Mission: Tropical Fish

Song:  A Pillow Of Winds (Cover)

I took my mother to get some fish for her aquarium.

She wishes to raise different types of fish now.

Reno doesn't have the selection as do other stores on the other

side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

So...

I decided to make an enjoyable day trip for my mother.

We started out our day in late morning

by stopping at Jack in the Box for a quick breakfast sandwich before heading

over the mountains.

We had over an hour and a half drive to Rocklin, CA. ahead of us.

We just took in the scenery over the mountains.

We arrived at our first tropical fish store in Rocklin.

It had just opened...

and I had high hopes...

but I was soon disappointed by their lack of selection.

I was even more disappointed at their set up.

What you cannot see is the many slots in the sides of the tanks.

This means that all of the tanks in each row...

shared a common, and open flow of water.

It was set up this way to limit expense.

What it also does is allow disease to spread from one tank to the next...

all the way through each row.

I had found diseased fish in two of the tanks.

I called over an attendant...

and although he had removed the diseased fish...

I knew that the disease had spread throughout all of the tanks in... 

at least, the same row, even though none of the other fish were yet showing symptoms.

We looked at a few of the other tanks...

and left for another fish store.

We arrived at this store.

It was clean, well maintained...

and, not only had I not seen any diseased fish...

but they had correctly set up their water flow system.

Each tank was isolated from the others.

Each tank was separate...

and each had its own biological filter.

I had explained to the attendant that we would have an almost two hour journey

with the fish.  He said that they would be double bagged...

and that he would not only leave extra air room in each bag...

but that he would use the oxygen tank to fill each one to ensure

the fish would have plenty of oxygen for the trip back.

He also had asked us if we would like a styrofoam container to place the fish in.

I told him that I had already prepared an insulated compartment in the car.

I appreciated their level of service, the quality of their fish, as well as their selection.

We had picked out the fish we wanted...

and we then started on our return journey.

I was feeling so good on the return journey...

I started singing some of my favorite songs.

The only reason my mother could tolerate my lack of singing ability...

is that she is also slightly tone deaf  :)

We are going up the hill towards my mother's house here.

Many of the trees are now turning to their fall colors.

I floated the bags of fish for half an hour...

during which I went online so I could order my mother more fish food.

We had been looking for Dwarf Coral Platys.

My mother had bought 6 breeding pairs.

She had also gotten 3 Sailfin Mollies.

And...

three Clown Loaches.

I placed all of the females in the corner tank...

and all of the males in the large tank.

After they settle in...

we will then pick the male and female with the most positive attributes...

and then place them in the breeding tank until the female shows signs of being pregnant.

I will then remove the male...

and allow the female to give birth in the, then, nursery tank.

After giving birth...

I will place the female back into the female corner tank so the babies can grow

in a tank of their own, with their own specialized diet.

We later went to a local pet store...

and bought a couple of breeding pairs of bright yellow Cobra Guppies.

We will breed them first.

My mother is looking forwards to breeding her new fish...

and sitting in her relaxation room while enjoying them.

My mother loves her fish breeding hobby...

especially since, all I want her to do is to pick out the pairs to breed, and enjoy watching them.

I do all of the tank maintenance and feeding :)