two more

serpae tetras. I drove around to all the pet stores in reasonable distance this week. Looking for another betta, but I can't find one I really like... I drove out to the next town over to the lfs. Where I was wowed again- every time I go there I see something cool. A spiny puffer with eyes like blue jewels. Such an unreal face. A lionfish with long, drifting meancingly graceful fins. How does one keep a pet like that? doesn't it eat everything in sight? I guess it would be a saltwater species tank. And I saw a tank full of young angelfish- a swarm of them as big as the ball of my thumb. I have never seen baby angels so tiny. The tank of red parrot fish came up curiously to the glass when I looked at them again, and one made me feel so sympathetic- he had an eye damaged or injured- glassy flat with the pupil just a tiny peering slit. If I took fish home due to feeling sorry for them, It'd be that guy...

But no bettas (the lfs doesn't usually have them anyway). However I felt disappointed to drive all that way and go home empty-handed. I stopped at chain store 3 on the way back, and their tanks looked clean.... so kind of on a whim I picked up two more serpaes for my main tank. Right now they are in the tenner, so my oto is no longer alone.

Of course they all had bitten fins, those should grow back, but I don't know if they are really healthy... I know I wasn't going to buy fish from chain stores anymore, I probably shouldn't have. One keeps going very pale and then the eyes look red-rimmed.

I'm going to keep them in here a full month, or longer, to be sure... and maybe in that time I will find another betta.

I shouldn't name them yet, but I think of the darker one as Ziggy (its shoulder marking is wavy in the middle)

and the paler, small one- usually the aggressor of the two- Spit. It's a little spitfire.

Nice to see fish movement in the tank again. And my oto seems to appreciate having some company. He's been more active since I introduced the two tetras. Not fleeing from them, just out and about.