--Monday, May 5, 2008--
It started off like any other...woke up, got food, made lunch for later, watched the news, went to school.
In homeroom, though, my teacher was given three average sized goldfish in a medium vase...now, this wouldn't be much of an issue normally, but the fact that the fish were:
a) Crowded in this vase...I doubt three goldfish would last long in such a cramped environment.
b) Swimming in such dirty water that happened to be tap water...tap water is poisonous to fish. I know this from experience.
c) The poor things were in the same water since the weekend. That meant they only had a short time to live in that shitty water.
I couldn't take it. I went on a huge quest to save them. Fortunately, my 7th grade science teacher had some fish equipment (a net and a little fish food) as well as a couple giant beakers, and my science teacher from last year had plenty of distilled water (which is okay for fish). I got everything I needed and set to work. I managed to transfer them into one giant beaker (with some distilled water and some shitty water), then scooped 'em out one at a time with the next into the beaker with distilled water. Finally dropped a little food in and let them relax a little.
Tomorrow I plan to bring in some fish caring equipment (tank, rocks/castle/seaweed, O2 generator, fish formula for treating tap water, net) that I've had since my brother and I had fish back in the day. I'll give them a real home.
Some people at school are willing to take them home. My teacher trusts one person 100% 'cause he's a vegan...never thought that I'd be happy to encounter one...she's not sure about the others, but I do have a small desire to take one home. But I wonder if University of Delaware tolerates pet fish...?
I was a little irked by the person who gave my teacher the fish...how could she say that it's just tap water and they're just goldfish? For cripe's sake, they're living creatures too! Just because they're small and in water doesn't mean that they should die.
A math class well spent, I must say. And my teacher was even supportive of the adventure.
It's not like we were doing anything in class anyways.
--Tuesday, May 6, 2008--
After prepping all the equipment the night before, I brought in a tank, some colourful pebbles, an air generator (for a little extra O2), some fake seaweed, a column thing they can go through, and a castle (though the castle never made it in, though...too cramped). Anyways, it didn't take much time to pour the "clean" water or get the rocks and other stuffs in. It also didn't take much time to get the fish into the new tank either. A little pouring from the beaker and into the net, then into the tank.
Though many people have expressed interest in them, my teacher says I should take them home. All of them. And I will. Hell, I plan to take them with me to Delaware at the end of the summer, though transporting them will be a little bit of a challenge...6 or so hours in a car that's constantly bumping up and down in a cramped container...I hope they make it okay...
Interesting to know that the person who gave my teacher the fish also had a couple fish of her own...and they were found dead this morning. I can't help but feel bad for the poor fish...dying from shitty water, cramped space, and possibly lack of food...my teacher this morning said that the fish looked happy! And they were eating! I just hope that it doesn't matter that they're eating tropical fish food instead of goldfish food... o_O
I just hope they aren't dead tomorrow...I didn't have the chemical stuffs that was necessary to purify tap water, but they say leaving tap water out over night will do the trick. Maybe I should get some distilled water at the store tonight...just in case...
--Wednesday, May 7, 2008--
Last night I did a lot of reading up on fish care. Turns out that distilled water isn't the best for fish, but rather spring water. So I did go to the store and got spring water (since they didn't have distilled water, but that's okay now). I even picked out names for the fish. Yorange (the fish is orange with a yellowish tint), Martyr (I accidentally hurt him on Monday), and Musket (because his scales are the same colour as a musket ball).
This morning, though, my teacher informed me that one of them died over night. There was Martyr, just floating there, not doing anything. The water also looked insanely murky again (just like the day they were rescued). Good thing I bought the spring water! I poured some into the vase so they would have a place to stay whilst I cleaned out the tank. I put Martyr in three layers of folded paper towels for a later burial, and immedeately set to work cleaning out the tank.
It's amazing the resources you have in a school...I had access to a sink and soap, and not to mention the items from Monday...
Once the tank was cleaned and filled, Yorange and Musket were returned to their tank and moved to the other side of the room. Now it was time to deal with Martyr.
The superintendent said it was okay to bury the fish on school grounds (to my surprise), and I set out to find a shovel. Too bad there wasn't one, but there was a nice sharp rock out front that I was able to use to dig a crude grave. I put Martyr in it, covered him up, and placed another rock as his tombstone. It will probably be removed at some point, and maybe his remains will be discovered, but I refuse to flush any of my fish down the toilet. It just doesn't seem right.
Today I'm going to the store a couple towns over to get some proper food for Yorange and Musket, and some chemicals to "cleanse" tap water.
I found out that (if they survive), I can take them with me to Delaware! Getting them there will be a challenge, but there is a site that has detailed explanations on how to care for fish, and moving them is one of the topics!
***
So I got what I needed at the pet store and made a run back to school. I prepped two gallons of water for later use...I didn't have time to change the water in the tank (which was still clear)...I had to get to work. But tomorrow morning I'll take care of that (if time permits). I put a little food in, swapped out the seaweed for the castle, and changed the O2 generator (which sadly puts out less than the older one! >_< )...
Christ, that water's cold! Maybe that's what ultimately killed Martyr...I need a thermometer of some sort to see how cold it is...I hope it's above 60 degrees...
The girl at the store said that it's best to have 10 gallons of water for every 3 or 4 goldfish. Well shit buddy, I'm not lugging my bro's aquarium to school just to take it back home...maybe when I go to Delaware I'll take the aquarium...or not...if (God forbid) Yorange and Musket die before I go to Delaware, I'll probably get one fish...maybe another Betta fish...? Or perhaps another goldfish of some sort...?
--Thursday, May 8, 2008--
Not much happened with the fish today...except that they're scared shitless of me. I guess it's understandable, though...would you be scared of a creature that's x00 times your size constantly moving you around and out of a hospitable environment?
Tomorrow I need to change the water. They'll be alone for the weekend, and the water could get quite murky. Better to get murky with clean water, right? I'll leave a little extra food for them. Just a little.
If they make it, I'm gonna take them home in time for graduation. They'll get to live in the kitchen, maybe even get some attention during the graduation party.
--Friday, May 9, 2008--
They seem to be in stable condition. If they survive the weekend, then I think they've made a full recovery. If that's the case, then I think it's best that I will only post if something big happens (like coming home or a death).
It feels good...knowing that I've saved two lives. Whereas the other fish (excluding Martyr) have most likely died by now of tap water poisoning, Yorange and Musket are still alive and well...even if they spend most of their time hiding behind/inside their castle.
--Monday, May 12, 2008--
This weekend was like being kicked in the head by a mule...first you feel nothing, then the extreme pain, and then the pain goes away. Prom was this weekend, and as intense as it was, the day after was the painful realization that I had once again failed at getting a girlfriend...Yesterday was somewhat better...Saturday's pain was mostly gone, but fucking writing assignments keep hurting me. I was hoping today would be a little better.
Go figure it wasn't.
Sure, I got some storyboarding done for our game and managed to do okay on a test in History (at least I think I did okay), but you know it's going to be a bad day when you go in to first period and find your pet fish dead.
That's right, Yorange and Musket died over the weekend. Cause of death is unknown, but it looks as if Yorange died first...like Martyr, I gave them a proper burial out front. I cleaned out their tank for the last time.
I feel like a bloody failure...I can't get a girlfriend, I suck at writing, I can't remember all the fucking details of the skin and bones, and now I can't even keep two fish alive over a weekend...
And thus ends "Operation Fish"...it had high hopes, but like everything else in my life (except for college and a few Flash stuffs), it all came crashing down...
:'(
~Pelo
