Serial Fish Killers

Daddy bought Mitchell an aquarium for his birthday.  I have to admit I had my hesitations...I'm good at taking care of small children and pets (which are mammals), but aquatic life makes me nervous.  Plus I've never really considered them pets...you can't love them, they show no emotion, they're isolated to a confined area, and their eating habits have always seem skittish and unpredictable to me.  But I went along with the plan, trying to be optimistic.  We've been at the pet store two nights so far this week and I have a feeling there will be more visits in the near future.

Oh sure, Mitchell loves the tank.  It's mesmerizing...it has LED lights in several colors and what kid wouldn't like watching pretty lights with lots of bubbles.  Personally I don't think he ever would have noticed if we didn't put fish in it.  But fish tanks are for fish, right?

So last night we made our 2nd trip to the pet store, towing in hand a water sample to make sure our Ph balance was suitable (see, right here is where I get nervous...I mean, whatever happened to the good 'ol fish bowl with some regular 'ol-disposable goldfish??).  After our Ph balance tested ok, and we had chosen some guppies for the tank, we were advised that we should get one male and two females.  So we chose each fish carefully, making sure each one had it's own indentifiable features for Mitchell.  Off we went with our 3 carefully chosen new guppies to introduce them to their new home.

Well, this morning Reese came upstairs to tell me that he couldn't find the male fish anywhere in the tank.  Come on, I said, he's got to be in there...or, oh my gosh, did the females EAT him???  Did guppies have a mean streak?  And was there bloodshed in my own childs room while he lay peacefully sleeping just a few feet away?  I didn't like the direction all of this was headed.  So I went into Mitchell's room and after a few minutes of searching, found the DEAD male, in a downward diving position, wedged into the base of the decorative seaweed stalks.  It looked like suicide to me.  I mean, how else could that position have happened coincidentally?

Ok, well, one scoop and one flush later and he was gone.  Didn't even have a chance to give the poor guy a name.  All of this went unnoticed by Mitchell, thankfully.  Moving on, I decided to teach Mitchell how to feed his new fish.  Well, apparently the leftover ladies are without an appetite, as they didn't eat any of their breakfast.  They just let it float to the bottom.  Again, not liking the direction all of this is headed.

Mitchell and I went out all morning on errands and when we got back I decided to check on the little ladies.  And guess what?  Only one of them was swimming around and I couldn't find the other.  Eventually I did, and she was wedged between the tank and seaweed.  I got her to move, but she's listless and I think on her way to meet her maker.  Now I'm left to carry the guilt of being a serial fish killer and a terrible mother for aquatic life.  See, I knew I didn't like fish tanks for a reason...but at least Mitchell does, and that's what counts.

Here's the lovely bubbly in action...

you can see drowsy guppy #2 in the lower righthand corner of the above pic.  This was the 2nd place she wedged herself.  Just trying to find a peaceful resting place I guess...

And here she is again, perhaps her last photo taken alive.

RIP my guppy friends.