthanized inhabitants. And as it is with most things, the age of greatness had passed from this little 10-gallon tank.
Now also in these days, the once kind Ogre and his sidekick Troll, had their hearts stolen away, by a much younger, vastly larger, captivatingly more beautiful and truly magnificent “Salt†Water Tank, over Ten-times larger than this little 10-gallon tank. It was no wonder to this little 10-gallon tank, which couldn’t even be referred to as a “nano†because of its own shortcomings. It had become…. just another empty space. A void. Nothing.
Time passed and much later, upon returning to the place that the 10-gallon tank had lived and thrived, the Ogre, upon seeing the death that had befallen the Troll’s once vibrant little community, took pity upon the little Tank. And after he had purged what was left of the Great Plague from the little 10-gallon, he lovingly sifted out all the gravel, plastic rock formations, stones and bones. Then, he swept it up in his arms, and gently carried to a different place far, far away from the Troll’s domain.
Now, this new place was bright! REALLY BRIGHT! The Biggest light the little 10-gallon tank had ever seen! It was so large in fact, that it actually felt, dare I say…. Warm!? And then, there were strange noises. Not rhythmic like the hum of the box filter and power heads. Rather, this was a chirp-like noise and somewhat pleasant actually! Why… This was a fine place, the little 10-gallon tank thought. And so it was!! Help had come at last! Then, in an instant, came a gushing sense of cool flowing water. Fresh Water! Clean, crisp flowing water!! And all the while, there was this brilliant bright, warm light!
“Can it be?? Oh! I’m saved!!â€Â, thought the little 10-gallon tank.
Recalling the green hair algae and the devastating effect it had placed upon the little tank, the Great Ogre decided to refill the tank, with fresh water, and a slight amount of new bleach, in order to irradiate the once flowing green hair algae, forever!
And so the little tank saw the bright light in the sky come on, and go off several times, while the bleach continued its work on the once nasty green hair algae.
And so it went.
Now it’s at this point in the story, just when you think the Little 10-gallon Tank had finally seen it through….. when you finally realize that the Troll, although admittedly neglectful….. and the Great Ogre although too trusting…. that you think the Little Tank had finally found happiness and security….. Well… It wasn’t out of peril just yet.
The bright light refused to shine and its once warming light was also gone! Now, only cold, bitter cold was upon our little Hero. But this cold was a New Cold. It was the coldest of colds and not at all like the time when his little Heater had broken. No sir! THIS was a cold unlike any other cold our little 10-gallon tank had ever felt!!!
Days passed....
Eventually, even the new Water, refused to flow. Everything…. Just… Stopped. COLD! Thus began…. The ICE AGE!
He had Frozen, Solid!
(Note the ancient water change bucket from the ‘80s!)
Now, unlike the Troll, the Great Ogre knew that something had to be done. But what?? And just then, the little tank’s good fortune returned, and the light in the sky shined again. Its edges eventually warmed and the once frozen water thawed, and began to flow again. Later on, the Ogre again took Pity and used cold water to slowly, ever so slowly, melt the remaining ice away from the little 10-gallon tank, who was very grateful to be free of winter’s deadly grasp!!!
Once finally clean and now inside again, this little Tank became aware of the New Kingdom and the Magnificent Salt Water realm which had come into being.
“Why, its glorious!â€Â, the little 10-gallon tank thought! “How can I serve You!â€Â
And with that, The giant Ogre once again leak-tested and filled the little 10-gallon tank and to his astonishment, the little 10-gallon Tank DID NOT LEAK!
Now the moral of the story is this:
No matter how small you are, or the conditions you are forced to work under, and no matter what dies inside of you, hold onto your dreams and maybe, just maybe, one day, you too can become useful to your newer Salt Water Reef Tank too!
THE END!
Now this was a special tank, and in it, lived a tiny band of mighty fishies. There were bright and playful Neons, fierce Swords, black mollies and a mighty and vigilant Plecostomus, always in the shadows overseeing the cleanliness of the kingdom. The fishies thrived among live plants, darted around plastic rock formations and played merrily in the return water jets, always careful not to get too close to the Inlet to the mean box filter, which had previously sucked up a small Loach, when the security strainer had fallen off!
So everyone played in this special 10-gallon tank, everyone that is, except for the Plecostomus, who was much too busy with the affairs of the kingdom, and couldn’t be bothered by such frivolity, particularly when there was work to be done, cleaning glass and plants and rocks and such.
It was a happy place and these were happy times! Every night, a Giant Ogre, who wasn’t nearly as ugly as his role would indicate, would feed and bring amazing bright light to shine upon the inhabitants of this watery wonderland. And all delighted in its completeness. Every now and then, the friendly Ogre would even clean the little 10-gallon tank, replace the carbon cartridge and do a water change, removing all the evil nitrates from this happy community.
Now the Giant Ogre had a sidekick; a small Troll. And it became the sidekick Troll’s responsibility to provide the required maintenance to the kingdom and provide for the little fishies and their live plants. And so it went.
