Marlowe the SAP singleton

[omplmpa3]

MY SAP, Marlowe, seems to be defying labels of "nervous", "shy" and "easily frightened" associated with the rest of his species.

Forgive me for copying and pasting one of my own previous posts, it's too long to re-type and it's an excellent example of his personality and (IMO) it's a cute story.

I have a little SAP in a 55. It's just him, two upside down catfish and five danios. The SAP is named Marlowe. A couple of days after putting Marlowe in the 55 I was working on the tank next to his when I noticed Marlow swimming laps about mid level in the tank. "There is NO WAY he could be pacing already", I told myself. So I stopped what I was doing and just watched. He WAS swimming laps, but there was something different about it. When he would swim along the left, back and right sides of the tank he would swim at a casual speed. But then after turning to swim along the front of the tank he would speed up.... A LOT. I mean his WHOLE BODY would shake! I figured it was the powerhead, it's installed on the top right side and was angled towards the front of the tank and it does create a fairly decent current. But I wasn't sure if the powerhead could create a current strong enough that it would extend half way down the water column so I turned it off and continued to watch. Even with the powerhead off, Marlowe continue to swim the same way. Slow along the sides and back then ridiculously fast along the front. Then I moved in for an even closer look. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! Once Marlowe reached top speed and started to shake .... he would look at me out of the corner of his eye. He was saying "Heeeeyyyy.....lookit how fast I'm going!", "Are you watching me?". Now I know puffers are expressive, but this stunt really surprised me. The little show off!!! I forced my entire family to watch him, because I knew they would think I had finally gone mad if they didn't see it for themselves. And he just kept it right up. He loved the audience and they ate it right up. This lasted for almost an hour. I tried to record it with my camera, but I've only recently started to take passable still shots, filming is a ways off yet. He still does it though, it doesn't last an hour anymore but it is still hysterical to see.

Since the time of the above post, one female danio has been removed from the tank. She was being relentlessly harassed by the four male danios.

Once I appear in front of the tank, Marlowe is against the glass begging for food. He takes snails from between my fingers, whether I'm offering them from near the surface or with my whole arm in the tank at the bottom.

He seems to be oblivious of his tankmates and even during the night he is out in the open, even though there are places to hide.

I would like to add get a few more SAPs, but I have only come across one SAP in the past year and that was Marlowe. Ordering SAPs is proving to be just as difficult as finding one in a LFS and I am still leery about buying any fish that I do not get to choose myself.

At any rate, I wanted my singleton SAP experience thus far.

[StormySkiez]

...................I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! Once Marlowe reached top speed and started to shake .... he would look at me out of the corner of his eye. He was saying "Heeeeyyyy.....lookit how fast I'm going!", "Are you watching me?". Now I know puffers are expressive, but this stunt really surprised me. The little show off!!! I forced my entire family to watch him, because I knew they would think I had finally gone mad if they didn't see it for themselves. And he just kept it right up. He loved the audience and they ate it right up. This lasted for almost an hour. I tried to record it with my camera, but I've only recently started to take passable still shots, filming is a ways off yet. He still does it though, it doesn't last an hour anymore but it is still hysterical to see.

Very cute story. Thanks for sharing . He sounds like a character.

[OCgatergal]

Marlowe seems adorable, if you get a good video, post it so we can see him race those speed danios