Saltwater Aquariums
Little did I know what I was getting into when I bought my daughter a salt water aquarium for her birthday this spring. She's wanted one for years and I finally caved in. But jeez, those fish are fickle and delicate. Damn wimps. That tank has become the black hole that swallows money from my wallet on a regular basis. And is it just me, or is the cost of a fish inversely proportional to it's life span? Instead of figuring out if a potential new resident is compatible with the other fish in the tank, I think I'll just measure its diameter to see if it's compatible with our plumbing. Flushable or not flushable, that is the question. Or maybe it's best to take the fish out into the parking lot in front of Aquarium World and shoot it right away. No sense it letting it suffer what few minutes it's destined to live. What with all the chemicals, sand, filters, live rock (who knew rocks can be categoried into inanimate and living?), fish, sea salt, and so on, I need to put a second lien on my mortgage or let one of my kids have crooked teeth. Most of my mileage I've put on my car over the last 2 months has been to the fish store and back. I can almost see my own personal tire ruts in the road. Oh well. Live and learn. And spend. And drive.