Goldfish Condo

I'm back

2007-01-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a while since I've posted so I thought that now is a good a time as ever. I purchased a new goldfish but he picked on my last surviving bubble so I gave him away to a friend and the goldie now lives in a fish pond.

Next I purchased an other goldie that seemed to get alog well with his tank mate but that ended abruptly when he started fin nipping my bubble so now he lives in the garage in a new 35 gallon trash can. He'll live there until I put in a pond in my back yard this summer.

Now my bubble live with a small orange bubble and they behave as if they've lived with each other their entire lives. Next up is a 30 gallon tank and probably 1 or 2 more goldies.

Happy tanking!
Richard

So long my fishy friends!

2006-09-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

First my computer crashes then, sadly not one but two of my goldfish have passed on. I know we are not supposed to become attached to such pets. Dogs, cats horses but gold fish? Can one really become attached in some way to the little critters swimming in a tank of water?

The answer is, of course, yes. While I have to say that I don't miss Sal and Lenny as much as I did my little furball dog of 16 who passed on 2 years ago, I do however miss the goldfish antics. The routine went like this; I would come home in the afternoon, turn on the tank light and wait for only a second or two for the occupants to come rushing up to the top of the tank to be fed. Sal would be the first then Lenny and after a moment or two, Mimi would meander to the top for the leftovers.

It would be the same thing, day in and day out. So what happened to Sal and Lenny? I'm not really sure. One day Lenny kept getting wedged between the water filter and the glass. I would move the filter but he would always find a way to wedge himself again until he could no longer move. I finally had enough so after work I bought an under gravel filter. When I got home however Lenny had wedged himself in again and died.

Sal died around two weeks later. I came home and all seemed okay. Sal and Mimi ate and everything appeared to be as normal. Around an hour later, Sal was just swimming around and suddenly appeared to be, well, drunk! He crashed head first into the gravel then banked off the glass in a very rough way. I quickly decided to do a fast water change so I scooped him and Mimi up in a net and placed them in a separate temporary sick tank. While I was cleaning the tank he passed on.

I was shocked to say the least to lose not one but two of my favorite fish. I was also surprised to see just how much Sal had grown! When I brought him home, he was around two inches long and when he died, he was a whopping six and half inches long! Yikes, I really had not noticed just how large he had grown.

They say you should not make any changes after a loss and “they”, whoever they may be are correct. I couldn't take it looking at such a quiet tank so I went out a few days later to PetsSmarts and bought two lively goldies. What what the big deal? Tonight while talking on the phone the two new guys were attacking quiet little Mimi relentlessly. One would try to “eat” the bubbles while the other tried to eat Mimi's scales. Needless to say, they have been separated. I have to say that I had no idea how predatory goldfish could be to one another.

So as it stands now, Mimi has the tank to herself while the two little hoodlum fish have to share a small tank for now. What about the computer? Don't ask, lets just say I'm in a rush to learn Linux!

Richard

Did you know?

2006-07-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

In certain parts of the world, goldfish and other carp are frequently added to stagnant bodies of water in order to reduce the mosquito populations, especially now with the arrival of West Nile Virus which relies on mosquitoes to migrate. Their introduction often had unfortunate consequences for local ecosystems, however.

Goldfish Super Site!

2006-06-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned this site before and it's worth repeating, If you need a ton of goldish info then this is the place to go.

http://www.goldfishinfo.com/

They cover:

Goldfish Disease
Goldfish Health
Goldfish Medication
Goldfish and Amonia
Goldfish and Nitrates
Water problems
Overfeeding
Plus a whole lot more!

Go ahead, give them a look!

My three sons...errr...Fishes.

2006-05-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure exactly when I actually took the small plunge and brought home Sal and the gang but I would guess it's been about a year. Happy homecoming fishes! :)

In the year since I've had them I've lost 3 for unknown reasons but if I would have to guess, it would be tank overcrowding. Goldfish need their space. They are, as I once read: eating, swimming and pooping machines.

