Well,of course the "time out" was wishful thinking..... half an hour after being put back together it was a big wriggling mess again...
So this time I'm hardening my attitude and letting them do what comes naturally. I've taken some of the tank furniture out so that there is more room for maneuver on the floor - they were wrecking the joint pushing hides around and getting their heads crushed down the sides of logs.
Also I did see her get fed up with them all, and crawl up onto a high branch so that they all fell off with unceremonious thuds (some of them into the water bowl
) so I am somewhat reassured that she can control it to some degree....
Who knew what a trauma this would be (for me...)????