Think Fish Keepers Daily News [year 2020]

The loss of a fish on its own, of a pair or trio (I imagine) or a fish with very particular characteristics distinct from the others is indeed very strongly noticeable. I think new life in a tank, in a completely different form (more shrimp in your case), will definitely help.

Fish do expect the lights to come on at a certain time.

A couple of years ago I stopped changing the timers. I have 2 LED tubes over my main tank and they come on at different times - one half an hour before the other and again a half hour split off time - so there are 2 timers. The timers are in a dark corner and I have to get a torch out to alter them. It is such a hassle trying to hold the torch between my teeth while I hold the set button down with one hand and alter the hour with the other so I decided not to bother. And since I'm not altering that tank, I don't bother with the other one either 

I recently moved my big tank from the sitting room to the kitchen as part of a bit of a reorganisation of our furniture to make more play room for toddler and after Xmas I will be receiving an upgrade in the nano tank to double its size - a custom 40cm x 30cm x 25cm (to work with existing equipment and cupboard top space etc) which is far more suitable for a small shoal of nano fish - the place I’m getting it from are super busy at the moment with everyone doing up their homes etc etc as a result of the virus and I’m really happy for them as they are a local firm. I’m searching through seriously fish finding all the species that it’s recommends for a 45x30 tank and getting myself excited.

The fish aren't getting their usual regular meals and treats today.
Wee Harley is "in the departure lounge", rested up against the filter intake at the top of the tank, panting fast. She's upright and not stuck/trapped as I discovered when I went to sit beside the tank and she moved and did a 'circuit' of the tank, floating backwards and around in the current. However, I don't want to disturb her again, hence keeping a distance from the tank (and therefore not feeding the others). I don't expect her to survive the day, as she's been so grey and weak-looking, despite my best efforts to place Hikari First Bites powdery food in front of her lately to encourage her to get some nutrients. I'd also rather she ran out of puff where she is than drops down towards the substrate where she was early this morning, getting prodded by some cardinals, or starts rolling around or lying upside down in which case I'd need to intervene which I'm reluctant to have to do.  I've lost count of how many times I've peered in the tank over the past 30 hours or so to check on her welfare...

Updated early afternoon: Argh - went back to investigate, by which time she was lying on her side at the filter intake, panting fast. Weeping in distress but realising there was no option by this stage, I got out the Euthanasia box and the solution prepared. In went the net to scoop her out - and off she went on a backward circuit of the tank, propelled by the current. I probably ought to proceed as I'd only be bringing forward The Inevitable by an hour or so - but can't when there's still some life/consciousness displayed. I think I'm going to hide / seek refuge away from the tank for the next hour or so, in the hope that she passes away naturally, while my nostrils feel like they're burning with the smell of the unused clove oil...

Updated again, late afternoon: She seemed to experience a fit, then started rolling around on her back on the tank floor. I reached towards the E box and she rectified herself. However, the others (cardinals in particular) were showing undue interest and biting her tail, so I've now set up and moved her into an isolation/hospice tank, where I'll leave her be for a while.

Updated yet again, early evening: She's actually doing better in this tank ie mid-tank, maintaining an upright position better rather than sucked into the filter inlet or being bitten by tankmates, and looking much less distressed. As her eyes are bulging and she's looking increasingly swollen, I decided that there was absolutely nothing to lose by putting in a drop of eSHa 2000 for bacterial infection... it might alleviate any suffering (temporarily) or 'send her over the edge' by bringing on a swifter demise to an already weakened fish (and thereby hasten her departure but meaning less time suffering if indeed she is).

I'm sorry to hear about Wee Harley. But as you say, at least she spent her last hours in peace in the hospital tank.
You did the best you possibly could for her.

So sorry to hear the sad news about Wee Harley @fcmf   
She had a happy and rich life with you, and a peaceful end.
The loss of the last individual from an original batch of fish is always particularly difficult too. 

Not sure what I can add to Sues and Littlefishes sentiments other than write something brief to say sorry to hear such sad news...

My husband bought half a cucumber. I hate cucumber so it lasts a few days. He cuts the dried edge off each day and throws it away before cutting more slices for his sandwiches so I rescued one of the dried slices before it got to the bin, cut the rind off as it was impossible to wash it as a thin slice and put it in the shrimp tank. It was amusing watching the shrimps climb all over it. When there were a lot of shrimps clinging on, the cucumber sank; when a few 'decucumbered' it floated. The following day there was just a tiny piece left being wrestled by one of the big shrimps, which was having trouble controlling it. They were drifting around the tank on the current from the filter.

I must encourage him to buy cucumber more often 

Absolutely loved both the shrimps and kuhli loaches stories, Sue. 

Inspired by the cucumber story, I decided to put some in the tank at lunchtime, having to weight it down in the snail foodpot with a pebble. The female nerite, who had been nearby on the wood, crawled immediately onto it and stayed there for a while. I've just nipped through to see what was happening and she's clearly shown her appreciation for it, judging by the mess she's left on the catappa leaf (most likely a wood-and-cucumber combination)!

I tried to post a photo and it disn't work; after clicking 'post' all I got what a plain white page