I sure do enjoy taking care of the little guys. Everyday when I come home they actually greet me! Well, they greet anyone who is likely to feed them but greet me they do. They rush the feeding ring for a fast snack then settle down until late evening for their real supper.

Over this past year it's been interesting to me how their personalities, quirks and foibles have come emerged. Sal is the aggressor and he constantly bumps my chunky white and gold colored fish, Mimi. And for the most part, she allows Sal to get away with it. Oh, I should say that I really have no clue at all which fish are male and which are female because for some odd reason, they all just look the part.

Anyway, after their meals, they all do some rather odd swimming. Sal sucks up rocks looking for more food. One morning when I came into the room, I found 3 rocks stuck to the filter intake. It took a while to figure it out but every now and then, Sal will suck up a rock and spit it out on the filter intake which is located about 4 inches from the bottom of the tank. Why, who knows? Just Sal being quirky I guess. ;)

Lenny, the bubble headed goldfish is the smaller of the group. I'm thinking the reason for his small size is that he simply can't see the food and can't get to it fast enough before the others gobble it. He is however, getting better at food-finding. While Sal is sucking rocks, he just scours the area where the others refuse to go and finds the coveted morsels.

Mimi, the chunky little goldie has scared me to death because of her antics. She loves to play "dead" every now and then. Really! From time to time she will float upside down and barely wiggle her long flowing fins. Then, she suddenly snaps to life and swims upright again. It's a fish bladder issue but I think she has learned to do it whenever she feels like...now I know why I have a couple of gray hairs added to my collection.

I have enjoyed keeping these fish over the past year and I totally recommend it. They don't require an excessive amount of work and they can be very soothing just watching them swimming around the tank. And despite what my older, goofy friend Derick has to say about goldfish...(trust me, you don't want to know!) they are well worth the effort and the rewards are are felt everyday around feeding time. Enjoy!

Pass the AMMO! Chips, that is . . .

2006-05-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hey fish-keepers, here is another cool little thing for your goldifish.
I recently bought a product that has been around for a while but new to me called Ammo-Chips! ammo chips

This is one of those gotta have products that will help keep your goldies alive for years to come.

Ammo-Chips come in a yellow carton that looks like a milk carton. Open the box and pour about a quarter cup of the white or creme colored rocks right into your water filter. I use Tetra's Bio-Bag that you can buy from Wal-Mart or any big-box store.

Simply open the filter bag as usual, tamp down the charcoal then add the Ammo-Chips and you're done. Then put the filter into holder as usual.

I love the stuff! I tested my water for ammonia before and after with great results. My ammonia count was next to nothing and has stayed that way since I added the chips.

So what are you waiting for? Run out and get some, your little goldies will be glad you did!

You can also order on-line from Amazon ammo chips

Goldfish VISA!

2006-04-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well here it is another goldfish related advert!
It actually looks really cool but I think I could do without the 21.9% interest rate.

But if they COULD charge what would Sid and the gang buy with a $5,000.00 limit? How about 24 hours of live "exotic" fish dancers for Sid?

Or maybe real diamonds to give the bottom of the tank a real nice look.

Either way, the card goes but who knows, maybe they'll use the internet while I'm gone and buy that gellin-like-magellin 200 gallon fish tank they saw on Amazon.

On second thought, better unplug the internet before I go to bed tonight otherwise it's going to be fish taco's if I see a bunch of PetsMarts boxes when I come back from vacation! :)

Live Long And Prosper or Goldfish Lifespan 100 years?

2006-03-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

Hey Folks!

So just how long will my goldfish keep eating and pooping in my tank? Well according to some anecdotal reports, they can easily live 10, 20 even 50 or more years! (So if humans get grey hair do goldies get ...grey scales?)

Yikes! That's a LOT of fish pellets and water changes! Wow, doing a 10% water change each week or 2.5 gallons that's 1,300 gallons per year OR 32,500 over a period of 25 years. Jeez, I'm feeling tired already!

Here's a couple of reports from GoldfishInfo.com:

Excerpt:

Goldfish can live a long and healthy life if cared for properly. Feeder goldfish have been known to be purchased from petstores to begin the bacteria process for a newly setup tank; however, they survive and grow to be nice looking fish. I have seen many feeders turn into some of the nicest, longest living goldfish yet.

