Ugly Fishie R.I.P.

I'm sad to announce the passing of my pet catfish, a.k.a. "Ugly fishie," or "Xi Ugly."

What, you had a fish?

Yeah, I've had a catfish of some sort since 1998, when I adopted Leper and Elizabeth's alpha and beta uglies (bumblebee catfish). After they died, Jean got me a new one (promptly named 'Xi Ugly'). I've found pet catfish to be very cute, but in a totally non-interactive way: they mostly sat inside their hiding spot, came out to grab food pellets, and went back to hiding.

If it just sits around, how did you know it was dead?

Well, I had to wait a few days to figure it out. First few days, I just figured it wasn't too hungry. By the time it was floating belly up in the tank, I figured it wasn't "just resting" (nor "pining for the fjords").

Are you sad about it?

Enh. Like I said, it was probably the least interactive pet I've ever had. Always a bit sad when something living dies (especially when you've hauled it across a border), but it probably had a level of consciousness below a mouse, which I have no compunction on killing. Fishie's getting the big flush this afternoon.

What killed it?

Beats me. Wasn't the cold--I was checking tank temperatures; it was reasonable. Last water change was about the same schedule as I've had for a while; I was feeding it every night like I always have. No obvious external physical symptoms.

Are you getting another fish?

Nah. Fishie was the only thing that required dealing with when I left town for a week at a time. Now I can just shut down the heat, lock the doors, and be on my way.

So... anybody want a 10-gallon aquarium? Complete with gravel/pumps/filters/etc?