One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish-

Twelve. That’s how many fish I have. One week ago the Tea Drinker gave me an Aquarium for my birthday. I have always wanted one, but never expected to actually own one. We have had many conversations back and forth over the years that went much like this---“You can’t have one, who would clean it, who would feed the fish, who would take out the floating ones?” Okay, we both know the answers to all of those questions. The same person that waters the plants, mows the lawn, feeds the cat, and cleans out the litter box- the Tea Drinker. So, how could I argue with that? Instead, I continued to decorate our bathroom with all things fish. Maybe that is what finally pushed him over the edge. And that’s why, this gift was so special, because it came with the caveat that my husband was agreeing to all the reasons why he told me we would never own an aquarium.

We were like expectant parents. Staging the baby room. First, came the aquarium stand, and choosing where we would put our crib. It had to go some where that was stable, and with out sunlight beating down on it, and needed to be easy to get to. Next, came choosing the gravel and plants, and filling the 14 gallon tank. Then we proceeded to get up three times a night to make sure we had not flooded our living room. Plus, the temperature and the GH, KH,pH,NO2, and the NO3 of the tank water had to be just right, before we could put little fishies in it. So, we waited a week while our tank sorted itself out. We could hardly stand it, we were so excited to go live! How many fish could we have? Our trusty local fish expert pointed out that size does really matter. The tank could probably hold only ten to fifteen fish. We chose five different types, and were told to start with one species, and add a new one each week.

We chose the first species- Balloon Mollies. I chose three- one black, one white, and one a blend of black and white. I must have issues if I am color coordinating my fish! Dan humored me and we left the store proud parents. We put our fish directly into the tank on Friday night, and on Monday morning discovered that we had a family of twelve. How does this happen? Pandemonium broke out. What were we to do? We weren't prepared. We were new aquarium owners. We aren't experts in the mating rituals of fish. We still don’t know who the culprit is, and no one has fessed up. They are just going about their business, while we try to figure out how to feed and nurture nine little baby fish smaller than the tip of my pinky nail. After much reading, surfing the net, and consulting the fish guy, we now have a mini-aquarium floating in our 14 gallon tank. Each morning, we wake to grind fish flakes to a fine powder and feed the babies on a regular basis. And, yes, we are still getting up in the middle of the night, and reporting to each other the head count every day.

Next up is cleaning the tank. As I write this the Tea Drinker has a tube, a bucket, a towel all in hand, and is about ready to tackle this next task. The gift that keeps on giving. I haven't had the heart to tell him that I read that our Mollies might make this a habit and give us a gift every 60 days...I am lucky girl.

What does all this have to do with tea? Nothing. Except that Dan told me that if I hurry up and write this he will offer our readers a fish discount for a limited time only. Enter “Twelve Fish” in the coupon code, and receive 20% off any Drink the Leaf products. I recommend trying White Peony this week. (remember to click recalculate to apply discount)