new fish!

after a week of mourning, i decided the best way to get over my previous failure was to try, try again.

last week, i replaced the water in the tank, washed the gravel and plants, bought a bunch of additional supplies (for alas, all I got with the first two fish was the tank and some food), and tested the new water, to make sure it would be optimally prepared for some new occupants.

today, i drove out to geary, had some Korean tofu soup, and headed over to SF's most venerable fish/fish supply store, called Nippon Goldfish Company. i'd been there about a year before to scope the place out, and was quite impressed with the whole operation. the vibe there kinda reminded me of being at the Guitar Center, what with all the enthusiasts milling about, talking to the employees about their shared interest. except it was fish, not instruments. but you know what i mean.

so anyway, when i showed up there today, i was very disappointed to find that they had gone out of business. they'd been around for 94 years, fer chrissakes! it was quite a shock to see them gone... man, i should've taken a picture of their very cool sign. ah well.

only partially daunted, i drove out to petsmart in daly city, as i'd been there the day before to buy replacement filter cartridges for my biOrb, and noticed they had a really good selection of goldfish. so when i got there today, ready to purchase at last, i pored over all the tanks showing off the various types, and finally settled on two blue orandas.

this is roughly what they look like:

I named them Haku and Chihiro, after the main characters in Spirited Away:

they've been doing well since i put them in the tank. my only regret is that the heater i bought is designed for a rectangular space, and the biOrb is, well... an orb :-) oh well, the heater is not a must, as they do well between 68 and 74 degrees, and the water they're in is currently at 68.

anyway. the tank I bought them from was fairly crowded, and this one is relatively spacious. they must either really like each other, or are just used to being cheeck-to-jowl, cause they spend a lot of time pretty close to one another. which is cute.

i really hope they thrive!!