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December 15, 2005
Ups and downs...
Man, those yoyo loaches really know how to clear up a snail infestation. Less than a week and I don't see any snails at all anymore in the 5.5 gal tank. What a relief! Normally I'm not much of a loach fan but they do kinda grow on you. The yoyos at least have a pretty cool body pattern, will try to take a pic or two in the future. They're also thin as a rail so they can squeeze their way just about anywhere. I had picked up another 3 of them from The Pet Shanty over the weekend and when I first introduced them to the tank, the sole remaining loach from the first purchase didn't seem to like the newcomers cause it would chase them around the tank. But things seem to have settled down now.
One of the new ones though seems to be three-quarters blind. It's missing the right eye completely and the left eye seems much smaller than normal. But I guess it still does ok if it already can reach its current size. Anyway, so far they seem to be pretty peaceful, not even harassing the pygmy cories which are at most half their size.
Very bizarre incident happened earlier this evening as I was feeding this tank. One of the ottos completely flipped out and shot all around the tank before apparently launching itself out of it completely and falling behind the bookshelf that the tank sits on top of. I saw it while it was zooming around in the tank but didn't see it fly out of the tank. Only reason I knew was cause I heard it hit the wall and then thumping against the bookshelf as it was flipping about. Was a pain in the ass to try to rescue it though as I had to pull the fully loaded bookshelf away from the wall and then the neighboring couch as well. Unfortunately it wasn't until after I picked it up and dropped it back into the tank did I see the full extent of its injuries. Had blood on its head and probably a broken back cause about two thirds down its body it was all torn up and from that point down to its tail was pretty much crooked. It definitely looked fractured and there was a chunk taken out of its side. Probably got injured while I was moving the bookshelf to try to find it. =( Anyway, I doubt it'll live for much longer but I took him out of the 5.5 gal tank once I saw one of the loaches picking at the open wound and put him in the quarantine tank along with the male koi sword. Don't really want to toss it while it's still clinging to life although it may be the most humane thing to do. =( Argh.
Posted by ronin at December 15, 2005 12:07 AM