Fact: The oldest living Goldfish to date was a goldfish named Tish owned by Hilda and Gordon Hand of Thirsk, N. Yorkshire, England. Tish lived for 43 years after being won at a fairground in 1956.

Goldfish can have lifespans up to 20+ years if they are fed a varied diet and housed in exceptional water conditions. They need to be in tanks that are not overcrowded. They need sufficient swimming room and do best if they are kept with their own types.

"I purchased two feeder fish at the pet store for 7 cents a piece ten years ago. They have moved with me to three different houses and gone on a three day car ride to move with me where I am today. They now live in an outdoor pond with two young fish that they love chasing and playing with. I look forward to many more years with them. Janel of Chandler, Arizona"

"I got a feeder goldfish when I was about nine years old. I am thirty one now. The goldfish (Buddy),died about eight months ago. For the last year of his life, I had to take him out of the pond. He had went blind and could not compete for food . I run a fish farm now and most of my breeders are from Buddy. The average lifespan of most my goldfish is six to eight years. I am glad Buddy stuck around to keep me company for so long. It is hard to believe how attached you can get to a pet, especially one that has been there for so many years. Thanks, Dan"

Read more stories here

Drawn Together Goldfish.

2006-03-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

This drawing is called
Dogfish.

Hi everyone!
I was thinking about posting another article about, what else, goldfish when I came across some wonderful pictures drawn by a young artist!

Her name is Pia and she lives in Bangalore India. I hope you enjoy and the website link will be at the bottom of the pix.

This one is called Lemon Tetra

This one is called American Fish.

Click here for the website with more drawings!

Crispy Critters or How Ammonia Nearly Killed My Goldfish!

2006-03-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry the updates have been far and few but setting up a new business is time consuming to say the least!

The Goldies are doing great but I did have a brush with disaster when I let the ammonia level get way out of control. If your goldies especially the golden colored ones begin to develop “smudges” check your ammonia levels STAT!

Ammonia is a by-product of waste (fish poop) uneaten food plus other naturally occurring “stuff” that comes with maintaining a fish tank.

If you begin to see what looks like black smudging on their scales, fins, mouth or bubbles take action right away or you may lose your favorite Goldie!

Stop by PetsSmart and pick up an ammonia testing kit/eliminator for about 10 bucks each and start testing your tank water. Once you begin to see high levels, begin by making a 25% water change then add a product such as:
ACE or Ammonia Cholramine Eliminator by Jungle Products.

Test with:
Quick Dip for ammonia also by Jungle.

I've read that once it starts your goldies are doomed, NOT SO! My Goldie is healing very nicely and is as happy as a clam...errr...Goldfish!

Richard

Crack for goldfish??? Part 2

2006-02-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to to all those that follow my goldfish blog. The power of the Internet still surprises me. This little blog has hit several search engines in a way bigger than I ever thought with the title “Crack for Goldfish” as a title entry.

Maybe it was the wording or maybe it was the canned peas but either way, it's had a lot of “hits” and my 3 little goldfish including Sam says, thanks!

My Goldfish Retires in FLORIDA!

2006-01-31T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hey goldfish lovers, here's an interesting article! Maybe he'll want to retire in a few years and move into a goldfish Florida Condo, yes?

Did you know that your goldfish can live for over 10 years? Under the right conditions he can live even longer but most never make it past the first year! If you want your goldfish to live long and healthy lives, you’ve got to provide the proper environment.

It’s a common misconception that a goldfish can live in a tiny bowl. In order for him to survive for any length of time, you’ll need to do frequent water changes and cleanings of the bowl – that’s a lot of work and living in a bowl isn’t much fun so it’s best to keep your fish in a regular tank with a proper filtration system.

The size of your tank depends on how many goldfish you want to keep in it. A good rule of thumb is to allocate about 7 gallons of water per fish, so if you want 5 goldfish a 35 gallon tank is recommended. It’s better to keep fish in a long tank that has plenty of surface to air space as goldfish like to have a lot of oxygen in their water. A tall hexagon shaped tank won’t be the best tank for these fish.

