Our newest addition to the house, a ten gallon aquarium

March 16, 2017 - Thursday

4 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

You know, this whole goldfish thing has developed into a real money pit. How did it all happen? 

If you remember, I had the little garden fountain and teeny pond alongside the greenhouse last summer. Well, what good's a pond if there aren't a few goldfish swimming around? I stopped by the pet shop in Iron Mountain last June and purchased several "feeder" goldfish, comets, for fourteen cents each. They are generally used as live meals for larger carnivorous aquarium fish. In fact, forty-plus years ago, I had a piraña in a large aquarium that inhaled inexpensive goldfish several times a week.  

Last fall, only one fish remained in the garden pond, Goldie. I wasn't sure what to do with him, but while deciding, Goldie was housed in a gallon ice cream bucket on the workbench in the garage. When the day arrived that I had to begin chipping ice off the surface of the container, I knew it was time to bring him indoors, something neither Sargie nor I particularly wanted to do.

An old vase used as a fish bowl was brought out of storage. It had housed Swam, Macrea's goldfish won at a county fair years ago. When Macrea grew up and moved off to college, Sargie was left as Swam's keeper, something she did for years until Swam went on to Goldfish Heaven while living here on Pentoga Road.

I was cleaning Goldie's vase (or Swam's bowl) earlier this winter when I accidentally cracked the side. I decided to purchase a five gallon aquarium. Of course, with that comes a filter, gravel, and other expensive goodies. I figured as long as I had a real aquarium, I might as well add a couple more goldfish. Enter Sargie (aka Spot) and Boop (sometimes known as Blackie.) The names depend on what mood Grady's in when he visits. Personally, I've called them far worse.

I didn't like that Goldie and Sargie were chasing Boop around the small aquarium, but they seemed to coexist and all was well in the fish world, until...

I walked in the house two weeks ago and found water covering the dining room floor. The five gallon tank had a leak.

The fish were placed into three, one gallon, ice cream containers, the aquarium emptied.

I stopped by the pet store last week and told them of the leak, that I no longer had my sales receipt, but regardless, I needed another fish tank. They agreed to replace the original aquarium at no cost, but were currently out of that size. I shrugged my shoulders and bought a small 2.5 gallon tank thinking that might suffice.

It didn't. Goldie and Spot chased Boop until he rolled over on his side in agony. Mad at the bullies, I removed them to their original ice cream pails and left Boop to recover in the lush, plush, but small, tank.

I stopped by the store in Iron Mountain yesterday with the old five gallon aquarium. They gave me full credit and thinking that a larger aquarium would end the bullying, I traded up to a ten gallon tank, thus the opening picture above.

There's a problem.

After releasing all three fish, it seems that Goldie and Spot are intent on killing Boop. Even with fake plants and plenty of room, they ram the bug-eyed blacker-than-midnight fish into a corner then pick on him until he rolls over. 

Boop spent last night in an ice cream pail sitting on the floor. That's not going to work. Brutus thinks it's his new watering bowl.

It appears Boop is destined for a solitary life sitting on the kitchen counter in the 2.5 gallon aquarium. Of course, with that comes another filter, more gravel, and all those other pretties that cost money.

We're going to stop by the pet store today and purchase more gravel and another filter so Boop can live a long and healthy life... and to think it all started with a few fourteen cent feeder goldfish destined for the garden pond.

After doing the juggling act with the goldfish and looking at a super colossal mess in the kitchen, I decided to add to it and plant more flower seeds. Potting soil was brought in, dampened, spilled, and finally, seeds were sown.

Perennials, cone flowers were planted in half the tray, ruffled hollyhocks in the other. Both should germinate within one to two weeks.

I'd earlier purchased a small DVD player and it was time to set it up.

Sargie's been after me to remove her component stereo system from the television cabinet where it's been used as a surround sound and return it back to the stereo cabinet in the dining room. That in itself is another long story, but I don't want to completely stop your heart with boredom.

Do you have any idea how many miles of cords and wires go along with an old fashioned component system? If they were made from fiber optic, I'm certain there're enough to run high speed internet clear out to Pentoga Road.

I cleaned, vacuumed, dusted, swore, sang, danced, and in the end, moved everything to it's proper place and even managed to successfully connect the new DVD player.

The house was a real mess. I'd given up any hope of getting into the shop when it became apparent that I needed to clean. If Sargie walked in and saw the complete chaos that had been created by the fish tank, planting flower seeds, and moving the stereo system, I'd be permanently banned to Brutus's house with no hope of ever coming inside again. Facts had to be faced. I was a house husband confined indoors by a set of invisible chains that were fastened to the dust rag, broom, and vacuum sweeper. 

As long as I had to clean, I figured I might as well do the laundry too, three loads worth. 

So the rest of the day was spent cleaning with music blaring in the background. 

I sang Stand by Your Man, with Tammy and almost tearfully crooned, Independence Day with Martina. Tiring of country, I switched gears and sang Dancing Queen with Abba into the handle of the broom (don't even go there, Scottie) and paraded around on the mental big stage, belting out Barry Manilow's, I Write the Songs.

Hey, for a while Wednesday afternoon, I was that sensitive guy.

The house was clean and the concert ended late in the day, just minutes before Sargie walked in the door. 

It was all worthwhile. My girl was happy that she won't have to spend today (her only day off this week) cleaning and doing laundry. In fact, we're heading to Iron Mountain this morning for a meeting then will, no doubt, stop by the pet store for a few added aquarium supplies. Might as well throw some more money into the goldfish pit. Hopefully, Boop can live in peace. Who knows, maybe we'll find another black goldfish to co exist with him so he's not quite so lonely.

Okay, it's time to do something productive. I don't know about you, but I've about put myself to sleep reading about yesterday. 

Hmm, there are a couple of hours before we have to leave for Iron Mountain. Possible shop time? I think so.

After all, a man's work is never done, even if it means staying inside all day cleaning house.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Not all of us were cleaning. There's a lot of warmth in that early spring sun.