tyler1503
2500 Club Member
A fish keeper buying a fish from a fish store to put in their fish tank.
Sounds simple right?
Enter - Possum Wrasse.
This insanely elusive fish has been the bane of my existence since I took the time to really look into them.
It was last year. A fish presents itself on my Facebook news feed.
"What is this fish?" I ask myself, recognising it, but not knowing the name.
Wetmorella albofasciata my research tells me. My research also confirms what I suspected about the fish. Shy, reef safe and to my surprise can be happily kept in a 10gal. Sold. Instantly. Without hesitation the fish is sold. Not just to anyone, but to me.
Little did I know this would set off a roller coaster of emotions, a journey full of joy and sorrow, laughing and crying. Enemies would become friends and friends would become enemies. A true story for the ages. My children will repeat this story to their children who will repeat it to their children and so on. I will live on forever in this story.
So a few days pass and it's time for the seller to ship the fish. I'm getting excited. This is to be the first fish to go into the tank as it's such a placid and shy fish. I've been waiting months for this moment. My fish tank will finally have fish in it! I can almost taste it!
*DING!* My phone alerts me to someone trying to contact me.
"What's this?" I ask myself.
"I'm sorry to inform you that the possum wrasse has taken a bit of a beating during the night from another fish in the tank. If it recovers well, we'll send it out asap".
"No worries" I reply. "It happens. Let me know if he recovers soon please!"
So a few days pass and my phone alerts me again.
"The possum wrasse died last night. We can either keep your money as store credit or send you a refund"
I take the store credit and ask them to send me another possum wrasse when they get another one in.
They do exactly that.
So a few months pass of me constantly nagging the seller about the fish. As irritating as I must have been, I didn't want them to forget about me.
Alas! They found a second possum wrasse and hold it for me!
As excited as a 4 year old on their birthday, I reply within seconds asking them to send it asap.
They say they will send it on Monday as our postal service doesn't deliver on weekends.
Cool, I'll have my new little fish on Wednesday then! (Here in Australia overnight postage means 2-3 days postage)
So Sunday rolls around and the seller contacts me yet again to tell me the wrasse hasn't accepted any food and isn't looking too well.
I ask them to hold onto it till it's looking better and eating before they send it. I've lost one fish already, I won't lose another to an avoidable situation like shipping it too soon!
The fish dies the very next day.
dang. I'm $100 down and without any fish at all.
So determined (I think stubborn is a more appropriate word) to keep this fish, I turn to Facebook. I post a status in a local group asking if ANYONE knows where I can find this fish. I tell them I'll pay double the RRP plus postage to the seller and a finders fee to the person who sends me in the right direction.
*Crickets chirping*
Nothing.
No one knows were this elusive fish is hiding.
Frustrated, I bump the post multiple times over the next few days and FINALLY someone replies and tells me where I can find this fish!
I nearly cry with excitement!
I contact the seller asap.
They have one in great health for a great price!
Our conversation goes just like this-
Me - Hi, I was wondering if you have a possum wrasse available? I asked around and someone recommended you to me.
Seller - Yea I do
Me - Awesome! I'll take it. I'll transfer the money as soon as you can send me an invoice.
Seller - Ok I hold it.
Me - No worries. Thanks mate!
A few days pass between replies.
Me - I can send the payment as soon as you're ready.
Seller - Just pick it up. I hold it.
Me - I live 350km away, could you ship it?
Seller - I hold it.
Me - Thanks, but could you ship it?
Seller - No. I hold it for you. Just come in.
So that's a no go. I don't drive, so a 700km round trip is a LONG way to walk!
More time passes. I'm becoming obsessed with owning this fish!
It's all I can think about. This fish is starting to take over my life.
Then out of the blue the first seller contacts me. "Guess what we have?!"
Again, I'm overwhelmed. They have another possum wrasse!!
"If it's what I think it is, it's sold!! I'll also get these corals too thanks!"
"It is what you think it is, we'll send it out next week!"
The weekend arrives. I'm getting anxious. Will that one survive? I know they're not great at being shipped, if it makes it to the LFS, will it make it my house? My mind is buzzing with excitement.
It's Monday afternoon.
*DING*
"We've just sent your fish and coral! They should arrive on Wednesday!"
A sigh of relief, at least he's made it over the first hurdle. But will he arrive safely at Tyler's house?
I wake up on Wednesday morning to a knock at the door. It's the delivery man and he's early today!!
I rush outside, still in just my undies. No shame here at all.
I sign for the package.
I enter my house and within seconds I've torn the package bag off the box and cut the sticky tape away. I open the box, remove the newspaper they've used to cushion the fish bags during shipping.
I'm so excited at this point I can barely speak English!
The first bag I remove is the coral. A cute little diaseris!
The second bag is the one containing the possum wrasse. He's so little!
In my excitement I almost forget to inspect he fish before starting the drip acclimation.
Luckily I did inspect him, as he not moving. At all. For those who don't know, possum wrasses are known to play dead. Or should I say, possum wrasses are known to play possum. Perhaps that's where their name comes from?
I nudge him gently through the bag to see if he comes back to life!
