Belly Up

There was one morning around October last year, when I went to my parents' house for the weekend, that I woke up earlier than the rest of the household. I was on my way to the kitchen to fix myself a bowl of cereals, when I casually glanced at the aquarium that separates the kitchen from the dining room.



I panicked when I saw my mom's Flowerhorn belly up in it's aquarium.



It took a few seconds for me to realize that the fish wasn't dead. It looked unhealthy though, and even though it was responsive to my actions (running my hand--not tapping-- across the glass, reaching for the container of food, and sprinkling some in the tank), I was worried that it would be dying in a few days.



Early January, it was getting worse. It stayed on the corner where the filter was spewing bubbles and it's tail had folded solidly. I knew its time was up. I wanted to bring it to a vet, but my Dad vetoed it saying it was too much trouble for one fish.



My brother had thoughtfully bought some fungal solution a few weeks back. My mom puts in a few drops daily, which gives the water a decidedly blue tinge. Surprisingly, the fish started getting better.





It's still belly up though, but there is definitely a marked improvement. Maybe, the fish is destined to live a long life after all. It certainly outlived my cat. There was a time when my Mom was giving me dire warnings that if she catches Figaro with its paws in the aquarium, that I'm going to get it. Well, my cat passed away two Christmases ago and the fish survives despite its infection.



My brother hates that fish (ironically, he was the one who bought the solution), because it bit his little finger. (He was trying to transfer it to a different tank at that time.) His finger is a few millimeters shorter because of this.



By the way, the fish is named Brosia. It was previously named Bruce, after the shark in Finding Nemo. But it layed eggs. So he turned out to be a she. So Bruce became Brosia. For a few minutes when the eggs hatched there was a school of baby Flowerhorns swimming in the tank, until Brosia turned psychotic and ate them all. We all jokingly asked ourselves who was the father of all those late fishies, and we logically assumed it was the tiny skittish red janitor fish that was forever shielding itself behind the rock in one corner of the aquarium. Brosia killed that fish too. Pecked him to death.



My Mom loves this fish. I was actually waiting for it to turn belly up for real. I was going to give her a couple of benign goldfish, maybe even a seahorse. I haven't forgiven Brosia for killing the janitor fish.