well, actually a "critical condtion" that I didn't catch before the otehr fish did, and a missing.

So, I'm euthanizing my now finless, upside-down, fancy goldfish (No more happy cries of "bob" from FX when he sees the tank, either. He KNOWS). Bob apparently succumbed to his ongoing swim bladder issues and the other residents of the tank followed nature's lead and ate his fins (and some of his scales) off during the night, while he was cornered helpessly by the current. He's so bady damaged he can't right himself and I have no choice but to pop him in a coffee cup and O.D. him on anaesthetics. Sigh.

When checking the tank, I realized that one of the plecos is ... gone. Just gone. I have a sinking feeling that he wriggled into the hollow insides of the fake rock, got stuck, and died, as our other pleco and our shark are darting in there and nibbling at ... something. Eurgh. I have to get the fake rock out, get him out (while not thinking about the fact that he may still be alive) and boil it clean again before putting it back in.

ETA: while writing this, after three hours of trying to find that little bastard (including picking up El Fake Rock and shaking it), he just blithely swam out and circled the tank with the other pleco in tow. ARGH.

We will not be getting a new goldfish for this tank - it's just not big enough. When we an afford a nice big tank, then we'll get a couple of fancies and treat them right. I never wanted to get goldfish for this one, and now I'm very sad to have been right about why. :(

Say a prayer for Bob, if you will. He was a pretty good fish and his life was far too short.