*Nudge*
*Nudge nudge*
*fade to black*
Sounds simple right?
Enter - Possum Wrasse.
This insanely elusive fish has been the bane of my existence since I took the time to really look into them.
It was last year. A fish presents itself on my Facebook news feed.
"What is this fish?" I ask myself, recognising it, but not knowing the name.
Wetmorella albofasciata my research tells me. My research also confirms what I suspected about the fish. Shy, reef safe and to my surprise can be happily kept in a 10gal. Sold. Instantly. Without hesitation the fish is sold. Not just to anyone, but to me.
Little did I know this would set off a roller coaster of emotions, a journey full of joy and sorrow, laughing and crying. Enemies would become friends and friends would become enemies. A true story for the ages. My children will repeat this story to their children who will repeat it to their children and so on. I will live on forever in this story.
So a few days pass and it's time for the seller to ship the fish. I'm getting excited. This is to be the first fish to go into the tank as it's such a placid and shy fish. I've been waiting months for this moment. My fish tank will finally have fish in it! I can almost taste it!
*DING!* My phone alerts me to someone trying to contact me.
"What's this?" I ask myself.
"I'm sorry to inform you that the possum wrasse has taken a bit of a beating during the night from another fish in the tank. If it recovers well, we'll send it out asap".
"No worries" I reply. "It happens. Let me know if he recovers soon please!"
So a few days pass and my phone alerts me again.
"The possum wrasse died last night. We can either keep your money as store credit or send you a refund"
I take the store credit and ask them to send me another possum wrasse when they get another one in.
They do exactly that.
So a few months pass of me constantly nagging the seller about the fish. As irritating as I must have been, I didn't want them to forget about me.
Alas! They found a second possum wrasse and hold it for me!
As excited as a 4 year old on their birthday, I reply within seconds asking them to send it asap.
They say they will send it on Monday as our postal service doesn't deliver on weekends.
Cool, I'll have my new little fish on Wednesday then! (Here in Australia overnight postage means 2-3 days postage)
So Sunday rolls around and the seller contacts me yet again to tell me the wrasse hasn't accepted any food and isn't looking too well.
I ask them to hold onto it till it's looking better and eating before they send it. I've lost one fish already, I won't lose another to an avoidable situation like shipping it too soon!
The fish dies the very next day.
dang. I'm $100 down and without any fish at all.
So determined (I think stubborn is a more appropriate word) to keep this fish, I turn to Facebook. I post a status in a local group asking if ANYONE knows where I can find this fish. I tell them I'll pay double the RRP plus postage to the seller and a finders fee to the person who sends me in the right direction.
*Crickets chirping*
Nothing.
No one knows were this elusive fish is hiding.
Frustrated, I bump the post multiple times over the next few days and FINALLY someone replies and tells me where I can find this fish!
I nearly cry with excitement!
I contact the seller asap.
They have one in great health for a great price!
Our conversation goes just like this-
Me - Hi, I was wondering if you have a possum wrasse available? I asked around and someone recommended you to me.
Seller - Yea I do
Me - Awesome! I'll take it. I'll transfer the money as soon as you can send me an invoice.
Seller - Ok I hold it.
Me - No worries. Thanks mate!
A few days pass between replies.
Me - I can send the payment as soon as you're ready.
Seller - Just pick it up. I hold it.
Me - I live 350km away, could you ship it?
Seller - I hold it.
Me - Thanks, but could you ship it?
Seller - No. I hold it for you. Just come in.
So that's a no go. I don't drive, so a 700km round trip is a LONG way to walk!
More time passes. I'm becoming obsessed with owning this fish!
It's all I can think about. This fish is starting to take over my life.
Then out of the blue the first seller contacts me. "Guess what we have?!"
Again, I'm overwhelmed. They have another possum wrasse!!
"If it's what I think it is, it's sold!! I'll also get these corals too thanks!"
"It is what you think it is, we'll send it out next week!"
The weekend arrives. I'm getting anxious. Will that one survive? I know they're not great at being shipped, if it makes it to the LFS, will it make it my house? My mind is buzzing with excitement.
It's Monday afternoon.
*DING*
"We've just sent your fish and coral! They should arrive on Wednesday!"
A sigh of relief, at least he's made it over the first hurdle. But will he arrive safely at Tyler's house?
I wake up on Wednesday morning to a knock at the door. It's the delivery man and he's early today!!
I rush outside, still in just my undies. No shame here at all.
I sign for the package.
I enter my house and within seconds I've torn the package bag off the box and cut the sticky tape away. I open the box, remove the newspaper they've used to cushion the fish bags during shipping.
I'm so excited at this point I can barely speak English!
The first bag I remove is the coral. A cute little diaseris!
The second bag is the one containing the possum wrasse. He's so little!
In my excitement I almost forget to inspect he fish before starting the drip acclimation.
Luckily I did inspect him, as he not moving. At all. For those who don't know, possum wrasses are known to play dead. Or should I say, possum wrasses are known to play possum. Perhaps that's where their name comes from?
I nudge him gently through the bag to see if he comes back to life!
*Nudge*
*Nudge nudge*
*fade to black*
5th time is the charm I hope!
