Erica's #93 - Get a fish and keep it alive for at least 3 months(3/4/2014)

A couple of years ago, we got on a pet fish kick and went out and adopted 4 goldfish, assuming they would be the easiest for those of us who aren't masters of fish-rearing to keep alive.  I mean, I remember winning goldfish as a kid at carnivals by tossing the ping pong ball in their little bowl, and they always seemed to last much longer than my parents would have liked them to. Realistically, no 8-year-old is going to clean a fish tank, or remember to properly feed the fish.

Alas, all four goldfish, named after the Golden Girls, naturally, experienced burial via porcelain throne within just a few weeks.

When we decided to have another go at keeping fish alive around Thanksgiving last year, we opted for a couple of Tetras.  They are supposed to be beginner fish (and they were half off on Black Friday).  For good measure, we picked up a couple of ghost shrimp - those things are pretty amazing, you can see right through them!

Well, the first couple of Tetras went belly-up within a day.  We took them back to the pet shop (they actually have a 2-week warranty on fish), and got replacements.  We had our water tested, and came home with new fish, hoping for the best.  Well, the results were the same, poor deceased Tetras within a day or two.  The shrimp seemed pleased with the horrible city water (with some fish-friendly stress coat added) they were subjected to, and seemed to be thriving though.I went back to the pet store for one last attempt, and finally talked to a guy who said Tetras weren't REALLY beginner fish, as they are labeled, and really require a larger tank, heater, etc. that we didn't currently own.  He recommended trying a Betta (which we should have probably started with, since I had one in college that lived a good two years in a tiny bowl, with all of the cleanliness a busy and lazy college student provides).  Lucky us, Bettas were on sale, so I picked up the last lonely female Betta (they aren't as "pretty" as the males), and brought her home.

And...over 3 months later, she's still alive!  She did manage to kill all of the ghost shrimp within a couple of days - for anyone who hasn't had a Betta before, they are aggressive, and you can really only have one per tank, as they will fight to the death.  She wasn't a fan of the shrimp, and they only managed to avoid her for so long...RIP ghost shrimpies.

But Sushi (as she has been named) is alive and well!  Success!

---------------------Sushi!----------------------->>>