Wednesday, October 6, 2004

My co-worker left for 11 days of marital bliss, gentle reader, and among other things I promised to keep his saltwater aquarium alive. I grew up with all types of animals, some furry, some spiky, some with wings, some with claws, but the only fish I ever owned were freshwater fish.

Until a month ago, saltwater aquariums were simply freshwater aquariums with zest. That’s apparently not the case. Heck, given what I know now, you could probably fill your freshwater aquarium with horseradish sauce and your aquatic friends would still clap their fins with joy. Saltwater aquariums are entirely different stories, and the aquarium I’ve sworn to protect looks more like a 12-gallon invitation to screw up royally.

Do I really have the qualifications to feed and maintain an entire ecosystem? Have you ever enjoyed so powerful a hobby? It’s like you’re a deity with long pants and lots of tasty brine shrimp. I’m going to cast my doubt into the seas and meet this challenge head-on. The first item on my list is to fetch the clownfish from his anemone, bring him to the living room, and have a brief 15-minute conference.