Hi,
I goofed. I killed all the fish in our pond. I feel terrible. I've never had a massacre of fish before.
Last weekend we drained most of the pond (maybe too much of it) and scooped out all the muck. Rinsed the filter, scrubbed the side walls and refilled the pond. Hours later the fish started doing the back stroke. Oh no! They looked like they were molting, with this fine, white film flaking off them. Eerie, and rather sickly in appearance.
I took water samples into our Petsmart and they tested the water, finding nothing wrong with it. Their fish guru decided that I may have disturbed a bacteria on the bottom of the pond, causing the fish to loose their natural slimy coating, and killing them off, or I shocked them too much. What ever the reason, they are all gone. It's very lonely looking in the water without their little fishy tails flipping about.
The fish guru at the store suggested I wait a week, buy a few 'feeder' fish @ 27 cents each and see if they survive. If they do, then I will start restocking the pond. Here is where I'm asking for help. What should we get this time? Cheap little feeder fish? Larger goldfish? Exotic koi? Sushi? Everyone gets a vote. We will also need a raft of new names for the fish. Send in your suggestions and any and all donations to the fish fund will be acknowledged with a thank you letter and colour photo of your adopted fish-friend. Only you can help restore our pond to it's previous greatness.... well, I can ask can't I?
Next time we tackle the pond I will leave more water for the fish. Refill in smaller stages. Not try to scrub it too clean and leave them some muck to play around in.
Lesson learned.
xox
m
See, i know so little about fish that I thought you only eat Sushi. And it's good. Didn't know you could buy them to swim around in a pond. Well, at least until you kill them. :)
ReplyDeleteWas there a funeral? How long do you have to sit Shivah for a fish. Just curious.
As for you needing a raft of names, perhaps Raft would be interesting. Especially if the fish is extra wide. Flipper comes time mind. I loved flipper. But the one from the '60's not the new ones. I still hum the song, actually I still remember the words.
"They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning..."
Joel sounds good, but I guess naming a fish Joel would be akin to naming a baby Flipper. The other fish would tease him and that always turns out badly. In time you would have to bring in a fish psychiatrist and, i suppose, I would get the bill.
In any event, here's hoping the new tenants enjoy the pond and live a long and fishy life.
Joel
I think you should go and buy about 20 feeder goldfish. They'll probably survive and thrive. And then name them all Darrell. Except for the smallest; call him Larry.
ReplyDelete