just keep swimming

so yes.. 

this blogpost kinda already has a bit of a known ending.

yes. beloved member of Aryk and I's basement family had passed away on Thanksgiving weekend.

I can't say it wasn't expected.. 

Fredrik the past little while has been slowing down on his rambunctiousness.. Usually he would bounce himself to the top of the water tank, crash his head into the corners of the glass, pick on Gail our Japanese Fighting fish, and playing hide and seek with Aryk and I. But the last while he would sit there.
attempt to swim to the tops of the waters and give up.
if he DID happen to move somewhere... it would be very slow.
and very unenthusiastic.

So Aryk and I did what we could. 
We ended up going to the pet store near our basement location and quizzed the people working there full of questions with major concerns about our frog.
Is it just old age? is he too cold? is he lonely?? DOES HE NEED A COMPANION?  

we found out he is bored.. and yes likely cold. (which we figured.. for the basement was getting colder,.. and we would put Fred in a separate bowl and put him by the mini heater and he would be all active and full of life again)

we ended up buying a MASSIVE tank (okay not that massive... but way different then the little one that can hold one fake aquarium plant) it even came with a fancy smancy water filter! oooooo!!
though we did also have to spend the big bucks and also buy a heater, gravel, a tree hide out, another hide out thing...

and then before transporting Gail and Fred into the new tank (you have to wait 24 hours to de-chlorine) I went out and bought 5 male assorted guppies (for Aryk, for his birthday was a few days after)

we were so excited and would stare mesmerized at our new fish tank, our new guppies, and how much fun Gail and Fred were having in their new home!! that is... until we realized that the filter is a safety hazard for Fredrik... He'd get sucked into it and his leg would get stuck and would struggle to have enough strength to push/swim himself away from it. We watched him helplessly struggle while being a cheerleading squad. Eventually I couldn't handle it. and was in great fear that we would watch his leg pop completely enough... and if you know me.. you would know that THAT (that that lol)

would be a traumatizing event! 

we also found that he would get pushed around in the currant of the filter and he would get swished and shoved about in the bushes so we rearranged the decoratives in the tank for him...

NOW it was a home! NOW it was safe!

Fred would swim about, and we'd play even more intense games of hide and seek with him for now he REALLY knew how to camouflage with the gravel and had so many little hiding places!

 (Aryk was way better at spotting Fred than I!)

a week later we left for 4 days to go to Kelowna to have thanksgiving dinner with his family..

MY DAD SAID THAT FISH DON'T NEED TO BE FED EVERY DAY SO THEY WOULD BE FINE! 

(not pointing any fingers of blame at anyone..)

but when we arrived to our basement sweet basement.

I said hi to the fish, looked for Fred.. couldn't find him, Fed the fish.. and carried on bringing stuff in.

Aryk found Fred..

in the filter.

a mushy booger looking blob.

and with his face down in the gravel.. one of our new guppies (and favourite) Spit. Aryk tried to bring him back to life. but no luck.

we went outside and dug a whole and placed them peacefully in the garden.

and then realized we could have brought split back to the petstore and got a new fish because they have 30 day warranty.

its ever so clear that nor Aryk or I have ability to take care of things.. Frog death, guppy death, 2 deaths of snails, 5 tomato plants dead and rejuvenated and deathed many times over the summer, and 2 cactus's at least I think it was two? maybe three... there is also a semi alive lemongrass plant..
not to mention... many many many many fruit flies.. 

to end this on a happy note..

CHECK OUT 

HOW ADORABLE THIS PHOTO IS

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