Goldfish like their water to be a little on the cool side – between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit so in most cases a heater is not necessary. You should, however have a thermometer in the tank and take the appropriate measures if the temperature gets above 72 degrees as higher temperatures can make your fish more susceptible to disease. Bear in mind that most other tropical fish like their water on the warm side, so you will have to be careful what fish you put in the tank with your goldfish.

Provide the goldfish tank with a filtration system that is appropriate for the size of the tank. If you are keeping the fancy tailed goldfish, don’t use a system that will provide too much current as this can make it difficult for them to swim around. You’ll also want to provide periodic water changes as you should with any tank.

One of the main reasons that fish become sick is due to poor water quality. To keep your goldfish healthy, make sure you provide the filtration and water changes but also be careful about overcrowding and overfeeding. Too many fish or too much decaying food and waste will cause the water in your tank to become toxic to your fish.

Keeping goldfish can be a wonderful hobby and with minimal work, you can get a tank up and keep it running with healthy fish.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is owner and editor of epet-center.com – Your E Pet Center where you can learn more about keeping goldfish

Crack for goldfish???

2006-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation “…I couldn’t be more surprised if I woke up in the morning with my head stapled to the carpet”!

I decided that I would take the advice of a friend who suggested that I feed my goldies canned peas. “Peas” I said, “Are you sure”? Yes, they were sure because they had fed their goldfish some peas fresh from the can and “They loved it”! Well, it sounded sort of strange since I’ve never heard of feeding canned ANYTHING to an aquarium fish but I thought why not; they do come from carp after all.

I figured that they would sniff around the peas then turn their collective noses and wait for the good stuff. I was sooooo wrong! My gentle little goldfish tank went ballistic with activity! Those nice little goldies went nuts over the pleasure-pods! At one point I thought I was raising betas the way they were fighting one another. Suddenly, my lone surviving and peace loving bubblehead goldie rammed Sal, my alpha fish.

Mimi, my bubblehead likes to hide in her pimpin’ pink castle but when the peas dropped in, she rammed my alpha fish to get to the green caviar. It was a riot in a 10-gallon tank! Finally, they finished their treat and everything went back to normal. It just goes to show you that like people, under the right circumstances and with the proper motivation, even a goldfish can change personality and do things they normally would not do. I may have accidentally just discovered the “crack” of the goldfish world. :)

West and Wewaxation! Huh-huh-huh...

2006-01-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

The tank is quite tonight so now is a great time to talk about vacation. It's been a while since my last vacation and it was beginning to show. I work at a psychiatric hospital which, at times and as you can imagine can be stressful. One of the things we harp on to our patients is to make sure that they take time out for themselves. And yet, oddly enough, it's the care-givers whether professional or not that seem to get the least amount of quality rest and relaxation. I've been on both ends of that stick taking care of elderly and ill family members as well as patients.

Anyway, take care of yourselves and get the rest you need!

Now, back to my vacation! :)

Then there were 3...

2006-01-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

Wilma has passed on to Aqueria.
So far not to many tank-mates left:
Sal, Lenny & Mimi.

A Perfect Balance?

2006-01-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

A Perfect Balance?

My Human is at it again. He’s tinkering with my aquarium tank but I don’t mind really because I sure could use a little distraction now that Wanda’s gone. She was a good friend but we were never really close. She didn’t start out with the other frylings and moments before we were shipped to a pet store in Lizard Lip, Mo., she was dumped into our tank for the ride.

Like I said, she was nice but a real loner but she also be very funny sometimes especially during our ride here to the Springfield area. It was kind of dark in the box and she kept bumping into Lenny and she even tail-nipped him a couple of times until Lenny had finally had enough. Lenny swam up to her to get her back but she quickly turned and kissed Lenny right on his fish lips. The whole box of goldies laughed until we stopped. Once were settled she just kept to herself leaving Lenny just a tad to frustrated for a goldie. Now Lenny just mopes around the tank, sigh, we sure will miss Wanda.

