...I looked up to see a huge aquarium coming at me.

I work in an ecology lab.  We study birds, but a trademark of just about everyone in the lab is an unbounded  love for animals.  Last month, the entryway of our building was remodeled.  We got a new aquarium and a few display cases for some skulls, sells, fossils, and skeletons.  There was one question though: what to do with the old aquarium.

Before...Filthy.  The fire hose is coming in for the rescue...

The old aquarium was a disgusting thing that I had never really looked at.  I wasn't sure if there were fish inside or just a few plants, moldy-looking sand, and dirty, brown water.  Lo and behold, there were fish in the tank, and these fish weren't "pretty enough" for the new aquarium in our new entryway.  Because we are animal lovers, our lab somehow became responsible for preventing the demise of the fish in the old tank.  I, being less involved in department things, as I am still relatively new, was in my office for most of this day- (entire day-) long discussion.  Suddenly, I heard a terrible screeching noise.  It was so Israeli when I popped my head out of my room and was shocked to see a huge, mostly empty (water was removed to make moving easier) aquarium, table and all, coming at me.

My office was not the original destination of the tank, but after finding that it wouldn't fit in the proposed location, it ended up in our room, a dirty, sad fish tank.  I went back to work while discussion continued, and the next time I looked up, there was a fire hose being pulled through the door.  The tank was filled, and the water started to clear the slightest bit.  Each day, the tank got a new addition: oxygen, a filter, new plants, rocks, a super-strong magnet to clean the glass, etc.  And each day, the fish got prettier.  They went from dull to bright and patterned with stripes and colored spots, and since they have been moved to our room, not a single one has died.  (Apparently they had been dying at a rate of at least one fish per day.)

The fish tank, while not completely clear, is on it's way to beauty.  Our fish are much healthier, and they are really starting to develop unique behaviors.  One fish, in particular, has taken to guarding a large rock on the left side of the tank; that is why most of the fish can be seen on the right side, away from his aggressive behavior.  Another result of our efforts is that the clean glass has a mirror effect, and it is quite a show to watch the fish interact not only with one another but also with themselves.  It is definitely distracting to have the fish with us, but it is also relaxing and fun.  Hopefully with care, and an eventual division of the fish into a second aquarium (to eliminate crowding), they will continue to thrive and maybe even reproduce.  Fun fact: These fish carry their eggs in their mouths until hatching.

After: Mirror-y with a concentration of fish on the right side...