# The Maximoff Contingency.



## Maximoff (11 mo ago)

I was wondering where to make my first 'thread'. This seems like the appropriate place (_as it's sort of a journal log?_)

Our story begins with one of the big questions people ask themselves around this time of year... what in the world shall I do with my tax return? The top idea was all too obvious. Get a fish for my cats to watch while I'm at work as it's much harder to knock an aquarium off a stand, than to knock the tv and other stuff off the entertainment unit. What's a pretty fish to watch? I still remember that pretty red basic??? betta my mom got me nearly 30 years ago. Such a treat for the eyes!

So the plan, go scout the pet store for costs and a teal betta - as teal is the best colour and what could be prettier than a red betta flowing around a tank but a gorgeous teal betta. I go to the only pet store in town that sells live fish and take a look around. They only had 4 betta's left - but I was told they would have more coming in tomorrow. Which thank god, cause not to sound biased or discriminatory, but I didn't want a female, or a plain black one, or a read one. They had 0 tealios . I get home knowing my fish, is definitely coming in tomorrow. Share with my cousin my plans to get a fish - annd she offers me her old tank! So great that's a nice expense I don't have to worry about anymore...

Next day, I call at noon, betta's still aren't in yet. I call at 2, betta's are still not in yet. Nearing the end of my shift, finally! the betta's have arrived, and there's a couple teal onessss! So I go and check them out. There's some beautiful mustard coloured ones, red ones, blue ones, teal and red, teal and pink, teal and black, and pure black. So I decide to pick a couple up and see how feisty they are... all of them, darted around the tiny little cup except, this one multi-coloured dude who I thought was actually dead. He sat there at the bottom of the cup looking up like a dreamer... and I knew it. That is my guy. I wasn't intending to get much at that point actually. I was mainly going to grab everything else to prepare for his arrival. But this was my dude! So, I grab a little tank, some food, the conditioner, and a betta log. Get him situated in his temporary shelter, where he still, calmly sat on the bottom looking up.
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On the way home, I was asked - what I would name 'em - and been suggested "Thor" which... don't get me wrong Thor's cool and all, but Scarlet Witch is where it's at when it comes to Marvel. This dude was just too majestic looking for "Thor". Thus, had been dubbed Maximoff. (Max for short!)

My cousin arrived later that night to drop off her old 20 gallon tank that she had given to her mom. But it was quite dirty - and needed a lot of cleaning, and truth be told, I was a little bit concerned that the guy spent so much of his time lethargic chilling on the bottom. Maybe his tail was too heavy for him to swim much - and since her tank was deeper than long I thought maybe it wasn't a good fit for him. As fate would have it, while cleaning the tank the sealant came off. So now I need a new tank, cause he can't stay in that tiny one, it's just meant to house 'em should something occur/the tank need a deep cleaning. Upon reading the reviews of the 10G tank at walmart, I decided as most leak due to poor sealing, that it may be better to go with a little bit more expensive tank kit - which just so happened to come with a heater anyway. I take it home and get it set up. Spent 40minutes trying to catch my guy and get him back into his cup so I can let 'em spend 20min getting acquainted with heated waters... 

The time hath come! he now has a 10 gallon home to flurl about in! Now for a lesson in tank currents... due to the filters current he chilled in a little nest at the bottom (where the gravel was lower than the rest) to hide from the current. Upon some extensive research - I learnt that you can cut a waterbottle and tape it over the spout to redirect the waterflow and lessen the current. Bingo! worked a treat. And what should occur whilst I am doing this? Welp my guy just comes right over to investigate! 










At this point my mind is pretty blown. Didn't know fish had any IQs, at all. So I figure, if he's not using the little ceramic log I got with 'em, there must be a reason? Maybe he needs something else? like that hammock! or that floating log! - so I went and got him both! Granted the hammok is more in use to keep the floating log in place - and he does use it, but his most favourite spot in the world, is that floating log. 










At this point, he's the happy he had been dreaming about in his little cup. Except I wasn't. The bottle trick, well that triggered the overflow light which means... the bottle trick isn't very good. So back to the pet store we go to find a better baffling product. Which was recommended in the form of a sponge, after cutting enough off - finally the water level doesn't trigger the overflow, enough water is slowed to reduce the current to almost nothing. He's eating adorably! Thriving, and enjoying life. (Little does he know, when the weather clears up - I am totally recaulking that other tank and will be setting it up with live plants - so this is still just a temporary home/future hospital tank. 

Now he's been situated in his tank a good week, comfortable - knows where the food comes from. No oily film on the surface, the bubbles mostly gone (they still hang out at the heater >_>) but I'm tired of cleaning out the uneaten food after each feeding and would like to start giving him the freeze dried blood worms again - sooooo it's back to the pet store for some bottom feeders where they suggest the _Hi Fin Albino Cory_. After checking them out for ich, and not seeing any white spots -> I purchase 3! (as they are schooling fish). Upon returning home, I put them in the tank to adjust to the tank temperature - and investigator Maximoff is back on duty! Came to greet me when I opened the lid, annnd checked them out!










This fish truly amazes me. However he kind of circled them like a shark. Which made me a bit weary - but still I must boldly go! The time is up I dip them in, and he swims around them looking over them - assessment complete. They don't pose any threat to him, so he proceeds to give respect and if they get close to him, he swims away.

It has since been 4 hours, and they get along quite peacefully. (I knew he was a chill dude! yay! - but that's it for tank buddies lol safe > sorry!) I'm sure I forgot to put a few oo's and ah's over him and his floating log - but this has been a while typing up.

P.S. Sorry some of the pics are poor quality - they were taken before I found the tips on taking pics thread  

PSS: I'm pretty sure I'm naming the cory's Larry, Curly and Moe. But don't ask which is which as I really can not tell the difference between them - yet.


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## Maximoff (11 mo ago)

It has now been 7 days since I initially set up the aquarium. Soooo time to do the weekly water change - except oh noes! The local pet store is sold out of water conditioner  (I knew I should have got the last bottle when I got the air pump valve!!) But alas, a trip to the city was needed anyway and luckily they had plenty of conditioner available, and as an added bonus, better decor to choose from.

So I picked up a nice collection of fake grass and bushes and a real cute zen-y bridge. Utilizing the siphoned water I was able to rinse it all off and then stationed them fairly symmetrically. The only decoration Max seemed interested in was the bridge, but now he likes to swim around the taller grass. Also took the chance to move the heater under the pump in hopes the warm water would disperse more efficiently (as I notice when the heater comes on he seems to go chill close to it) 

Either way the tank is looking alot better now that it has other decor in it. Hurrah! Here is Maximoffs zen garden-y themed tank! (Minus the backdrop )


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## DrizzlingSkies (11 mo ago)

This is really cool! Also heres a weird fact: I have the exact same bridge for my tank!! (I haven't set it up yet but I'm hoping to do it today)


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