An Update - With Videos!

I have been very stressed about the situation over at Brandon's with Oz and the other larger fish in the tank. For a few days there both he and I were worried about it working out in the long run, as Oz had taken over the entire tank and was bullying the oscar and pacu. I had no idea what I was going to do if I had to take him back as I'd exhausted all avenues for finding him an appropriate home and I simply could not let him continue to live a miserable existance, self-harming, in my 55 gallon.

However, it's looking at this point that I don't have to worry about it anymore. *huge cheer* Today's texts with Brandon went like this:

Him: "Do you have any idea what your pH level is? I just checked mine and it was lower than normal. It's usually around 7.0-7.2 but it was 6.0 when I checked it."
Me: "It's the added ammonia from Oz. Bump up your water changes a LOT while the bacteria increase enough to handle the new load. It will stabilize back then. How are thing going for them? I've been really worried."
Him: "Not too bad. It's clear Oz doesn't want any friends. :) At least any big friends."
Me: "But he's not beating up on them too much is he? I'm just trying to figure out if I need to start looking for other options for him."
Him: "The kids love playing with him. He adds so much character to the tank. I can't imagine not having him as a part of the fish community." then "He's not beating them up aymore. It's clear that he is established as the alpha."
Me: "Omg you don't know what a relief that is to hear. I am so glad. So does he leave them alone now?"
Him: "Yes. He stays on his half of the tank. He has moved over to the white rocks now. He is working on a hole to china under the flat rock! He's been working on it for 3 days now."

Note that all important word in the last text - the very first one - "Yes". He is LEAVING THEM ALONE!!! I don't know if I thought it was possible. But I'm beyond thrilled.

Then he took two videos for me and sent them to me in an email called "The Land of Oz and His Hole to China! lol!!

So here I present Oz in his awesome new tank, where he is displaying his talents as a interior designer. He's removed all the gravel from behind the white rock and is piling it in the middle. Brandon filmed these, I just uploaded them.

And another - what cracks me up in this one (and Brandon too obviously - you can hear him chuckle) is that at the end you can see the pacu and oscar at the opposite end of the tank. I think the appropriate word for their apparent attitude is "cowed". Oz = The Big Boss




Also, I'd like to take this as an opportunity to give a little more information about what first started the texting, the pH issue. pH drops when ammonia increases. The addition of Oz and the ammonia he adds to the tank (fish excrete it through their gills and also the additional food being used for him and er... its result). Essentially, the tank is going through a "mini-cycle" with the addition of another fish. The amount of beneficial (and necessary) bacteria is not yet enough to handle the bioload that is now in the tank, so until it is, Brandon will need to perform frequent water changes to help keep his water parameters stable and as little ammonia as possible in the water (it's toxic to fish at certain pH levels).

If you are unfamiliar with the nitrogen cycle that occurs in all aquariums, read through these few pages to learn the basic idea. It's an absolutely VITAL part of maintaining aquariums and anyone who is interested in starting one (or even if you have one and have aren't informed on this topic) should understand the ins and outs of cycling before even filling up a tank. For a more interactive environment where you can ask your own questions and get answers from very knowledgeable fishkeepers, visit Ultimate Bettas, which is a fantastic forum (and talks about all animals - not just bettas!) :) I am a moderator there, and my username is JulieTheGr8t. Feel free to visit us anytime! Or post questions in your comments, I would be happy to answer them. I personally am the current owner of multiple aquariums. One less now though... *tiny sad sigh*

Now maybe I'll get together the funds for a blue tongue skink! o_0

Saying Some Goodbyes

Yesterday I sent off a gecko to Tennessee, and I'm a bit sad about it. I need the money and I desperately need to downsize, hence the sale I'm having... but it's always hard to sell a baby you've raised. This was a special little guy - he looked just like his daddy who is my favorite gecko. He went to a very nice home though where I know he will be loved and cared for, and made it there safely thank God.

