Those who know me are aware of the obsession i've acquired for goldfish. It all started with the goldfish my former roommate gave me to care for, while he relocated. "Jonah" was a smart and long lived fish who ended up staying with me till his death a year or so later. I buried him in the quiet garden downstairs amongts the flowers.
I was given a small 10 gallon tank, also from my former roommate, and thus started on a goldfish adventure. I grew to love Jonah and enjoyed seeing him swim back and forth in the environment i created for him. Several weeks after his passing, i decided to get another fish, maybe two or three.
Since that time i've had several. My fish have survive from a few days to several years and in that time i have grieved their passing but quickly gained knowledge to help them survive longer with the help of the informed pet store staff . It's not as easy as it sounds. One 10 gallon tank can ideally sustain one gold fish. WHAT!!!! I wanted several different kinds swimming around. Well it doesn't work, as i've learned the hard way. My last purchase, several months ago, was for two fish which i named "Jo-an and Jackson"
Fish, like humans, have different personalities--some are smarter than others. At one point i purchased a "Fish Training Kit" Yes, fish can be trained just like other animals using food as the incentive. The kit sits in my cupboard, unused, except when i break it out to show people the cute miniature basketball net and soccer net with the appropriate balls to match. There is an instructional DVD included. I had big expectation but it still sits in the cupboard unused.
Jo-an was quick to pick up the idea of how to get the food. First a kiss on the finger, then the food. Jackson, however would wait for the food to sink, and therefore didn't have to work as hard. He was shy and i think Jo-an picked on him. That can be a problem as fish too can become a bullies.
I had been having problems with my filtering system. Goldfish put out a huge amount of ammonia in the form of waste. My one filter with a combo charcoal for goldfish, wasn't enough.
They became listless as i tried different remedies. One morning i woke up and found one of my fish belly up. Oh! shit. I hate when i loose a fish. They're goldfish for god's sake but again they are part of my home and i love them, and care for them, and they aren't suppose to die so quickly. Well, sometimes they do.
I quickly disposed of the fish. I scooped him up with the net, (I thought it was Jackson) with my eyes closed. The quiet garden was closed so, i'm sorry to say, the New York sewer system was the final resting place for my fish.
OK---I'm going to go get another filter so i now have two filters , and i'm just going to have one fish, Jo-an. (I thought). I must make the remaining fish comfortable and happy alone in a well cared for well filtered tank. Finally i'll use all that i have learned and see what happens.
Days pass and the remaining fish perks up--the new filtering system is working. However i'm noticing that the remaining fish is skittish and is shy about coming to the top of the tank to kiss my finger to get the food. DAMN. I think it is Jackson that survived instead of Jo-an. How could i not know.
Gold fish change color as they age and if they had any distinguishing marks while young, they seem to disappear with time. That happened to Jackson. He lost his black markings. I was lost. What do i do--i'm now not sure which of the fish survived. Jo-an was always the stronger and smarter fish. I thought she would be the one to survive--now i'm not sure.
While skyping with my daughter one day i was relaying my fish tale of woe. Since i didn't know really, which sex survived, it became clear to me that the fish needed a sexual reassignment, i just needed to declare the fish a female and call her "Funner". One problem remained----"Funner" was not living up to her name. She's slow to react and skittish and i'm not liking that. I was feeling sad that my fish was not as smart as i'd like. My darling, animal loving daughter said "Mom the fish can't help it---maybe she's mentally challenged" OMG, i now have a challenged fish that's had a sexual reassignment and i now can love and appreciate her for who she (or he) is. She is a little slow but after several months now she is coming up to the top of the tank to visit. Her home is pristine and she is exploring and thriving.
Goldfish have enriched my life. I love having them. I take good care of them, talk to them and redecorate for them, so they don't get bored with their surroundings. When someone says to me "Ann, you should get a cat". I say "Why--i have my sexually reassigned, mentally challenged, wonderful goldfish "Funner".
1 comment:
LOL
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