Friday Friends - Lazy, Rainy Day

While I was busy cleaning my fish tanks (all seven of them) the dogs decided to spend their morning just getting some R&R.

Pictured here are Simone, the collie;

Lucy, the Jack Russell-Basset Hound mix (asleep on the top of the couch; she thinks she's also part cat and part monkey);

And Eddie, the Jack Russell (with the tri-colored head.)

When Babies Grow Up...

I received some thrilling pictures earlier this week.

It turns out that two of the baby angels that found new homes have grown up - and will soon be a mama and a papa of their own babies!

The parents were Lindsay Buckingfish and Stevie Fishnick, shown below with one of their broods.

Their offspring are truly beautiful.

Here is a female, who has laid eggs on an amazon leaf in her new home (you can see them on the leaf - she's been busy!):

And this is the Papa, who has been busy defending the eggs:

They are obviously thriving in their new home. I think the Papa looks a whole lot like Lindsay, and it's fun to see the coloring on the Mama since she has both the influence of her Mama and Papa.

The Blues

Meanwhile, in one of my community tanks, this couple, which are rare blue marbles, has claimed the corner of the tank with the amazon plant as their own, and they've been defending it vigorously.

The male is normally larger than the female. In this case, they are both large but the male is slightly larger.

Males can also have a hump on their heads, which the females do not get.

In this photograph, the male is on the left and the female is on the right. They had been busy attending the amazon plant before they spotted me; then they came to the glass to see what I wanted.

They've been cleaning the leaves and perhaps within the next few weeks, they will lay their first group (or clutch) of eggs.

In this same tank, I may have two pregnant tetras. They give live birth so that will be a new experience for everybody!

Some Couples Have Arguments...

Meanwhile, in the Honeymoon Suite, John and Christie McFish are not necessarily ready to make love...

In fact, they were having an argument when I fed them this morning. Their colors deepen when they are having a disagreement or they are protecting their eggs or babies. The silver fish, the male, gets very, very black stripes when he is upset.

The female is the blue marble and because she is higher in the water, it means she most likely has the upper hand (or fin).

In the video below, you'll see how they waggle their fins at each other. They also resort to pushing. But angels - even male, alpha angels - rarely hurt each other or do any real harm. Unfortunately, I had to take this video from a distance because once I get closer to the tanks, they stop to look at me!

You can also see the top of the tank below them. That is where Lindsay and Stevie are caring for their young. I keep the top partially open because I am constantly pouring baby brine shrimp into their tank for the young to feed on.



Newest Batch of Angel Babies

The angelfish babies have grown strong enough to pop themselves off the amazon leaves, where they have hung by their heads for several days.

It is hard to imagine that these tiny creatures with mouths only large enough for baby brine shrimp will grow into ten-inch-tall angelfish.

The poppa is the black marble angel, Lindsay Buckingfish. The momma is the platinum angelfish, Stevie Fishnick.

If any of the babies venture too far from the plant, one of them will suck them up into their mouths, carry them back to the plant and spit them out.

I have been feeding them baby brine shrimp (which I am growing myself) several times a day. You can imagine how tiny their little stomachs are so they can't eat much at a time, but need a lot to keep growing. They will remain on brine shrimp for several weeks before I begin to wean them onto dry fish flakes.

Friday Friends - Monkey Man

While I was shopping, this monkey jumped right into my basket so of course I had to bring him home with me.

It has squeakers in each foot and several in the body.

I placed it into the toy box when no one was looking.

Lucy, the Jack Russell-Basset Hound mix, found it and has been carrying it around ever since. I think Lucy Loo (and that is not a typo) and Monkey Man are in love.

Playful Neons

I usually focus on my angelfish, but in another tank I have glowlight tetras and neon tetras.

Glowlight tetras have a gold or copper stripe across the length of their bodies. Neon tetras have half a red stripe and a blue stripe across their bodies.

Cardinal tetras have a red stripe down the entire length of their bodies. However, cardinal tetras, though they appear very similar to neon tetras, have slightly different water condition requirements.

In this 20-gallon tank, I also have four corydoras. Inside the log lives a miniature pleco that only reaches about 3 inches long.

This video was taken at feeding time, when they are their most active.

Neon tetras and glowlight tetras can not be placed in the same tank with angelfish. They are small enough to fit into the grown angelfish's mouths so they're considered tasty morsels.