I Have Lost My Bragging Rights!

When I met my husband I had a 20 gallon fresh water fish tank. I had gone to a ceramic store and painted a tug boat which I sank to the bottom with copper pennies. No one bothered to tell me that copper could be toxic to fish, not even the fish store where I went at least once a month to buy the same fish over and over.

Once Michael and I were married and settling into our new home I wanted to set up my tank. He wanted nothing to do with it. Finally one day while he was at work I set the tank up myself. Once it was up I could almost always find Michael submerged to his elbows in my little tank. His interest grew into quite the hobby. He would leave Saturday morning around nine saying he would be home in a little bit; 8 hours later I would call the fish store to see if he was still there. His interest grew to a 50 gallon tank that he put Synadontis catfish and African Chiclids in. (I'm sure I haven't spelled the name of those fish correctly, but for a very poor speller it's close enough.)

Then it grew to a 75 gallon salt water tank. It was gorgeous. Michael spent a lot of time with and in this tank. Then he got orders to Desert Storm. I had 2 children 13 months apart; the oldest age 14 months. He left me pages of instructions telling how to care for that tank. He wanted me to do some sort of something with it every week. I fed the fish and checked the salinity. He was gone 8 months I changed the water twice. Not one fish died. They all lived the whole time he was gone. Before he left he was losing one every two weeks. For obvious prideful reasons this has always been one of my favorite fish stories to tell.

Now to present day: Michael went back to Okinawa, leaving me with a 20 gallon tank in prime shape. All of a sudden all the fish are acting drunk and I've lost 4 fish. I feel awful! He is handling it very well; not really concerned. The tank is fresh water but the fish were kind of pricey and they had gotten large so it was no fun disposing of them.

So, you see, I have lost all bragging rights! I am treating the tank, but no positive results yet.

I could write pages of fish stories. But that will do for now.

Stay tuned for pictures of gifts Michael has sent. I can't wait for that man to be home!