The strangest but most amazing thing happened this morning. Just as I was about to start siphoning the water out of an uninhabited 10 gallon fish tank I saw a wee pair of eyeballs staring back at me!

I was absolutely stunned. Stunned, I tell you, stunned! You see, about two weeks ago my angelfish chums had laid eggs. I’d taken the eggs out of the 55 gallon tank and put them into an unused 10 gallon tank so the parents wouldn’t eat them. Only a few eggs wound up hatching and there weren’t any that developed into free swimming fish. A little disappointing but these things happen. I removed the eggs and forgot about the tank entirely until I decided to empty it this morning.

Against all odds, and with no food in the tank I might add, there was a wee survivor! Closer inspection revealed another shocker — he (she?) had a twin! Two wee fishie babies had somehow lived against all odds for two weeks! They’re both quite tiny but seem to have plenty of energy. I can only guess that they somehow managed to survive by eating microscopic crap in the tank and or random crud off of the sponge filter. Unbelievable.

Once the shock wore off I fed them some decapsulated brine shrimp eggs which they eventually gobbled up. Then I started a batch of brine shrimp for them to snarf down next - that way they’ll actually get some proper nutrition and start growing into big honking angelfish. Hooray for unexpected miracle scaly chums! So excited! I’ve named them Luck & Fortune. Trite, but true….

When I got home from the market I noticed that my loveliest angelfish, Arden, was halfway upside down. Fearing that she had bought the farm aquatic I ran closer to the tank to investigate. What a relief to find out that not only was she very much alive, she was getting ready to become a Momma!

Miss Thing was busy laying eggs on the back side of the bubbler.

Moments later her gentleman friend, Eden blew his snarkle over the eggs to fertilize them.

I waited a few hours and then took the bubbler and put it into a separate 10 gallon tank. Unfortunately that had to be done since they decided to start a family in a community tank with lots of other fish who would have snacked on the eggs. They seemed distraught for a few minutes after their potential future kids were taken away but now they’re okay.

Meanwhile, if all goes well in two or three days they will start hatching and I’ll be a Grandma.

Oh, giddy!