This post is mainly for the benefit of my friend from the rabbit patch.

That said,I also hope this will be the last of the series as the circumstances that inspired it ,are not the happiest.If you followed the killer fish saga ,you know we had a break out of “fungus bacteria disease” that infested our aquarium and we got two new fishes.Unfortunately Dot and Annabelle lasted not even a week.We knew something was wrong since the beginning but refuse to acknowledge the fact that we were going to loose more of our little aquatic friends.They were definitely acting weirdly but at that point I couldn’t say were their abnormal behaviour finished and my paranoia started.I couldn’t trust my eldest daughter( who is in charge of feeding them) judgement either as she is a worrier by nature and got basically obsessed with those fishes.First thing she was checking in the morning and last one before going to bed.During the day then,she kept watching them and kept updating me every ten minutes about their movements.Very few movements actually.They in fact left the bottom of the tank only this morning to float dead .A quite macabre image,I know.That is the scene my poor child saw when up this morning.Not a surprise,I am afraid ,but really a disappointment.We were hoping in a new start and in a longer life.Of course with the girls I played cool but these last two deaths bothered me.How did we come from having perfectly healthy fishes for years to not even being able to make them last a week?In fairness Dot and Annabelle looked suffering since the beginning.Their death surprised nobody.My guess is that, despite the anti bacteria treatment ,the water was still contaminated.They were showing the same symptoms of Patricia . Only explanation was that the water left in the thank and the ornaments were still infected.Bacteria were probably trapped in the stones at the bottom of the tank and inside the shells.Once home after school drop and walking the dogs,I emptied the tank completely.I did throw away every ornaments and started to scrub it(the tank)like a mad woman.Then I filled it and emptied 3 times.Just to be sure! I changed the filter .The tank was as clean as new.The water clearer then mountain spring water. I would have had a swim myself in there.For sure there was no bacteria left.We could really start over this time.I collected the girls from school and drove straight to the pet shop.The usual guy was not there.I was relieved I didn’t have to tell him that the two fishes I only bought the last Sunday,died too.On the other side he already knew our story.We created a bond over time and …..over death.He was kind of betraying me not being there……when I needed him the most!Not to mention I now had to explain everything from the start to the new guy.What a pain and waist of time.Once I explained everything happened with the aquarium in the last year and the big cleaning I did in the morning,he agreed there should be no trace of bacteria left.He actually laughed when I said I filled and rinsed and emptied and refilled the tank three times:”psycho” woman”,he was sure thinking.Ok I was quite agitated while explaining to him the whole story.May be I also indulged in too many details but it was absolutely understandable considering what me and my daughters have been going through.I needed support there not a patronising cocky attitude.The worst came when I asked if the bacteria could be trapped in the shells .He asked if they were real shells from the sea.Of course they were.”And you cleaned them before putting them in,did u?” ,he said.”Of course I cleaned them.”,I replayed.What am I,an idiot?Yes! It turned out I am! Apparently,in fact,before using seashells to decorate a fish tank you are supposed to boil them.How could I know????!!!???We had them in the house and thought it was nice for the fish to have the real thing in their aquarium.Wrong,very wrong.He suggested that may be the disease developed from the shells over time.I wanted to cry…..may be not even Robert was a bad fish by nature but went mad because of the bacteria that for a year were poisoning the tank……because I didn’t boil them!I am going to have this big chip on my shoulder for the rest of my life.The pet shop boy must have noticed my sad mortified face and hurried to say,”or the bacteria just happened to come for no reason,you know”.How sweet!He tried to make me feel better.We eventually picked the new fishes.This time we didn’t get gold fish kind.We decided to change type hoping to be luckier and,determined to not leave anything to the chance,we also bought a Leoprican rainbow and gold pot little sculpture to place in the aquarium.Not that I am a superstitious person but as they say every little helps!The new fishes are small and with cute popping eyes.We bought three of them,one for me and one for each of the girls.So far Lulu,Smarty and Ozzie are active, eat well and none of them shows any sign of being a bully.Water is still as clear as ever.For the rest of the afternoon and early evening my daughter provided me with a behavioural report every 30 minutes.I just checked them myself and I have faith we are back on track.May be this time we will have a happy ever after ending.