Anyway, like I was saying, My Human keeps tinkering with the tank but I shouldn’t complain I guess. At first I thought he was going to feed us because, after all, goldies can eat ALL day. He was looking for the perfect pH balance; too much alkaline and my scales burn and too little acid…and my scales itch. So he pulls out the test kit, takes out a strip and dips it in the water. Now don’t get me wrong, it was a nice thing to do but really, I thought he was giving us more fish food!

The water was fine and were all doing just fine but something kind of bothered me about the whole test. Humans are always looking for “perfect” in everything they do. It’s a "people" thing I guess but for us fish, perfect is how a fish lives. We get what we can, where we can, and how we can and we call that perfect. If we don’t have tank-mates then it’s perfect; if we have tank-mates, then it’s perfect. If we have a lot, then you guessed it, that’s perfect too!

We’re just goldies living in a world controlled by humans or if we live in the wild (God forbid!) then our circumstances are perfect as well. In other words, perfect is just a state of being and not a state of wanting. So, I guess that's makes us goldies...ahem...perfect!

Sal

Another passing another lesson...

2006-01-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Another Passing & Another Lesson.

Sometime last night, another tank-mate has made the journey to Aquaria. I’ve asked Sal to say a few words but he declined so I’ll fill in for him today. I, the Human, found Wanda as I saw her last night before bedtime nestled near the purple plants. This morning, I found it odd that she was still in the same place.

A close-up view told the story; she had slipped past her watery bonds into the gentle waters of Aquaria where no goldfish feels the pain of Ick nor the sting of parasites. She swims freely through ammonia free waters and gently glides an everlasting perfect Ph. Level. She will be missed by her tank-mates.

It’s been a few hours since the discovery and the tank has returned to normal. Sal zips back and forth; Mimi just hides in her pink castle; Lenny looks a little lost, not sure where to go and Wilma keeps looking for pellets at the purple feeding ring. Life has quickly returned to normal at the Goldfish Condo.

Perhaps they have mastered the ability to overcome life’s heartaches in a way we humans have yet to discover. Sometimes we humans just get stuck when something life changing has occurred. We want so badly to have it “the way it was before” that we continually reach back hoping to reclaim what we once had. Sometimes, it’s as if we are driving in our cars only looking at the rearview mirror at what once was instead of viewing all that is ahead of us.

The tank-mates will grieve in only the way goldfish can perhaps by going about the business of being goldfish. No a bad way to go if you ask me.

Ask Sal a question; just post your thoughts by clicking the comments button.

I can see clearly now . . .

2006-01-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

Human here:

Well, I just couldn't stand it anymore, I just had to do a total goldfish tank refill this morning and it looks great! Isn't amazing how just a little change can make such a big difference?

They say that if you really want to succeed, just improve something, anything by only 10% and the world will take notice. So in this case, the world didn't take notice but 5 little goldfish swimming in a 10 gallon aquarium sure did!

Now don't get me wrong, change can certainly provoke anxiety. As soon as I settled the tank, I filled it with water and I added some Start Right as I poured the water into their newly scrubbed tank. It was exciting to put the goldies back into their newly refreshed home.

Once their they all huddled in the corner of the aquarium afraid to venture out! The poor little guys were stressed out! It would be like being transported from the smoggy summer of Los Angeles into the pristine winter wilderness of the high sierras. A real change indeed!

That was a couple of hours ago and they have since adjusted wonderfully. Change almost always brings about anxiety, sometimes mild, sometimes not. Take time to explore something new. Try new music or a new genre of movies or books. Practice something new every week and when a new unknown situation appears, you’ll be better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.

New Stuff!

2006-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

The Tank-Mates!

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Okay, I admit it . . .I really did not like the pink castle but now that it's here, it needed someting else. Anyway, my human just dipped in a bunch of cool looking albeit fake, plants into the aquarium! Somehow, it feels as if I were swimming in a lake or something. This is going to be a good day!

Sal

Happy New Years Humans!

