My heart has joined the thousands, for a friend stopped swiming today

[iPirate]

Some eight months ago, my wife and I bought some goldfish as an experiment. Basically to see if we could care for them. If we were successful, we planned on buying some more expensive fish.

We bought 12 cent feeders, 3 of them. We knew their life expectancy was like, 2 weeks or so.

Well, they lasted much longer than 2 weeks. And boy did they grow.

I had never considered fish to be interactive pets. I thought they just sit in their tank, you feed them and look at them and that's it.

These fish interacted with us. When we walked into the room, they'd come to the front of the tank and wiggle like dogs wagging their tails. If we stuck our fingers in the water, they'd come up and brush against them.

After two months we realized that the joy they gave us was enough. We didn't need any other "more expensive" fish.

Last night, 8 months after bringing them home, we lost two of them.

It may not mean much to most people. You don't hear about people morning when goldfish die.

I'm not most people.

[Ransom]

I understand completely. I have had Koi, which I admit are labor intensive, but they are very interactive, and recognize you as well as any dog. Mine would come right up if I walked out on the deck, but when I tried to show them off to strangers, they would hide.

Since early summer I have had five feeder goldfish in the old koi pond (a large, Rubbermaid stock tank surrounded with landscape blocks, and edged with slate), and they have done amazingly well.

Goldfish are pretty tough. We used to put feeder goldfish in our horse stock tanks to keep the skeeters out of them. We never fed them, and they lived for years, bred new ones, and were just happy little campers. At one point, we had gold fish from small fry, to fat ones about six inches long.

I also had one of those Beta fighting fish in a large glass jar on my kitchen counter. His name was Killer, and he had quite the personality. He lived to be over two years old, and when he finally died, I buried him out in my garden.

Fish are fun.

[Island Cutter]

I understand totally!

We "rescued" feeders and had some friends that were as loving as our Border Collie... even after they were fed. They lasted only three years but they still come up in conversation five years later.

We see that which we are willing to look upon.

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

A pet is a friend, regardless of size, shape, or species. It is always a sad thing to bear.

Bo

[Badger]

Me friend Weasel had a badbad experience wi' an iguana, so he got a few feeders to get over it, figgerin' when they died he wouldnt care so much. (As wi' th' lizard, he neglected ta ask me what I knew about em furst; he ne'er does!). He also got a puppy....

Ten years later, th' puppy is a wonderful dog, an' we love 'im as family. An' 4 of th' 6 goldfish are still family, too. Now 7 to 9 inches long, they live in th' living room at his house, an' have survived 3 moves, 3 cats, and many other challenges.

Goldfish are...scaley dogs!

Take comfort....ye may have them fish fer th' rest o' yer life! They have been known t' live 40 years or more, in ideal conditions. NOT like Betas, those fish from seasonal rivers that do indeed die before the 3rd birthday.

Good luck, matey, an' I hopes I have given some comfort to ye.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Badger

[Salty]

aye,

tis always sad to lose a member of the household, and even goldfish deserve friendship.

peace and happy holidays

Edited December 24, 2009 by Saltypots

[LadyBarbossa]

I'm with the lot of ye. I completely understand. My parents had fish for a few years in a huge tank. And when one had passed on, it was sad. Most of the fish they had for more than 2 years and they were HUGE goldfish because they were kept in the small pond in their backyard during the summer months and the spring, fall and winter were kept inside.

Condolences for your loss, iPirate.

~Lady B

[Blackbead]

I saw "Avatar" tonight. The mythos which made up a great part of the film would say that your loss is as deep as the "loss" of the hunter that releases the stag's soul so that the body can remain and become a part of the people. Personally, I'm a Christian, but I am not one who believes that the soul is confined to the spirit of human beings. Life is where you find it. Take comfort in the fact that the friendly souls that resided in your tail-wagging golden companions has gone back to that place where all the souls mingle and laugh and sing and reflect joy. I looked into the face of a golden retriever last Tuesday . . . she smiled and I smiled. What more can we ask for?

Damn . . . this is getting too deep.

I'll raise a glass of bumbo to the passing of your chums. Good spirits all around!

[Rumba Rue]

I've had a fish tank and fish, but of course they die eventually.

I've been through lots of Betas, but that's ok, they are pretty fish and I have a tank that has two compartments so I have two Betas that try to attack each other through the plastic seperator. Actually it's kind of cool to watch.

And at the end of their lives, they become fertilizer out in the garden.

[iPirate]

Well, the Missus and I went back to the store today and "rescued" two more feeders. It was obvious that the one we had left was lonely without his friends. The two new ones are adorable. They follow the big one around like, "show us everything"!!

So, eventhough we're sad about loosing our sweet Creamcicle and Vanilla, we now have Cherry and Blackberry to keep Orange Sherbert company.

[Mary Diamond]

Fish are tough to lose ~ you get attached to them without really realizing it. I have had fish for many years, and it hurts every time I lose one.