Hello...

Recently, my awesome betta fish Jak, of two years died while I was transferring him to a new, 9gal BiUbe tank. It was a very depressing day for me since he really started to develop a personality towards the second year. Making him less a piece of furniture, and more of a pet in my eyes.

A week later, I went out to get some fish for this lovely EMPTY 9gal tank. I learned a few things. Mostly, DO NOT get BiUbe tanks unless you intend to layer their abominal vertical tanks. (Fish are lateral swimmers, so to ensure they lead happy and healthy lives, you'd need to get 'bottoms', 'middlers', and 'tops' to do so with a bloody 9gal VERTICAL tank.) So I went out and did so, discussing much with the employee who helped me pick out fish.

My desires were very simple. I wanted two bottoms, two middlers, and two tops for my tank. Make it look like a PARTY in there with all the swank decorations I'd ordered online with aforementioned tank.

I also wanted them to be very hardy fish since I did not want to do all of this extra work to ensure they were happy. I did not want to alter water temperature, I did not want to have to feed them each different foods, I didn't even want to fuss with the pH much.

So she helped and I went home with flake and pellet food, pH test kit, water purifying stuff, 1 peco, 1 dwarf frog, 2 dalmation mollies, and 2 angelfish. All was well for a little bit while I let them bob in the water so they could acclimate.

Then it started.


I have found, Dalmation Mollies to be the filthiest, and rudest fish alive. The first thing I noticed while they were all acclimating was that the bigger one was nipping/EATING the littler one. I did my best to smack it away and guard the feeble whelp of a thing for the thirty minutes required-- but there is only so much you can do when a plastic bag filled with air and water separates you and the DICK fish. Suffice to say, they were the first ones released into the new home.

The little dalmatian molly's bottom fins were totally destroyed. He wobbled when he swam, very adorable but sad since he was damaged and looked utterly terrified.

The first one of them to get a name was the dick fish who had snacked on his buddy. His name is Bill.

The damaged one was Hank. He was the first to die. I'd found him dead a day or so after I'd gotten him. I had known it was coming since I'd done some research on their type (they need groups of 4-5 so they don't pick on one another.) This information of course occurred to me after the damage had been done. Hindsight is a bitch.

I have never disliked a fish before, and thought it impossible. But I found myself not liking Bill.

The frog's name was Kermit. For lack of any creativity or inspiration whatsover. He was a hide-y sort of fellow until he lept up to the top of the tank to snatch some air or something, linger, then hide away. This cute behavior lasted all of three days before he made the top of the tank his home base. I'd noticed he'd been growing this odd, clear white fur-looking stuff on his back, which expanded to his belly. I checked periodically on him when he began looking less and less lively.

Bill is a creepy fish. He tends to stare at me. And he does, in fact stare, (I know this because he is a very active and lively fish, always darting about the tank and all. So when an active fish suddenly stops, then looks at you. It's highly unsettling.)

At this point, I stopped putting the pellet food into the tank. I'd noticed, about the same time I did Kermit, that the pellets developed that same white, opaque filmy stuff around it. (I fed them alternately flake and pellet food to ensure they all got something.)

I really did not like Bill.

Then a day later I found him dead, the odd filmy substance having looped around his entire midsection. All very depressing.

Bill was a dick fish.

The peco's name is Gerard, because he is the biggest fish out of them all (he'd looked much smaller when I'd selected him, but that may be due to the fact his fins had been tucked in at the time,) and swims around as if he couldn't care less about the rest of the idiots in the tank. All very regal like.

I wanted to get rid of Bill somehow, but I really don't think I could commit fish murder. It just seems a little silly to me. Murdering a fish.

The angelfish never got separate names, they were both a pale yellow white and seemed very stupid. One of them had swam straight into the tank wall. It was very amusing and I'd simply called them 'The Twins'. Then a day or so after the death of Kermit, one of them started acting dodgy. Hiding more towards the bottom and moving a little less.

I had to separate Bill into his own tank when I'd caught him picking on one of the Twins(a very depressing half-gallon glass vase. I found it to be sufficient cruelty, yet not enough so after a fashion when I'd had to clean the damn think a DAY later because he soiled the thing so godamn much. Yes. Soiled. Like having a godamn filthy goldfish.)

Found him dead beneath the cave two days later after he'd taken to hiding in it.

I took to feeding them a bit less flake food since a good deal of it wound up in the bloody filter (which is now pink, and I may have to change the bloody thing even though they're supposed to be good for six insufferable months.)

So then it was down to simply 'Twin'. He seemed alright for awhile. But he started to develop an odd orange-red tinge to his fins. I found him dead beneath the cave as well a day or so later. The tinge having increased considerably.

I'm unsure as to what could be wrong with the tank, I thoroughly cleaned all of the decorations and rocks with warm water. I purified the tap and bottled water with the correct water conditioner. The noisy filter is never OFF. I feed them once a day.

Started with six.

And I'm down to two.

Why does Bill have to be one of the ones who still lives? Ugh. I hate him. He's a dick. Gerard is the only saving grace. I might go back to get some pH leveler and guppies. But I might not since it's too easy to picture Bill just eating them in two easy bites since they're a third the size he is.

I'd advise against getting any pets from Pet Pourri in Everett, WA. Not only do they have poor puppy/cat treatment- it leads to the fish as well. Or the frogs at any rate. Poorly informed/educated employees is more like.

Ah well, at least Gerard hasn't changed a bit. Prolly thinks the tank is a bit roomier now- if only Bill would stop swimming around like a jackass all the time.



Life is pathetic at present. I am not a fan of my job and would like to employ elsewhere. But I am severely limited due to lack of a car.



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