Almost the end.

Sat 2 Dec

I woke up to see despite performing the water change the night before, and raising the water temperature. The ick condition in fact got worst. I felt the water, and somehow feel that the water temperature is not right, as in it didn't raise to 32 degrees. At the moment,as i need to go hospital urgently, i took the decision to perform another water change, and went downstairs to buy a brand new tank water heater. After buying, i just decided to use the new one, thinking the new one will sure work. And left my place for KKH with all my barang barang required for sun as well. I was kinda ready to stay overnight if required.

While on the way to KKH, i received phone call that my 2nd niece would be discharged. That was it. Fri night at least got both of them together, there is at least company, so no adult stayed overnight. But with only my 3rd niece, the 6 year old in hospital, someone got to stay and i somehow got the arrow to stay overnight. At that moment, i knew that is it for my oscar fish if my gamble did not work.

So I was there at KKH from 021206 1000hrs all the way to 031206 0800hrs. Machiam on duty like that. My sister was around from 1pm to 7pm. I should have travel home but well why waste another about 20 dollars on cab when i already spent a 27 dollars on the heater, and i already brought the stuff contributed by ShaunZer along so i didn't went back, as i also thought the heat method would work. After she left, it was only me and my 3rd niece. She was a "tough" customer, need to keep entertaining and playing with her all the time. I wanted to sleep very early, but she kept me awake, only finally went to sleep at 11pm.

Then come the "orchestra music", I have my discman with me, but my niece seeing i listening to it, also want to listen, somehow ended up she was using it while she sleeps. So i got the "stereo sound effect". If u guys dun get it, try staying in children ward for a night. The crying of babies, children is almost continual. I only fall asleep at around 1am, as i struggled to find a comfortable position on those foldable bed and the "music", then i remember waking up almost every hour due to the "beautiful music pieces". Oh ya i got a 1 month boy beside my 3rd niece's bed, after being free out by my 2nd niece's discharge. He orchestred the "highlight" of the night at about 3am. I heard this baby boy is admitted because his 7 year sis treat him as a doll or something, and slap him for a few times. They were saying his sister could be jealous, but they never explain to her meh? So would-be parents pls note that to tell your child to sayang baby, not slap. Oh ya the other reason that i couldn't sleep, i was thinking how is the fish coping. But somehow i got a bad feeling that it's not going to make it.

Sunday 3 Dec

Soon it was 6am. I woke up unwillingly, and started to call my sister. Need to change barton, so i can go over to ECP for the SGRunners 30km support table to support the marathoners. But well as usual, tell me would come at 7am, she only turned up at 7.45am. Swallowed my breakfast, and rushed to take cab from KKH to ECP. Only reaching at about 8.20am. By then table already set up shwee shwee liao, and everything more or less in place. Then contributed the food. Thanks Shaunzer again. Pai kar cannot do much, so just help to open the food, and picked up the used sponges.

It was not long that everything run out, at about 1020hrs. So we packed up everything and travel to the start point in jamessoh's car to meet up with the rest. The trip from Marina Square Carpark to Padang is horrendous. I was already 70m behind them when we reach the underpass, then the eslcators are not working, so need to go down by stairs. By the time i reach the bottom, i lost sight of them. Need to call Roonz to guide me. Hahaha.

Then all the photo-taking sessions, blah blah. Then it's lunch back in Marina. Another horrendous trip back. But the trip back is somehow easiler. SV keep backtracking to wait for me. I guess it helps.
After lunch, joined the desert session at Swensens with TheLonelyRunner, FD, Ripley, Balasing,Roonz, SV,Tiwazz & Philip. Then TLR gave me a lift home, after sending FD home.

While on the journey home, i was thinking of the fish. I somehow have a very bad feeling, and i was thinking chances of a 3rd time lucky. After surviving 2 ick attacks, i was feeling that it was riding on its luck a bit. I was expecting to see a dead fish floating at the top of the water. or a dead fish laying on the floor (they will tend to struggle before their death).

But i really hate what i saw. The oscar fish is still alive, but really barely liao. Almost all of its face is covered by a thick coat of icks. Its body is almost half covered as well. It's in its final moments. Maybe it's waiting to see me for the last time.

The new heater also got same "problem". The water temperature near it is right, but the water far away is not. Actually it's nothing wrong with the heater. But i think the circulation of the tank is wrong. The other day, the overhead filter is not working, so i swapped to another filter that i have, but a more powerful one. The "fatal" error could be, the motor filter is drawing the water away from the heater faster than it can heat the water up. So only one side of tank is hotter.

In my last and desprate attempt to save my "buddy", i performed another water change. But this time i straightaway pour some warm water in. I dumped the older heater into the tank as well. Both heaters on to its max temperature. Light on. Filtration system is switched off to solve the circulation problem, will switch to the other fiter pump if it can survive. I have finally managed to bring up the water temperature to about 32 degrees.

But chances of survival, based on the amount of icks on it, is very slim. At the moment, i am giving it an 20% chance, actually by right should be less than 5%, but i got faith. Though i know i got to be realistic as well.
It is really painful to see your dear pet fish in such condition. You really want to save, but there is nothing much u can do, i have really did the best i can. I actually prefered to see a dead fish when i came back, not that emotionally painful, confirm will feel sad afterall it's my pet for 16 months, but at least it's past, and you know you cant do anything. Now is u want to do, want to save, but only can do so much.

Now it's all up to it le. If it didn't make it, then maybe i would go back to keep terrapins instead. For those who didn't know, i got 4 big terrapins stolen with my 2 tanks from my corridor. I shifted them out back then to have fresh air for my mother. Hahaha. Guess back then some neighbours didn't like and took them away. Now well it's okay to keep indoor since i am alone.

Well see how bah. Shall spend the next few hours looking at it. Although i feel dead tired le wants to sleep, but in case it is not going to make it, i want to spend its final moments with it.

Oh ya my 3rd niece is discharged le. Finally no more KKH. And Finally can sleep.