The ten gallon tank has a nice carpet of algae, both brown and green, so I needed to find some piscine groundskeepers. The tiniest catfish are from the genus
Otocinclus and that's what I wanted for the microfish tank. We'd also discussed adding one more species to the schooling fish, a pair of Neon Tetras, to complete the population. So today, feeling somewhat better than I have of late, I braved the store to find new residents.
Neon Tetras are a common species 0f colorful, easy-to-care-for fish, and the store had plenty of healthy looking ones available. The store has plenty of catfish of all sizes, including a pleco that has to be a foot long, but today they had exactly two
Otocinclus-- conveniently, since I wanted a pair. They're oddly patterned fish, each covered in an assortment of brown stripes and patches like a calico cat. One is probably 3/4 of an inch long and the other is almost twice its size.
After the usual acclimation period, we introduced first the Neons first. Schooling fish seem to be so easy to introduce! They all examined each other before the Neons were released from the bag, and I'd swear the veteran zebra danios and white clouds were giving the newcomers a tour of the tank. When it was time for me to feed them, all six fish surfaced with no difficulty, the Neons stuffing their mouths with flakes like they hadn't eaten in ages. I couldn't help but think of them as aquatic chipmunks.
After another twenty minutes or so I introduced the
Otocinclus to the tank and they immediately stuck to every conceivable surface checking for algae--artificial plants, tank, heater, filter, real plants, gravel...everything except the other fish. They started eating right away and had cleared a visible spot about two inches across on the back wall of the tank within four hours, mostly due to the efforts of the smaller one. The larger one preferred to eat from everywhere--I don't think I saw it in the same place twice. I've started to call them the sticky fish, since they behave as if they have velcro or extremely good tape on their lips and they hardly pass any surface without trying to eat off it.
Meanwhile life in the large tank has settled into a nice routine. The Pearl Gouramis have gotten used to their tankmates and are far less shy, particularly at meal time. They still remind me of prissy high school girls, though, as they tend to swim together mostly (0r else they're in opposite corners of the tank as if they've had a spat) and they are the only fish I've seen so far that actually chew their flakes. Nero the Severum has also taught the girls to beg, or at least that's how it feels when I walk into the kitchen and have three long, thin faces pressed against the glass watching me. The pleco Bob and the two Cories continue to keep the tank clean, but they also seem to be buddying up some; this morning I startled Bob who was sleeping on the tank floor and as he swam away I discovered the Cories were asleep beside him. Who knew fish would cuddle?!?!
Probably the best news of the adventure was that after we got home from the store I wasn't exhausted or in pain. Definitely an improvement!
Neon Tetras are a common species 0f colorful, easy-to-care-for fish, and the store had plenty of healthy looking ones available. The store has plenty of catfish of all sizes, including a pleco that has to be a foot long, but today they had exactly two Otocinclus-- conveniently, since I wanted a pair. They're oddly patterned fish, each covered in an assortment of brown stripes and patches like a calico cat. One is probably 3/4 of an inch long and the other is almost twice its size.
After the usual acclimation period, we introduced first the Neons first. Schooling fish seem to be so easy to introduce! They all examined each other before the Neons were released from the bag, and I'd swear the veteran zebra danios and white clouds were giving the newcomers a tour of the tank. When it was time for me to feed them, all six fish surfaced with no difficulty, the Neons stuffing their mouths with flakes like they hadn't eaten in ages. I couldn't help but think of them as aquatic chipmunks.
After another twenty minutes or so I introduced the Otocinclus to the tank and they immediately stuck to every conceivable surface checking for algae--artificial plants, tank, heater, filter, real plants, gravel...everything except the other fish. They started eating right away and had cleared a visible spot about two inches across on the back wall of the tank within four hours, mostly due to the efforts of the smaller one. The larger one preferred to eat from everywhere--I don't think I saw it in the same place twice. I've started to call them the sticky fish, since they behave as if they have velcro or extremely good tape on their lips and they hardly pass any surface without trying to eat off it.
Meanwhile life in the large tank has settled into a nice routine. The Pearl Gouramis have gotten used to their tankmates and are far less shy, particularly at meal time. They still remind me of prissy high school girls, though, as they tend to swim together mostly (0r else they're in opposite corners of the tank as if they've had a spat) and they are the only fish I've seen so far that actually chew their flakes. Nero the Severum has also taught the girls to beg, or at least that's how it feels when I walk into the kitchen and have three long, thin faces pressed against the glass watching me. The pleco Bob and the two Cories continue to keep the tank clean, but they also seem to be buddying up some; this morning I startled Bob who was sleeping on the tank floor and as he swam away I discovered the Cories were asleep beside him. Who knew fish would cuddle?!?!
Probably the best news of the adventure was that after we got home from the store I wasn't exhausted or in pain. Definitely an improvement!