2005-12-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is another new years for humans. As a Goldie I can't for the life of me figure out why you celebrate the day. Life in Aquairia is different. We fish, at best only live for 20 years and most of us only live a couple of years. We start out as fry, grow for a little while then sold off to whomever wishes to buy us.

It's a short life but we love the life we have for the short time we live it. BB3 nearly saw the end of her tank-life yesterday. She was nearly sucked up into the filter hose because our human forgot one little thing in his effort to keep our aquarium clean. You would think that BB3 would be angry with her human but instead, all she could talk about was how nice it was that we have a new light plus a cleaner aquarium.

I like BB3, she is one of the best tank-mates I have and for the next year, she will be my friend. Will you take time out to overlook someone who has hurt you? I sure hope so because even though humans live much longer, this year could be your last.

Happy New years friends from your tank-mates!

Sal

...and now a word from the Human!

2005-12-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hello, the Human here to give the readers a word of caution! I just installed a new lighting unit to the goldfish fish tank. All was good but I needed to remove the power filter to accommodate the filter. So, I took it out and the tube extension popped out. The cover was put back on but I forgot to put the tube extension back on and poor little Wilma (BB3) was sucked bubble-head first into the tube. YIKES!!!

So remember to check that darn filter BEFORE you turn the power back on. :)

Sigh, sorry BB3!

Remorsefully,

your Human.

Sal:
Bad human, no more goldfish crackers for you!

Have A Holly Jolly Finmas!

2005-12-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

So this is Christmas. I am, if nothing else a thankful goldfish today. My fin itch is gone (thanks human!) and I have a tank full of friends to think about today. Most of us almost didn't make it here to my human's home.

So many of my 900 other tank-mates have gone on to Aquaria to be with the others who no longer swim in a tanked world. I am thankful to have made the trip albeit in a rather large Ziploc bag to this place I call home.

I have friends here. I know them well and I am grateful to swim with them now. Like I said, most of us did not make it. We swim all around, in and out of this silly pink castle that BB2 loves and adores.

I'm not to sure about my human. He treats us well but humans are, well, humans after all and not Goldies. But he does take care of us, feeds us every night and he changes our water plus, not a week goes by that he doesn’t add something to our tank home.

I guess I'm a lucky Goldie after all when I think of where I could be today. My water is warm now, my fin itch is gone and I am not hungry.

Merry Christmas Human!

Sal

PS Lenny and Wanda says the tank could use another hiding place or two! (Hmmmmm, I think not! )

My fins itch!

2005-12-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

Dang, my fins are killing me! My human's watching TV and me and my tank-mates are busy bumping into everything and it still doesn't feel any better. Lenny kept bumping into me every time he passed by, the tail nipper!

My human calls it Ick and it feels like it sounds. At first I thought BB2 had sugar on his fins but the closer I swam to him more more it looked like little bugs. Anyway, I laughed at him until he told me I had it too. I really felt when I saw my reflection onthe tank glass wall.

My human put this blue stuff in the tank a few hours ago and it feels a lot better now. Stupid Ick!!!

Mmmmmmmmmm Toasty!

2005-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Whew, my goldfish fcilitator has finally put in a water warmer! I love this thing but I have to admit, having something that's plugged in is kind of creepy! But anyway, Lenny keeps bumping into the warming tube and he hates it when he bumps his snout.

Anyway, the warming tube is really nice. From what I could tell from the thermometer it was something like 64 degrees but now, it's a toasty 74 degrees! I might as well be living like tropical fish! :)

Getting chilly!

2005-12-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Burrrr, it's getting cold tonight. Who ever said that goldfish liked cooler water was NUTS! I swim faster but I'm still cold. My human is getting us a water heater, just like the tropicals have, so we won't freeze to death. Anyway, same-same in Da tank today. Wanda keeps bumping her head on the glass and eating all the food and hiding out in the pink castle.

Just why do humans put fake stuff in fish tanks anyway? Like, were fish so we wouldn't figure it out? IT'S PINK PEOPLE! With the exception of that place in L.A. a long time ago, who paints their castle pink? I need Flip This House ASAP if not sooner! Oh, and did I mention it was COLD here tonight?

My turn for a joke!

