Fish Stories

About two years ago, I started up my 20 gal tank and put in a few small cichlids. I've always loved cichlids for their interesting behavior and personality. My cat felt the same way. I was delighted to see her staring at the tank and mewing. Sometimes she'd even try to bat at the buggers through the glass! After a while, she developed a cute little relationship with the king of the tank. He had claimed the cave I built with rocks right up against the glass. He could hide in there but I could still see him from the side of the tank. The cat figured this out, too. She'd jump up and put her big cat head right in that spot where he thought he was safe. He'd dart out into the middle of the tank in horror! She'd meow, he'd return, she'd bat at him, he'd dart out - the whole cycle happened several times a day. Then one day, I noticed that he stopped darting out. She was pawing sadly at that spot of the tank but he wasn't coming out. I thought he was dead! I looked from the other side but, no, there he was. I looked in from that cat's vantage point and saw......a wall of gravel!! True to cichlid nature, the fish had moved the gravel all around. In this case, he'd piled the gravel up against the glass so the cat couldn't see him!