It started with a betta fish. A betta fish my son brought home at the beginning of the COVID-19 closures. A betta fish that stayed behind when my son returned to campus.
So for my “quarantine” birthday, I requested an aquarium and some friends for the betta fish. We visited a local fish shop and purchased a 10 gallon aquarium, some plants and supplies. After setting up the aquarium, we returned and purchased a couple Dalmatian molly fish and a pair of panda corydoras catfish.
Aquarium adventures begin
Shortly after adding the mollies to my aquarium, I learned a fun fact about their reproduction abilities. Molly fish are live bearing fish. So one of my new additions, did not lay eggs. She let loose dozens of live baby mollies into the tank!
Unfortunately for her, the betta fish enjoyed the live all-you-can-eat buffet. Before I even knew what was happening, she was struggling to swim away from Betta. She died a few days later. I managed to scoop up some of the fish fry (yes, that is what baby fish are called) into a net. Placing an artificial plant in the net, I then hung it on the lip of the aquarium.
I incorrectly thought the fry would be safe in the net away separated from the adult fish. Then, I learned betta fish can jump. Betta jumped into the net hanging at the top of the tank with the lid on the aquarium. All but one fry in the net was eaten, he was named Survivor. A second fry survived by hiding in the tank, so he was named Incognito.
The baby molly fish adventures continued when the second molly fish also gave birth. Not just once, but twice! Fun fact #2: Female molly fish can store sperm from mating for up to 3 live births! I had so many molly fish that I gave some to away to Petco. Eventually, I separated the remaining molly fish into two tanks based on gender.
Adding variety to ecosystems
Watching life grow and change in my aquarium has been soothing and relaxing during this stressful time. In addition to more plants, I decided to add more creatures to watch. The next addition was ghost shrimp. The translucent shells kept them from the attention of the betta. The price tag made them a great first time shrimp.
After feeling confident about raising the ghost shrimp, I decided to add cherry shrimp to the other tank. I have been less successful with the cherry shrimp. Keeping a head count is difficult since they hide most of the time. The original five purchased is down to two. I hope the two that are left stay around for a while, but I am not going to add to their colony size.
Nerite and gold Inca snails were added to help combat the algae growth. Two nerite snails were added first. The zebra and tiger varieties have different shell patterns. The nerite snails are mostly nocturnal. The tiger nerite (who I think looks more like a lady bug) is near impossible to spot during daylight hours. It likes to hide somewhere dark. It slides for cover any time the light is turns on.
Eventually, I moved the nerite snails into the same tank and purchased gold Inca snails for the second tank. The gold Inca snails move around most of the day. They climb up the sides of the tank and randomly free fall back to the bottom. It is fun to watch the shrimp or the other snail catch a ride around the tank.
The fish keep coming!
After getting my molly population problem into check, clusters of white spots started appearing on the glass of the tank. With a little research, I realized that I had a male and a female catfish! My daughter named them Sparky and Sporky. The little white spots on the glass were eggs. Eggs appeared a few times randomly, but were eaten before anything could hatch. I decided to try and save some. This resulted in a single catfish fry, Spooky Fish. I thought of South Park anytime I walked by and could not see Spooky Fish.
Panda cory catfish fry are so tiny and cute! They are born with a stripe and black eyes. Mini versions that quickly gain the second stripe. I hatched a couple more sets of eggs, alongside Spooky Fish, in the betta’s original fish bowl. All the resulting catfish are named Spooky Fish, since there are too many to track. Even now the population of catfish continues to increase, but now at a slower rate. The young fry survive in the plant growth, stone arches and caves. I love watching the family grow. Getting to watch them school in groups.
Mental health Zen gardens
Throughout the day, I spend time watching the interactions within the aquariums. The 10 gallon tank sits near my computer desk in my office. It currently houses 4 male mollies, 8 catfish, 2 gold Inca snails and five ghost shrimp. The shrimp keep teasing me with eggs, however, none have survived to be seen. When I am trying to put my thoughts together, they make a great place to stare. A fun screensaver when my brain needs a break or a chance to continue a line of thought.
The 20 gallon aquarium sits on a dresser in my dining room. It houses 7 female mollies, a Hillstream loach, 2 nerite snails, 2 cherry shrimp and 8+ catfish. The catfish are impossible to count and eggs still appear every few weeks. I love to stop and watch any time I walk downstairs throughout the day. I have days when eating is difficult. Thankfully, watching fish distracts me from my food on these days. That is a great help, especially when eating alone.
Keeping and raising fish continues to be my mental health therapy. Like a Zen garden, the aquariums give me something to focus my energy into and relax. Cleaning the aquariums and re-scaping the décor puts me in a tranquil state. I feel the flow of the next design. Using the flow of the water and the growth of the plants to inspire the next layout. Placing and stacking the rocks to provide new places to hide and explore.
I love not only watching, but growing these ecosystems in my own home. I also love watching the fun personalities traits of fish. Looking forward to the day when we have space for a larger aquarium!