Aquarium Cat

I had skipped a week of aquarium care which shouldn't have happened, as I was feeding the plecostomus cantaloupe.  Even though the remains of the melon were scooped out when he was done, the warm weather triggered a response seen in 50's monster movies: fungus.  Underwater fungus that insinuated itself into every cranny of the tank, and it was not pleasant.

Lifting up the lid of the filters opened a whole new world of creeping boogiddy as if the pink insulation from your attic snuck down in the night and blanketed every internal surface of well, everything.  The tubes leading to the filters, the cages that catch debris before it reaches the filters, the inside pump and flanges, the catch basins, and of course, the filters.  I had a paper to complete, would the professor believe emergency aquarium care as reason for delay?  I think not.

Oh, the words.  The plastic plants were removed, half the gravel, the mechanics of the filters scrubbed clean as a baby's bottom, and  the powerheads were defunkified.  I had to remove the whole top which usually stays in place as this is a 52 gallon tank, but the crud was slinking along the underside.  It didn't take long, but the process was drippy and intense and I yelled at Min who was helping by loudly telling me what else got wet.  ROWR ROWR ROWR.  SHUT UP.  She looked at me, stunned, and left.  You can tell when you hurt animal's feelings, they are able to toss a bushel basket of guilt with one look, and their tails go down.  My gosh, she thought she was helping, and I yelled at her.  We made peace after the last paper towel swallowed the sloshings on the floor, me fussing about what a good girl she is and I am sorry.

I got to the paper about 8 that evening, and was up till midnight.  Stevie took a turn, chattering up and down the hallway, singing and calling.  It is pleasant to listen to, but no one beats Min for volume.  Her singing is lovely; it's the raucous good morning meows that find pitches louder than an electric power saw hitting a knot in a pine plank.  Min is Loud.  MEE-YOW!  Okay, good morning, I'm coming.  MEE-YOW!!  MEE YELP!  RAAAWR!  Cats make over 100 sounds, compared to the usual dog's ten.  I get them all within seven minutes of radio NPR waking me with the alarm.

I am hitting the hay early tonight, as the energy level of any fungus is more than the wattage I am capable of right now--you could poke me with a stick and not get much response.  If I sit long enough, I may end up covered with mushrooms myself.