Life in Our Fishbowl - Updated:

As I posted earlier, we got a new Betta and two replacement neons. Everyone seems happy.

Day 1:

Last night 3 neons were brutally slain. 3 Black-stripe tetras have nothing to say without the Betta present. I'm looking at you, Mr. Catfish, a.k.a "The Cleaner". You know something.

Day 2:
OK, earlier the largest black tetra was looking kind of beat up and concussed. The betta was hanging close to him, claiming he was helping him swim. Now that tetra is just gone. I know he has been terminated and stuffed in the weeds, just like one of the neons was this morning.

I am registering "Underground Fish-Fighting Ring" so that I can use it exclusively.

Day 3:
So I found the other tetra, also stuffed in the weeds, kind of wrapped up long-ways. Creepy.

Today I'm less surprised to find the betta harassing the remaining 2 neons this morning, than I am to see him stop suddenly and smile at me when I turn on the tank light. Truly a psycho fish.

Also the first solid candidate for my Ultimate Underground Fish-Fighting Ring (tm). The UUFFR.

Day 4:
It's a clean sweep. All 6 neons now. Chesterton Betta, you BASTARD! I sentence you to solitary confinement at Mom's work. See how you like THAT you MURDERER! ...oh, I am a bad person for letting all this happen...

Day 5:
Rest in Peace, Chesterton Betta, I blame your hidden illness for your murderous rampage. Unless you somehow did yourself in, in which case, maybe it's for the best. No one would want to live in Mom's office, especially not Mom. 

Now all alone at the bottom of the tank, Gervais The Fat Catfish remains bewildered by these tragedies. He's a Roomba in an empty house. Only uglier, and lonelier. I don't want him to die, since he's like a big, ugly, friendly dog. But I don't want to buy him friends just to watch them die. Neither of us want that.

 Final Update: The catfish had wounds around his gills this morning. The ghost of Chesterton Betta wants everyone in the bowl dead. On the other hand, I should look this up. Maybe it's a sympt--OK. It seems I am a fish murderer. 

Apparently if I had carried out the sentencing of Chester to Mom's work he would be alive today. When you add too many fish at once to a small tank and then slightly overfeed them the water turns into poison. They get red gills and die off in groups. I think Gervais will be OK now, I am doing what I can, and his gills are getting better. Now I have to test the water before adding more fish. At least I know what I did wrong, and can stop kicking myself.