Jack's Army

I sit and watch my fish all the time. They really do lower my blood pressure. The little black molly I have, I've raised him and watched him grow. I've named him Jack Spratt.

My red platys are all sick and some dying of a mysterious illness. They sit at the bottom of the tank or hover in a corner near the water surface. I've moved them into a sick tank. That mean Jack is alone in a 20-gallon tank with two penguin tetras, one of whom keeps chasing him. To keep Jack company and build his army, I bought two more male black mollys.

When I floated the new fish in the tank, Jack couldn't wait for them to join him. They are both bigger than Jack. He fluttered around their bag the whole time they floated, rubbing noses with them. Once I released the new black mollys, the three of them hung out immediately as if they've known each other all their lives.

But still, the new fish wanted to get acquainted with their new home. Jack was impatient with that. He kept nipping at them, nudging them, chasing them, and spinning around them as if to say, C'mon, let's play. I don't speak Fish, but if I did, I'd say Jack was delighted, flapping his little fins with excitement like a panting puppy. He's taken to mimicking the older fish flaring his dorsal fin.

I've named one of the new mollys Tommy. The larger one is Alf. They are Jack's friends and protectors now. I've seen the bigger fish intercept and chase the penguin tetra when he charges at Jack. But sometimes, Alf, being the biggest one, chases Tommy and Jack, especially during feeding time. That's also when the penguin tetras chase each other. I guess it's an instinctive thing and all civility are shot, fighting for your share of the pie.

Other times, the mollys ignore the penguin tetra no matter who he tries to chase. He keeps butting in when the mollys circle each other to see what they are up to. Then it dawns on me. The fish may not be chasing each other in aggression. These are all male fish. That's how they play. The penguin tetra just wants in on the game. Or not. He could be just an aggressive, territorial male, because the other penguin tetra, which could be a female, is rather peaceful and live side by side with the mollys just swimmingly.

I have not named the penguin tetras because for a long time, I could not tell the two apart. Now, the calm one is slightly bigger than the rambunctious one. But it only matters to me that Jack Spratt has his own little army now because I love Jack.