2005-12-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sal says:
Okay, I suppose this joke may not be funny to all humans but to a goldfish, it's a riot!

*********
Little Nancy was in the garden filling in a hole when her neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the little girl was up to, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Nancy?"

"My goldfish died," replied Nancy tearfully, without looking up, "and I've just buried him."

The neighbor was concerned, "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it?"

Nancy patted down the last heap of earth and then replied, "That's because he's inside your stupid cat."

Lenny tells a joke . . .sigh

2005-12-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Lenny says:

What do you get if you cross an elephant with a goldfish?
Swimming Trunks!

A word from the human

2005-12-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hey it’s the human here and I just discovered that my goldfish were blogging without me knowing about it! I was wondering why my keyboard was getting wet. Make sure to check out the links and Amazon ads to the right. It’s good for you and it’s good for Sal! The more you click, the more food, accessories and goodies he gets!

Richard

Water change

2005-12-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen, it was our first water change since the moving into our new digs. No big deal to me, of course but I thought Lenny was gonna go nuts! Lenny's real name is Bubble Head 2 but he just looks like a Lenny so everyone here in the tank just calls him BB2 or Lenny.

Anyway, like I was saying, Lenny just blows his stack when the water change started happening. He darts here and there no really watching where he was going and BAM, he runs right into the filter hose. It was a riot but boy was he ever mad! The next thing you know, he's tail nipping at anyone he could catch up to but it didn't last long. Lenny tired out quickly then he just swam into the filter's water stream over and over again until he had nothing left.

PTSD for a friend

2005-12-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Sal the gold fish:
Okay, I'm usually not a fish that panics or is afraid of my own tail BUT, if you have ever woke up with a room mate that was well, deader than a cold mackerel? If so, then you know what I'm going through today.

It was a normal morning last week, nothing out of the ordinary, just the 5(!) of us sharing a 1-gallon tank. Now, it was no big deal but it was crowded and it didn't have the really cool filtration of my old tank back home. It was fun and clean but I was sold off along with 900 of my closest tank-mates.

The guy that bought me or should I say in goldfish PC language, "transferred living-water apartments containing multi-colored fin bearers for human ego stimulation and visual consumption at a price" put us ALL in the same tank! Actually, I along with 5 other tank-mates was free but DON'T get me going! Soon, however he moved us to this snazzy new 10-gallon tank!

Anyhow, Bubble-head 1 dies in the middle of the night and no one hears a thing! No cries for help, no water gasping, nothing! Somewhere in the night he goes fins-up. Tank-mates die all the time at the goldfish birthing center but this was the first time I ever saw a dead, brother fish up close.

It was getting light the morning of the incident and I was trying to get BB1's attention. I was curious because he just kept bobbing up and down near the top of the tank. My first thought was food!, he's found more food! I bumped him over then, he just kinda turned toward me and I saw it! It was in his eyes, so cold and well, lifeless. Something inside of me told me the great FishForce had reclaimed another tank-mate. The stillness made my scales crawl.

I think about him a lot these days. It's been a week and I still can't get him out of my head. I look across the tank I swear I see him at the filter pump. Yesterday, I thought I heard his tail swish but when I quickly swam around he wasn't there.

Humans say that time heals all wounds but honestly, how long do goldfish live? So here I swim, living one water change at a time wishing BB1 could tail-nip me just one more time. :(

Names!

2005-12-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Oh, I almost forgot, I'm the redhead fish in the middle, call me Sal.

Tank Life

2005-12-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm new at this and the stupid keyboard keeps getting wet. I'm a goldfish and I proud of it! I used to think that Beta's were the cool fish to hang around but they were always getting into fights. I think they have anger "issues" or something but then again, I've been known to nip at a tank mate or two if they really ticked me off.

Anyway, I'm a little over a year old and I'm loving tank life to the hilt! Now that I figured out how to use this computer thing without catching my fins in the keyboard (Ouch!) I'll be telly you how it REALLY feels to be a goldfish in a $10.00 tank from Wal-Mart!

Here we are but it's a little messed up since I got the camera all wet.