Then one day, the friendly Shrek-like Ogre stopped coming around, until one day, the feedings just became less and less. Oh sure, there was the occasional scrap of flake food which lighted upon the surface of the water, but those were consumed immediately, by the hungry little fishies. And so it was, that a great famine began, followed by periods of protracted darkness. And eventually, as it is with most kingdoms, it had become forgotten. The sidekick Troll had became interested in far more important things, like outer space, apart from this watery world of the little 10- gallon’s bright light and live plants. Eventually, even the sidekick Troll never came around anymore and the bright light refused to shine. Thus began……. the Dark Ages!
Over a long, long period of time even food became scarce and a great fear was born out of necessity, until a Great Plague of green hair algae ruled the deep waters. The crystal waters were replaced with ominous murkiness. Eventually, even death fell upon the weak and this once heroic little tank, was witness to the passing of many of its once vibrant and colorful inhabitants. In the end, even the once mighty and vigilant Plecostomus succumbed and soon perished.
Following this mass extinction, a tremendous drought flooded the algae laden aquascape with Air! In time, Liters and Liters of Air (!) had replaced the once flowing seas and the dryness destroyed even the green hair algae, which had seen the passing of the little fishies so long before.
Oh sure, the small prodigal Troll had returned to see the little 10-gallon tank’s affairs, but alas, it was too late and so, in a moment of mercy, the giant Ogre had even returned, only but only to switch-off (!) the bus bar, effectively “pulling the plug†on it’s now euthanized inhabitants. And as it is with most things, the age of greatness had passed from this little 10-gallon tank.
Now also in these days, the once kind Ogre and his sidekick Troll, had their hearts stolen away, by a much younger, vastly larger, captivatingly more beautiful and truly magnificent “Salt†Water Tank, over Ten-times larger than this little 10-gallon tank. It was no wonder to this little 10-gallon tank, which couldn’t even be referred to as a “nano†because of its own shortcomings. It had become…. just another empty space. A void. Nothing.
Time passed and much later, upon returning to the place that the 10-gallon tank had lived and thrived, the Ogre, upon seeing the death that had befallen the Troll’s once vibrant little community, took pity upon the little Tank. And after he had purged what was left of the Great Plague from the little 10-gallon, he lovingly sifted out all the gravel, plastic rock formations, stones and bones. Then, he swept it up in his arms, and gently carried to a different place far, far away from the Troll’s domain.
Now, this new place was bright! REALLY BRIGHT! The Biggest light the little 10-gallon tank had ever seen! It was so large in fact, that it actually felt, dare I say…. Warm!? And then, there were strange noises. Not rhythmic like the hum of the box filter and power heads. Rather, this was a chirp-like noise and somewhat pleasant actually! Why… This was a fine place, the little 10-gallon tank thought. And so it was!! Help had come at last! Then, in an instant, came a gushing sense of cool flowing water. Fresh Water! Clean, crisp flowing water!! And all the while, there was this brilliant bright, warm light!
“Can it be?? Oh! I’m saved!!â€Â, thought the little 10-gallon tank.
Recalling the green hair algae and the devastating effect it had placed upon the little tank, the Great Ogre decided to refill the tank, with fresh water, and a slight amount of new bleach, in order to irradiate the once flowing green hair algae, forever!
And so the little tank saw the bright light in the sky come on, and go off several times, while the bleach continued its work on the once nasty green hair algae.
And so it went.
Now it’s at this point in the story, just when you think the Little 10-gallon Tank had finally seen it through….. when you finally realize that the Troll, although admittedly neglectful….. and the Great Ogre although too trusting…. that you think the Little Tank had finally found happiness and security….. Well… It wasn’t out of peril just yet.
The bright light refused to shine and its once warming light was also gone! Now, only cold, bitter cold was upon our little Hero. But this cold was a New Cold. It was the coldest of colds and not at all like the time when his little Heater had broken. No sir! THIS was a cold unlike any other cold our little 10-gallon tank had ever felt!!!
Days passed....
Eventually, even the new Water, refused to flow. Everything…. Just… Stopped. COLD! Thus began…. The ICE AGE!
He had Frozen, Solid!
(Note the ancient water change bucket from the ‘80s!)
Now, unlike the Troll, the Great Ogre knew that something had to be done. But what?? And just then, the little tank’s good fortune returned, and the light in the sky shined again. Its edges eventually warmed and the once frozen water thawed, and began to flow again. Later on, the Ogre again took Pity and used cold water to slowly, ever so slowly, melt the remaining ice away from the little 10-gallon tank, who was very grateful to be free of winter’s deadly grasp!!!
Once finally clean and now inside again, this little Tank became aware of the New Kingdom and the Magnificent Salt Water realm which had come into being.
“Why, its glorious!â€Â, the little 10-gallon tank thought! “How can I serve You!â€Â
And with that, The giant Ogre once again leak-tested and filled the little 10-gallon tank and to his astonishment, the little 10-gallon Tank DID NOT LEAK!
Now the moral of the story is this:
No matter how small you are, or the conditions you are forced to work under, and no matter what dies inside of you, hold onto your dreams and maybe, just maybe, one day, you too can become useful to your newer Salt Water Reef Tank too!
THE END!
