Yikes!

Did you ever try a new thing without preparing for it? I have. When I think back to my first fish aquarium, I cringe. I really wanted those neon fish and the damsels and guppies and the molly fish. I wanted them all. In the tank. Together. And I wanted them now.

My brothers have had fish, and my mom used to tell me about her salt water aquarium and how she loved seeing the fish, their colors glistening against the invertebrates that graced the bottom of the tank. When it was finally time to set up my own tank, we went to Petco to choose the species of fish that would best suit my set up. We started with a one and a half gallon aquarium. Now, my mom began explaining to me that each fish needed a certain amount of swimming space, and because this was a small tank, we should start with one or two fish.  My eight year old self insisted that several species of fish would be able to inhabit the tank….I was relentless.  That was my first big mistake.  Because it was my money, I decided to purchase approximately 5 individual fish per species.

It was a disaster.  Each day, I would wake up to fish missing from the aquarium.  Not only was the aquarium above its capacity of inhabitants, but they were creating new space to swim by eating each other.  Horrified by the nightly massacre I was witnessing,  I attempted to separate the species of fish into vases my mother owned for her plants.  This is where I made my second big mistake.  I did not treat the water to remove chemicals that are inherent in city water.  Thinking I would save the fish by separating them, I literally killed them with kindness.  Not too great of an experience.  My mom didn’t say a word.  Needless to say, I wished I had researched how to take care of the poor fish.  Lesson learned.