Amazing things happen in this hobby when you least expect it.
Last Thursday I went to Neptune Aquatics in San Jose so we could feature them on FB-Live as one of the first LFS to receive our latest product, the ATK - Automatic Top-off Kit. While there, I was blown away by one fish right away - and he is even on the live video.
It was a Powder Blue Tang. And not just any PB. Probably the best one I have ever seen in captivity. Possibly the most beautiful fish - PERIOD - I had ever seen in an aquarium. It was big. It was fat. It was HEALTHY. Things you usually never see in a PB in an aquarium.
After shooting the video I asked the store owner, Robert, how much he wanted for the fish. I pretty much had already decided it didn't matter much the price - well to a degree I guess - I had to have this fish. Robert, in jest, told me $5000! I laughed "No, really, how much?" Robert thought and said "if you want that fish, it's yours". "Really?", I said. "I can't do that". Then Robert explained to me that another hobbyist had brought it in, his wife had been diagnosed with cancer and he had to make his life a bit easier. Robert said "It was his pet, and now its yours, I know you have the tank that would be perfect for this fish". Amazing. I was blown away.
So, he put it in a bucket and we drove it 45 minutes home (I made Paul put the bucket between his legs so it wouldn't tip over).
No acclimation was going to be necessary - water temp was fine - and this fish needed to go in. It was clean and from another's home aquarium so it was worth the risk to put him right in. I got one of those hang-on-the-side fish holders and dunked it down into the bucket. I then put my left hand down on the other side of the fish to 'scooch' him into the rectangular fish holder.
Then, all of the sudden BAM!
It was like someone hammered a nail into the side of my index finger (between the first and second knuckle). I pulled my hand out, grasped my finger with my right hand and proceeded to jump around my foyer screaming all kinds of pleasantries. After about 60 seconds of that I had a look. I pulled my right hand back and little fountain of blood started pouring out of the tiniest little hole - lots of blood. Worse yet, I had to take my mother to the dentist in 15 min. Crazy. Anyways, the fish went in and the tango of the Powder Blue and Achilles began immediately. But the PB this time is about 3x the Achilles!
All is well now a few days later but the Achilles is still slowly tailing the PB all around the tank, they do some spins, and then continue swimming. They have gone at it a bit, but there is only one small wound on the achilles so far. Still crossing my fingers but I think everything will be OK.
Here is decent iphone pic, and a video I did with my new GoPro Clone (amazing thing really for $84) the AKASO EK7000.
