PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 29, 2012
So after years of my vaguely musing that one day I would buy myself an aquarium, my wife bought me one last week for my birthday.
She also bought my three-year old son, Xander, a red betta fish. He instantly named it “Lightning McQueen” which should suggest to the parents of young children among you that he has moved on from Thomas The Train to Cars.
My tank is a small one at ten gallons. A starter. The day after my birthday I set it up and took my son with me to buy fish. I explained to him that soon Lightning would have friends. They wouldn’t get to hang out much since Lightning is in a half-gallon tank in his room and bettas are aggressive and would probably kill any of the smaller fish that I planned to put in my tank but, hey, he seemed to like the idea.
At Petsmart, a patient young man explains to me the need to put “starter” fish in my starter tank. Basically, these cheap fish are meant to die. They start the process of making the water livable for fish that you might actually care about and that you’ll add later.
I pointed out to the patient young man that I had added a variety of liquids and powders to the tap water I poured in my tank that morning, and that each bottle had assured me that it was chock full of helpful bacteria and nutrients that would make any fish feel at…
