an end

I have sad news. It was actually so upsetting I never sat down to write about this until now. About a month ago, my paradise fish Tucker died. He had been unwell for several weeks already- hanging listless at the water surface, eating a bit and nothing else. Poor color, no interest in anything. Sometimes he didn't even want to eat. Honestly I made no attempt to cure him. I did not know what ailed him, I simply don't have the mental energy now to deal with trying to diagnose, medicate and extra-upkeep a sick fish. He was probably close to six years old, I'd had him for over five. That's a good long life for a fish! and now he rests under a stump in my backyard, on the edge of the flower bed near Miss Beautiful.

I had not taken any photos of the aquarium in some time, but here is a quick full tank shot. I am in the process of dismantling it, re-homing the snails, and selling all the plants, equipment, etc. It's feels kind of dismal that the year when my tank finally feels well-established, and looks like what I had first envisioned so long ago, is when I feel done with it.

Surprise- there was one Amano shrimp still alive in there! After all these years! He hid very well from Tucker. A real survivor. No idea how old this shrimp is, probably six to eight years. He went to live in somebody else's tank of shrimps last night. That was something, to see the little critter scurrying around again.

Bye, little shrimp.

Have a good end of life elsewhere.