Has anyone taken tropical fish back to the USA from the UK

Whenever I had fish I didn’t want anymore (i.e....when they didn’t get along with their tank mates anymore or outgrew the tank) I would take them to the pet shop and return them because the store had an “adoption” tank that sold turned in fish at a cheaper price.  On two separate occasions I returned Molly’s that were just miserable and a Chinese algae eater that grew too big and started eating his tank mates.  When I moved I took the remainder of my fish to them and they took them.

I'm starting to feel seriously guilty as I recently took our fish back to the pet store and sold the tank on Ebay.  Nobody was taking any pleasure in looking at the fish and it fell to me to constantly hassle my daughter to take care of them.  Once the tank was gone, we had room for the breadmaker.

Once again Nan, I salute your maternal instinct and unwavering loyalty!

Amazingly, these little guys seem to exhibit personality. They know us and mob us even when we don't have food.

In the evenings I look over and they are all lined up in a row on the side of the tank nearest the tv and for all the world it looks like they are watching it. The other day there was a sci fi on and something jumped up and ate someone on the screen, and, seriously, all the fish jumped back. All they need is like some little aquatic tubs of fishy popcorn....

I am very fond of the fishies. We (not just me) have named them all. I do spend a lot of time tidying up their home, and interacting with them. Keeping the water quality tip-top keeps me busy, as well.  BigBertha, the den-mother in there, has learned that if she comes to the surface and makes the little squeaky noise (which was a shock to us) constantly for a few seconds in the evening, one of the big pink monkeys outside the tank will come over and give her an algae wafer. I'm afraid we've kind of created a monster by reinforcing that, though.

Looks like the virus is giving me a reprieve to keep them a few months longer. I'd really like them to go together to a home, to someone I was sure knew how to take care of them. They do recognize each other - there are four that we had in a smaller tank since they were eggs, and after many months we put them into the big tank as I packed up the small one to ship home. They still tend to stay close to each other, even though there are others of their kind in there that they do interact peacefully with.

They certainly do have personalities.....for about 2 years I had a black molly, betta and a Chinese algae eater that had quite the love/hate triangle going.    The betta hated the molly and would constantly go after it but the molly would run to the algae eater for protection because it hated the betta.  It was very entertaining to watch....I’d find myself watching the drama in the tank rather then the tv.  Then one day I came home and my molly was dead (blaming the betta for that) then eventually came home and the betta was dead and I could tell it was the algae eater who did it.  Came home the next day and a neon tetra was dead because of it and that’s when he got adopted out....he had grown to big for the tank and was now adding fish to his diet....which they do when they get large..... id offer to take yours Nan but have decided no more fish tanks....eventually mine always end up springing a leak and it becomes “save the fishies” at 6 in the morning and I can’t be bothered having to deal with the heaters and other things here that I didn’t have to worry about in Hawaii.   There all I needed was a filter .

That must have been just wonderful! Just a filter... wow!

I've always lived where the water was really hard, so I had to be careful what kind of fish I stocked into the tank, and then also had to manually adjust the water parameters/ph down. It was easier, by putting in organic material like a log or something, than what I have to do here, which is just the reverse. The water is so incredibly soft here, and so lacking in minerals, that I have to watch the Ph pretty carefully and adjust as needed. "The kids" seem to do well with a couple of litres of Highland Spring water put in their tank when I have to clean it. Which I'm going to have to do today to get the eggs out before they get too far along. Only not having any Highland Spring water to put in there. They'll be ok, but it's not ideal for them.

Albino corys are kind of like little happy cow fish. They are "herd" animals, and very, very peaceful. And they will copy each other, so if one bloops up to the top of the tank to get a mouthful of air, they'll all start doing it and we hear "bloop bloop" or "squeek squeek" (depending on if they are playing or not) for a few moments, coming out of their tank. It's kind of amazing they can squeek as loud as they can do, really, for their size!

Nan, you should try to find the documentary about two scientists who decided to live with an octopus in order to see how smart it actually was.  The answer is REALLY smart and it was constantly involved with what was happening outside the tank.   They even filmed it dreaming at night, changing it's colour while it slept.

Nan, you should try to find the documentary about two scientists who decided to live with an octopus in order to see how smart it actually was.  The answer is REALLY smart and it was constantly involved with what was happening outside the tank.   They even filmed it dreaming at night, changing it's colour while it slept.

I've seen that one. I ~love~ that one. 

Did you see when they put two "aggressive" octopuses in the same tank, with a glass between them, to see what they'd do? It turned out they fell in love - one was a male, one female. It was really rather sweet.

Sounds nice.

Albino corys are kind of like little happy cow fish. They are "herd" animals, and very, very peaceful. And they will copy each other, so if one bloops up to the top of the tank to get a mouthful of air, they'll all start doing it and we hear "bloop bloop" or "squeek squeek" (depending on if they are playing or not) for a few moments, coming out of their tank. It's kind of amazing they can squeek as loud as they can do, really, for their size!

Very cute! 

Who remembers the octopus that chose the World Cup group winning teams... i think he was called Paul?

Who remembers the octopus that chose the World Cup group winning teams... i think he was called Paul?

I always think of that when someone mentions an octopus, for some reason! 

The fishies should be crossing the Scottish border on the way to England right about now...

Lovely woman drove all the way up here to collect them. Had a battery-powered filter and everything set up in the boot of her car. They are going to a very good home, I think!

The fishies should be crossing the Scottish border on the way to England right about now...

Lovely woman drove all the way up here to collect them. Had a battery-powered filter and everything set up in the boot of her car. They are going to a very good home, I think!

Awesome! You must be so relieved! 

Yeah, I really am. Their tank is almost empty out there, with just a little water in the gravel in the bottom of it. It looks really sad.

Between the repairman fights, the surveyor fight, Covid, and trying to keep the daughter sane, I am exhausted.

Thankfully now I have done literally almost everything I can (other than packing up a few remaining household goods) and have to wait for confirmation of the date of our movers' coming so that I can buy the airline tickets home. I sent the signed acceptance on Friday, so hopefully I'll hear something on Monday. Tickets on affordable flights are going fast now.

But other than that, it's just relax for the next several weeks. Or, basically, do the same as we have been doing (going for a walk every day), plus eating down our "stash",  but without the uncertainty hanging over us.

I think a nap is in order - I only had four hours' sleep last night and woke up at first light.

Yeah, they have gone to an excellent home.