N�rnberg, Mittelfranken, 2006-10-10 - 3:43 a.m.

Did I ever tell you that I have some aquariums � not that they are one of my main interests anymore, - I was deep involved in that stuff once about 7 years ago � there were long years when they hardly interested me anymore, because my focus was turned towards millions of other things our big old world has to show. � One lifetime is much too short to get it all � but apparently we have to come to real conclusions just about this small amount of information & knowledge we may be able to reach within that short range (not that most people in our world are even aware of that � just satisfying the belly & sexuality & idleness & stupidly wasting our lives away seems quite enough for most of us big herd mankind) �

But getting in detail of this obscure little fad of mine �

Of the fish specimen I always liked the uncommon, the obscure, the fantastic looking kinds of fishes, like e.g. this species: �Sturisoma Aureum�, a harnished catfish species (silure) from South America � which mainly lives by algae �

Look at their cute sturgeon like noses!

I had 2 of them obscure beings in my second big tank (120 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm) � with some other catfish, loaches etc. � but not too tiny fish involved �

In that tank I had also 2 of a rare catfish kind of Africa, silver coloured with big round yellow eyes & a forehead like a seal �I had them all for long years in that tank & these silver catfish were very shy & seldom to be seen - so mainly active in the night which you could also tell by their big owl-like eyes.

So recently after years of peaceful co-existence in that tank I found one of these silver African catfish dead in the corner of the tank. I took him out with a net & look what I detected.

& his greed has killed him � You know Sturisoma are well protected by that harnish � but they are not only well protected by chain skin, but they have also dangerious stings & spines within their back & side fins � which they splay & erect if in danger � the top spines of those fins are needle sharp �

So after Mr. Greedy catfish swallows Mr. Endangered Sturisoma, he just spread his fins in death fear & so pierced the African catfish from the inside, while he also starved inside that catfish stomachs prison getting out of oxygen.

Piranhas would have known better, than to mess with a catfish knight, but African catfish have no experience with armoured fish yet.

But these species did live for several years peaceful together in the same tank it was probably bad chance, that the Sturisoma (about 14 cm length) may just swam directly diagonally to the catfish�s (20 cm length) big mouth & he just opened it- �Why not try?

Did I mention, that in this tank there is one species of both of them left? � Would the same accident between them happen again? � I doubt it & anyway I have no tank, where I can put that big African fellow without endangering some smaller fish species. �

Maybe they have learnt by what had happened to their mates - Let�s give them a chance to coexist in peace !

PS: I forgot to mention, that later on, when I flushed them for 'to rest in peace' down the toilet (what else should I do with them? Eat them?), they constipated it & I had problems to get it free again - so they're causing trouble on & on to everybody who deals with them - probably the rat who found them in the gutter is also dead already & the cat who ate the dead rat too..