As some who have read other blogs I have written about my aquarium fish may know, Walter is a silver angelfish. I named her before she started laying eggs thinking she was a boy, so thus, a girl fish called Walter.
This week, I fed the aquariums in the morning before work like I always do and all fish including Walter appeared healthy and living their best life. When I returned in the evening, Walter was laying on the bottom of her tank. She had made her transition.
I discovered this just as I was going to sit down and write last week’s blog. I keep these things in perspective. Yes, I have grown fond of all my angelfish, but there are other greater struggles in the world. However, having just discovered it, I didn’t want to write a blog just then. A post would have been very sadly written whether or not I had chosen to write of the tanks, and I wanted to spare the readers that.
Also, there was another immediate need. Even though I had changed out most of the water a few days before, which I do routinely, the water appeared to be the culprit. I found that 3 of the 4 tests indicated the water was unhealthy. I concluded this is what happened with Walter. Then I noticed Archie, the little swordtail who was Walter’s only bunk mate was doing flips and abnormal swimming. When humans spin and twirl they are Cirque Du Soleil performers and it is a good thing. In my experience, if an aquarium fish does it, the end is near.
That increased the urgency. Even though I’d had a long day at work and was tired, I decided to clean the tank that night. I cleaned both ten gallon tanks and instead of putting Archie back in that tank by himself, I retired that one for awhile, and put Archie in with another angelfish I call The Gold.
Archie was now in a freshly cleaned tank, but the flips and abnormal swimming continued. When I took the above picture, shortly after Archie entered the new tank, I was sure this would be one of the last pictures taken of him. The Gold angelfish is a lot more chill than Walter. He/she is like a fish Buddha who stays content and even-keel regardless of what is going on, so the two fish became compatible quickly. I was grateful Archie’s end would be comfortable in good water with a gentle fish.
What was the climactic conclusion of this fateful fish week? Did Archie follow Walter into the hereafter?
As of Sunday, here is the situation:
I am pretty sure Archie is part cat. I know he has burned through at least 7 lives, and he appears to be recovered from this ordeal which surprised and delighted me.
So, the ‘Tragedy’ is the loss of Walter. The ‘Survival’ is Archie’s heroic recovery. I hold this loosely at this point. I have learned to brace for anything with aquariums because anything expected or unexpected can and does happen.
In the broader scheme of life, perhaps my little micro-world of fish is a minor matter, however, all of life is a teacher. This has been yet another reminder of how precious and fragile life is. To all my friends and family, take good care of yourself. You are precious cargo traveling through a life filled with hazards. Congratulations on your success of continuing to exist here to carry out your purpose. May your life reach great heights however you define that, and may your spirit find time to explore the deep end of the aquarium along the way.