merredeth
Active Member
Now, here's a story that should be a learning lesson for all of us. It sure was a reminder for me based on so many stories I read here on the forum.
I'm setting up another tank over December as a gift for my mother-in-law for a Christmas gift. When I told her this was the gift I was giving her (she wanted one bad after seeing all of ours), I told her to go through a fish catalog I receive from another competitor and look at the types of fish she likes and write me a list so I can determine which ones are compatible.
So while her tank has been cycling, I then told her to put a number on the fish she likes from one to 10, and this way I can determine which ones are her favorites and which ones she just likes.
Number one on her list of all things was a strawberry psudochromis, second, third and fourths on her list were various damsels.
The tank has been cycling and I've informed her that I'm going to my LFS to buy salt and other supplies that she is going to need. While I am there my LFS has one strawberry pseudochomis which has markings around the eyes that look exactly like eyeliner was applied to the fish. Now, the fish is in good health, and since the markings on the eyes are just so cool looking, I decided to buy this particular fish and put it in one of my tanks to hold until her tank is ready for fish.
I prefer drip acclimation and did everything based on my own standard operating procedure which has been successful in the past and moved some rock around to screw with the other fish so no one picks on the new tankmate. Since this guy was at my local fish store for quite some time and I know the owner of my LFS QTs fish, I felt comfortable not having to QT this fish and he goes straight into my display tank.
The very next morning, this fish is missing in action. I'm thinking the fish is shy around the other tankmates and just wait for a day or two to see if this strawberry pseudochmis finds his way to viewing. It didn't happen, so I began to worry. Days three four and five roll around and I'm really worried. I have now gone through the tank and tore apart rock work looking for this fish. I can't find him and there is no evidence that he has jumped out While, I've never seen a pseudochimis jump out of a tank, but I'm going through everything trying to figure out where this fish is.
Meanwhile, another day passes and I've now witnessed my halloween hermit crab goes through molt. Seeing the evidence of this, I began thinking about the possibility that this son-of-a-gun had a hell of a meal before the molt, found the fish dead and ate it.
Today, I get up and turn on the tanklight and peeking out between some rock, there is the strawberry pseudochromis plain as can be. I am astonished and my jaw dropped. It has been over a week that this fish is literally missing in action and I have began to write him off, telling my husband, mother-in-law, niece and my daughter I don't know what happened to him but he's gone. No one other than fish geeks like myself members of this forum is going to believe this story. Everyone else in the family is going to think I went out and just replaced this fish and I'm pulling a fast one on all of them.
I've told this story as there is a lesson for all newbies and veteran fish hobbiests - don't assume crabs ate your fish or they just jumped ship. Sometimes, the fish are just she and elusive enough that even when you tear your rock apart looking for the fish, they can still find places to hide.
My mother-in-law is going to get a good laugh over this story when I talk to her later today and tell her this fish tale.
Anyone else out there have a story similar to share with others here? I'd certainly love to read them.
Denise M.
and making an eye doctor appointment today.
I'm setting up another tank over December as a gift for my mother-in-law for a Christmas gift. When I told her this was the gift I was giving her (she wanted one bad after seeing all of ours), I told her to go through a fish catalog I receive from another competitor and look at the types of fish she likes and write me a list so I can determine which ones are compatible.
So while her tank has been cycling, I then told her to put a number on the fish she likes from one to 10, and this way I can determine which ones are her favorites and which ones she just likes.
Number one on her list of all things was a strawberry psudochromis, second, third and fourths on her list were various damsels.
The tank has been cycling and I've informed her that I'm going to my LFS to buy salt and other supplies that she is going to need. While I am there my LFS has one strawberry pseudochomis which has markings around the eyes that look exactly like eyeliner was applied to the fish. Now, the fish is in good health, and since the markings on the eyes are just so cool looking, I decided to buy this particular fish and put it in one of my tanks to hold until her tank is ready for fish.
I prefer drip acclimation and did everything based on my own standard operating procedure which has been successful in the past and moved some rock around to screw with the other fish so no one picks on the new tankmate. Since this guy was at my local fish store for quite some time and I know the owner of my LFS QTs fish, I felt comfortable not having to QT this fish and he goes straight into my display tank.
The very next morning, this fish is missing in action. I'm thinking the fish is shy around the other tankmates and just wait for a day or two to see if this strawberry pseudochmis finds his way to viewing. It didn't happen, so I began to worry. Days three four and five roll around and I'm really worried. I have now gone through the tank and tore apart rock work looking for this fish. I can't find him and there is no evidence that he has jumped out While, I've never seen a pseudochimis jump out of a tank, but I'm going through everything trying to figure out where this fish is.
Meanwhile, another day passes and I've now witnessed my halloween hermit crab goes through molt. Seeing the evidence of this, I began thinking about the possibility that this son-of-a-gun had a hell of a meal before the molt, found the fish dead and ate it.
Today, I get up and turn on the tanklight and peeking out between some rock, there is the strawberry pseudochromis plain as can be. I am astonished and my jaw dropped. It has been over a week that this fish is literally missing in action and I have began to write him off, telling my husband, mother-in-law, niece and my daughter I don't know what happened to him but he's gone. No one other than fish geeks like myself members of this forum is going to believe this story. Everyone else in the family is going to think I went out and just replaced this fish and I'm pulling a fast one on all of them.
I've told this story as there is a lesson for all newbies and veteran fish hobbiests - don't assume crabs ate your fish or they just jumped ship. Sometimes, the fish are just she and elusive enough that even when you tear your rock apart looking for the fish, they can still find places to hide.
My mother-in-law is going to get a good laugh over this story when I talk to her later today and tell her this fish tale.
Anyone else out there have a story similar to share with others here? I'd certainly love to read them.
Denise M.
