Planted Tank

I decided to say out with the plastic decorations and in with the plants. I went to my local fish shop and purchased some low light plants. I got an Amazon Sword, a bunch of Anacharis, and used some old driftwood to give my tank the natural look.

I set up the tank in a couple of steps. First, I rinsed the driftwood. This is very important to get any chemicals, dirt, or natural coloring out of the wood. This process usually takes about fifteen minutes; I simply rotate the driftwood in front of the hot water coming from the shower head until I feel that it is ready. Then I place the driftwood in the filled tank; typically, I secure the driftwood with heavy rocks to keep it from floating. Sometimes the wood can take months to become waterlogged and sink without reinforcement.

- For natural driftwood that isn't treated in a fish store, it is best to treat it with hot or boiling water to kill any microorganisms that may cause complications with the fish.

- Note that the aquarium may turn brown from the leeching of the wood. This is perfectly normal. If regular water changes are performed, the abnormal color will dissipate in a few weeks. The picture of the tank with the Butterfly Koi displays the leeching effect of new driftwood.

Fish Scoliosis

I was at my local fish store when my girlfriend pointed out something interesting. A medium sized community fish was swimming very erratically. It appeared to be deformed, and immediately my interest was captured. At first glance it looked injured, but I couldn't find any marks or abrasions on it. All I could see was almost a 90 degree alteration of its spine. After all the observations, I concluded it was diseased, so we went home empty handed.

About two weeks later we made it up to the fish store again, and the same fish was still swimming around the tank. My girlfriend pleaded with me to buy it to help it with its "handicap", so I went ahead and had an employee bag it for me. The store actually ended up giving the fish to me for free because of its defect. My logic was that if the fish had miraculously made it into its young adult age with its "medical problems" then it could obviously handle it's own in my tank.

I brought it back and floated it in the tank. While waiting to release it, I looked up spine deformations in aquarium fish. Apparently, many fishermen notice the abnormality in salmon and tuna fish. It is not harmful to the other fish and is simply a genetic/developmental problem. While I was surfing the web, the girls crowded around the tank and named the fish "Forest Gump." Around campus the "scoliosis fish" has been a big hit with the other students, and people are constantly asking how he is doing.

I will continue to monitor "Forest" and make sure he gets enough food. His trajectory seems to be a bit off; going for a floating flake, he will often miss the target. I have also noticed that he is a bit aggressive towards the other fish. It is understandable considering how long he survived with such an obvious problem.