Yesterday, I decided to spice up the 10g tank with some life. One lone female checkerboard cichlid and 7 Neon tetras had occupied it for some time. The cichlid's mates (described below) didn't survive, so I though she could use some company. I got her two large and healthy companions: a fully-grown male and a female. The new female is twice the size of the current one. I've decided to name the male cichlid Chang and the new female Aeon, in deference to Peter Chang, creator of animated icon Aeon Flux.

I also bought three Rummy-Nose Tetras, an experiment for me of working with generally larger fish. Most of my experience has been with fish who don't exceed 1-inch in length. The Rummy-Noses, at a max of 2 inches, are giants in my tank. Justin at Ocean Aquarium assures me that the Neons, Rummy-Noses, and cichlids will all live happily together in my 10g. I've named the new tetras Exú, Oxossi, and Naña. These are Orixas—African gods imported with their slaves to Brazil—who were often fused with the Christian icons missionaries forced them to acknowledge. St. Anthony became the vessel for recognizing Exú, St. Sebastian, the vessel for Oxossi, and Our Lady of St. Anne the vessel for Naña.