Tiny Bubbles

The first time I had a pet, I was between the ages of four and six. My parents, who grew up on farms, had experience with animals but not in the purely domestic capacity. Since they are both sensitive to smells they continuously denied me anything with fur. And later, when I tried to get around that rule by asking for a reptile, the law expanded to include all mammals, reptiles, insects and birds. So I got a fish. It didn't last very long.

A few years later I was given more fish. Two fish, a snail and a plant living inside a very small box. I don't fault my parents, they never had fish as a pet; that was pointless when they were growing up. Overfed and lacking livable water conditions those fish didn't last long either. I didn't care to have any more fish after that.

Zip forward many years and I've met the Lad. He loves keeping fish and dreams of large tanks filled with brightly coloured creatures. I still feel that fish are food rather than friends but I desperately want a pet and until I move out I have next to no options.

It started out as a bet made on an impromptu bowling night. It ended with a ten-gallon tank which, as of yesterday contains three mostly content fish.

From left to right: Unnamed, P'tit Bec and Nova

Do you know how hard it is to take pictures of fish? The darned things never stop twitching! But I managed to do it this morning for all you lovely people.  I will eventually come up with a name for the one with the black tail. For those of you not in the know, P'tit Bec is French for Little Kiss. She and Nova are Sunset Platies and the other is a Red Wag Platy. I have been assured that my monstrous tank can hold ten of these suckers, but I have to add three at a time.

I'm already obsessed with them. I am determined to map their personalities and I spend a long time just staring at them swim around. What has the Lad done!?

Oh, and do you like that little house as much as I do? I spent a good half hour mapping out possible decor layouts for the tank. I think it matters more to me than it does to the fish though.



Full view of the Fish House