On Wednesday when we went shopping the boys decide they should bring money along after who knows what might need to be bought. Well we happened to walk by the fish tanks and they were having fun looking at them and noticed that the goldfish were only 24 cents. What a deal! They have been wanting a pet but I (and Ken some as well) have been reluctant, I feel I am plenty busy raising and training four children without having to add something else to be trained and taken care of to the equation. Also I have allergies and just don't care for animals in the house (okay fish are all right) and I didn't think it would be nice to get a kitty in the middle of the winter and just make it stay outside and beyond that what about when we go on trips? (I am guessing you can tell I am not a huge animal lover.) But at the same time I do think it is neat for kids to have a pet if they want one so when they asked if they could get a fish that sounded like a pretty good idea to me. Jonathan bought the food and Aaron bought the fish we figured we had something that it could stay in temporarily and Mara planned to buy a fish bowl.
They had a lot of fun watching the fish whom they named Sunny. They took turns feeding it and washed up some shells to go in his bowl (actually a vase) to keep him company. And then this morning they went shopping with Dad to buy a bowl and they also decided he needed a friend. When they got home with Carol (a new fish, I think they said a skunk one) alas Sunny was dead. Now poor Carol is lonely. We have no idea why Sunny died but think we had better do a little better research on the care of fish this time. If you have any advice feel free to share. They have decided to bury Sunny in the garden where Mara figures he will help to fertilize our plants.That is the tale of Sunny the Goldfish.
Shh, don't tell Ken but I think I am going to buy him one next time we go shopping. He wants to name a goldfish "Dr. Suess" but the kids are coming up with their own names and don't think "Dr. Suess" will work for their fish.
9 comments:
I know this sounds horrible, but the reason goldfish are so cheap is because they're....expendable. It's rare for them to last very long. Sorry that happend to Sunny, though. The only things I can tell you about caring for fish is 1) Have only 1 fish per 1 gallon of water. AND 2) Make sure you keep the fishbowl in a warm place. Typically, goldfish need to be in a tank with a little heater, but they can do just fine in a bowl as long as they are not overcrowded and they are kept at a reasonable temperature. May I make a suggestion? Next time, get a betta fish instead. They cost under $4, they're beautiful to look at, and they are REALLY tough survivors. It's hard to kill one of those. Good luck!
Something I forgot to type...if you do get a betta fish, make sure you only have one per bowl. They're Siamese Fighting Fish, and they'll fight to the death!
One other thing that kills goldfish easily is over feeding it. You've really got to watch the amount of food given or it's over kill literally.
I agree with the Betta fish comment! They are super easy to take care of and generally live a long time as far as fish go! I used to work with developmentally disabled adults who had one and I had little time to care for the fish, but no matter how much I seemed to neglect the fish (because I needed to care for the people first!)it was always fine!
Another vote for Bettas! They are beautiful and easy to keep. (Goldfish are not only expendible, alas, they'll eat themselves to death.) And you absolutely only want one to a bowl. Don't be put off by the tiny bowls. They really do live in very small areas in the wild.
They are easy to care for. When it is time to clean the bowl, fill a cup or something with an equal amount of water and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. (I don't have a betta now...too many curious cats/ferrets in this house, but I used to put the water out the night before.) Transfer fishie into the clean water...dump out the old water, then gently dump fishie and his nice, clean water back into the bowl.
Betta fish can live for quite a long time, too!
PS...maybe not "Dr. Seuss" for a fish, but how about the author's real first name, Theodore?
I'm with you Abbi with not liking pets. They drive me crazy and I know I have my hands full with children and those responsibilities and we like to go too much to have a pet to tend to. Hope you have better luck with the fish next go round.
Poor Sunny! It reminds me of what happened to my dear Napoleon.
Already mentioned at church that your water is probably the problem. Your parents water will be betteror buy spring. Fresh water at least every other day. That is how they get the required oxygen all life needs. People are right, no over feeding. Goldfish can live long. Room temp is OK as we keep outdoor temps mostly. Think of ocean temps though. Have the kids do fish research for a science project. Keep the bowl away form the window both due to the MN cold and bright sun. At 24 cents it is worth the education on water PH levels. A goldfish will grow per the size bowl also. Again, I think it is your water. I have even lost many bettas and gave up. PH strips a must.
Personally, I think a live furry pet is much nicer than a fish....but,
I did have a betta once....but the water got too cold and he died while we were on a trip. :(
ha ha....have fun.
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