However, I also parted with another member of my animal "family", one who I have had for over 6 years. This loss was much harder. His name is Oz, and he's a Midas cichlid. When I first bought him he was nearly dead as a result of bullying from larger tankmates at Petsmart, and he was barely an inch long. As time passed, he upgraded from a 10 gallon to a 29, to a 55. I even moved him from Washington state to Kansas! Currently he is at least 11 inches long, about 7 inches "tall", and about 2-3 inches wide. In other words, he had long outgrown his 55 gallon.

I moved to my own place in November, and didn't bring him with me - it would have just been too much of a huge hassle to move him + the tank. He stayed in my parent's basement. I have no room here for a tank larger than a 55, and my parents were unwilling to let me upgrade at their house either. Oz was also extremely bored - I used to have my bedroom in the basement so he had interaction with me all the time, but my parents hardly ever go down there. So he was self-harming out of boredom, and I knew something had to be done.

The problem was that Oz is extremely aggressive towards other fish - he killed the only two tankmates I've ever tried with him and cleaning his tank was always like a shark diving adventure. So he needed a very special home and owner. I started posting ads on craiglist early in the year and never found anyone who had a setup that would be appropriate. Then several days ago I was contacted by a guy, Brandon, who offered to add him into his 150 gallon tank. The tank did have other fish such as an 11" pacu and 8" oscar, plus some varied African cichids. I was a bit concerned about the other fish, so we just decided to try it on a trial basis.

Last evening I brought Oz over and we introduced him to the tank. Oz was pretty stressed from the trip so we weren't able to get a good feel for how he was going to be. He hid behind the rocks the Africans live in (on the left side of the tank), and apparently slept there all night. This morning Brandon texted me to update me - he said that Oz was exploring the whole tank and being trailed by several of the smaller fish without minding at all. He even fed alongside them without problems, which surprised me (but I was also glad to hear he was willing to eat already, he must be settling in quickly). When he encountered the pacu he took a bite at him and the pacu fled to the right side of the tank where it usually hangs out. The oscar and Oz then had a 20 second mouth fight which naturally Oz won, and the oscar wandered back over the right as well.

I'm really hoping Oz doesn't start bullying the larger fish. He seems to have decided that the left side of the tank is his territory, which is good since the pacu and oscar already hang out on the right. I'm hoping that this becomes permanent and that territory squabbles are few and far between. However, I may be hoping for too much because Oz may decide the whole tank is his and start bullying that oscar like crazy. Fingers crossed? I still have his 55 up and running and will for another week or two, just in case... but I hope and pray this works out. It would just be an ideal situation for him. In fact, in an email today from Brandon, he said:

"The kids are having fun playing follow the leader with Oz. Our 22-month-old son belly laughs when Oz swims up close to see him. He is quite the character! :)"

I was so glad to hear that. Oz and I always used to play a game where I'd run from one side of the tank to the other and back and he'd swim alongside, trying to beat me. Brandon has 3 children under the age of 5 and I was hoping they'd play the same game - sounds like they are already! He's certainly going to get a lot of interaction at this house, which is wonderful. (Brandon also said I could come visit him whenever I wanted which I really appreciated, and I probably will at some point once he's settled in.)

I know a lot of you may be thinking I'm nuts for being emotionally attached to a fish, but he wasn't "just a fish". Hopefully from what I've said you can get some of an idea of how much personality he has. He is the most dog-like fish I've ever met, and I'll miss him a lot. I watched him grow and change his coloration and shape into a most impressive, beautiful fish. I wish I'd taken more recent pics, but here are some from a few years back, when he still fit in his 55:




Angry boy! Look at that flare!


And his 55, at its peak before he started "redecorating":




Cross your fingers for me that this new home works out for him. I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't. Goodbye Oz, and be good please!! I already miss you but you'll be happier there.



I may potentially have a 55 open now. (tiny cheer?) I'm thinking Diamondback Terrapin... Blue Tongue Skink... or upgrading my 29 community to the 55. No idea yet. Just some ideas rolling around in my head in case this works out.