New Splash Pool

Larry and I used to have just a little five-gallon tank with two little goldfish. Our first couple was Laurel and Hardy. Soon after acquisition, Hardy had a hardy-tack and left us. Laurel got a friend we named Sweet Lips because of his orange-stained lips that made him look as though he had quite the "kisser".

Last month our cute little Laurel died of what we now believe is Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifilis) or White Spot which is quite a nasty parasite. To keep Sweet Lips company we got another goldfish, Splotchy.

Then, to our surprise, Larry's dad got a hold of a gorgeous 29-gallon tank. Clearly we were going to need more decorations and, of course, more fish! Along came Sheila - a Shusui koi, and Convict - a Redcap Oranda. To all of you in South Africa, he is also known as Primi.

After a few weeks it became clear to us that we would need an algae-eater to keep the slime away. Enter Dwight. To those of you who have watched The Office would know that Dwight Schrute is a suck-up. Sucking fish, suck up character. We thought it was appropriate. He is nocturnal so when we do see him it's hard to get a picture of him. Thus, excuse the blurry photo.

Sweet Lips is the proverbial "bull in a china shop" as it is evident that he is not aware of his large size. Since being moved into the larger tank he has taken to swimming laps backwards and forward in the front of the tank - at times swimming into the sides. Silly fish! He is also a bit cowardly. Ironic, isn't it, that the biggest fish in the tank is also the most afraid?


Splotchy is the Public Relations fish. He is a brave little fishy that swims where no fish dared swim before! He doesn't let any animosity settle in the tank. When he joined Sweet Lips initially he stuck to him like glue and to this day they are almost always together. And, when Sheila and Convict/Primi joined the clan he swam over and started socialising before Sweet Lips dared to make a move.

Sheila, having that blue shadow above her eye and the blue watercolour like smudge across the top of her body, is according to us a girl. She plays it cool and was for a time there quite fond of Sweet Lips but she has since moved on like an independent woman and now needs no one.

Convict/Primi is a cutie. His little pot-belly and large tail fins cause him to swim a little slowly. So, when the other fish are doing laps across the front of the tank and gliding around in the current caused by the filter, he tries to keep up. But, as soon as he manages to wiggle to the halfway mark, the others are already coming back from their first lap. At times the current pushes him around and pushes him down into the log or sideways. Larry points out that it almost looks like he struggles to keep control of himself.

The log is the favourite hangout in the tank. Every time we change siphon out some water they screech into the log - all freaked out. Most of the time Dwight likes to be in the log but it looks like he is getting hungrier because we are seeing him in the daytime with the light on more often. Poor thing, he isn't really pretty but he was the prettiest of the bunch - if that is any indication.

All in all, our new tank adds a peacefulness to the lounge and hours of entertainment for us. Some nights we will leave only the fish tank light on and sit in peace and quiet and just listen to the water filtering through the pump trickling softly into the tank and watch the fish swim, dive, get pummeled by the current (Convict) or cringe as they confuse poop for pellets and spit them out.