(Sorry for the length of the story. You can read the last paragraph instead which summarizes it much quicker): I had a little fish bowl once with a feeder in it (This awhile back when I hadn't done any research whatsoever). The next morning, I found Mr. Boo Bubbles floating on his side at the top of the tank. At first I thought he was dead, but then noticed his gills trying to get gulps of air from the surface. I slapped my head realizing that I forgot fish needed oxygen in the water! I ran into the kitchen, grabbed a straw, and started blowing bubbles until Mr. Boo Bubbles was happily swimming around the tank. Now I had a delimah. I didn't want to blow bubbles through a straw until Mr. Boo Bubbles died! So I went to the
LFS and bought a 1 gallon aquarium that came with everything including a pump. While I was there, I bought a Convict Cichlid (Again, I had done no research whatsoever and had no idea how aggressive this fish was and how much space it needs) and named it Coal. After Mr. Boo Bubbles died the next day, I purchased another
goldfish, then 2 more. They kept dying off until finally I realized that it was Coal who was murdering them! So I did the obvious thing and stopped buying goldfish.
Coal remained by herself for a couple of months, but didn't look to healthy. Finally, I went online and began reading about fish. Hours and hours I spent researching (I have to say, Fishlore was very helpful in this process) about
freshwater fish. I told my parents I needed a bigger fish tank and (after a really long time of begging and convincing) purchased a 46 gallon with everything for an outstanding price, and it also came with a free 10 gallon tank with everything. I really hit the jackpot. Since my room is under construction, and I wanted to put the 46g in my room, and because of the enormous amount of weight of water it would carry once filled up, I was told that I would have to wait for awhile until I get to set up the 46g. I'm very inpatient, so I set up my 10g that night.
I wanted a community tank, but had one tiny problem: Coal. I had become attached to her so much, that I didn't have the heart to get rid of her. I went to the LFS just to look around, and while I was there, I asked the guy (who just happens to know very little about Cichilds) what he recommended to put in with Coal. He said that a Firemouth would probably be OK. I made the mistake of listening to him, and brought back a young male Firemouth which I named Blade.
Pretty much as soon as I put him in the tank, I realized that I would have to take him back. It was pretty sad, even though I had only had him for a day, when I had to give him back. I told the guy (A different guy, who is very experienced with fish) what had happened, and he asked me why I don't just get rid of the Cichlid. Well, I had become attached to it of course! And all because of the name. He told me not to name my fish anymore. I have a very hard time not naming anything! I even named a couple of bouncy balls that I had when I was younger! I finally decided to keep Coal and try to breed Convicts in a 10g until they outgrew the tank.
I missed out on a potential really nice community tank filled with colorful fish! My mom isn't very happy with my decision. She hates Coal for all the trouble she's caused her. But how could I give her up? So now I have a grudge against naming fish. It's pathetic, I know. Coal murdered my goldfish, stopped me from having a community tank in my 10g, and is now driving me insane by making me wait so long for her to breed with the male I purchased last week! And yet I still can't give her up. I probably shouldn't have named her.
Summarizing paragraph: Basically, I bought a Convict Cichlid, it murdered my fish, and because I named it (and became attached to it) I couldn't give it up, and now I'm stuck with her. She really isn't a problem now, I have that all resolved. But now I have a grudge against naming fish because of all the problems it's caused me. Should I go ahead and name all the fish in my 46g (which I now have set up)? This is probably the stupidest question you've read so far on Fishlore, but I really am having a problem with it. It's like I have a curse! After I name a fish, I'm doomed for disaster!
By the way, because I named Mr. Boo Bubbles -and I only had him for 1 day- I nearly cried when I flushed him. Seriously! It's so bad, it's not even funny!
-SkyCrystal
Similar Aquarium Fish Forum Threads 
