Tuesday, July 1, 2008

New addition to our family...


So, the other day when we went to the Firefly Festival near my work, Jude paid 100 Yen to catch some gold fish. We agreed to let him catch a few, and then we planned to give them to my boss who has an aquarium. Well, you guessed it...Jude refused to give up the fish. He caught a large fancy goldfish and a small guppy. So, there we were at the festival...stuck holding 2 silly fish in a plastic bag cinched closed with a rope. After a discussion, Husband agreed to let Jude keep the fish. (As most of you know, I'm a sucker for pets. I love all pets, even fish. When I was 15 years old, I had about 10 aquariums in my bedroom. I had snapping turtles, soft shell turtles, a Goldfish tank, a tank filled with Oscars, a tank with a shark, and a big ass 50 gallon tank filled with various tropical fish. I loved seeing my fish swim and socialize.) So, when Jude wanted to keep the fish, I immediately agreed....Husband hesitated.


So, after the festival, we made a mad dash to our local pet store to buy an aquarium because we didn't have one. We bought the cheapest set up we could find-- a 2 gallon tank with lid and air supply. Nothing fancy, of course, but good enough to sustain the fish.


So, while I was cleaning the aquarium in the bathroom, Jude was messing with the fish. I told him repeatedly to leave them alone until they were in the tank. I was afraid he would smush them in the bag and kill them. But, like most 3 year old kids, he didn't listen. I hung the bag of fish on the door knob near our front entry way of our apartment in hopes that Jude would stay away-- that was a BIG mistake! So, while I was cleaning the gravel for the tank, Jude came running into the restroom screaming hysterically. I asked what was wrong, but the kid was so upset he couldn't talk. He just stood their screaming and crying. After about 5 seconds, I knew what had happened. I ran to check on the fish, and there they were...twitching and flopping around on the linoleum floor gasping for air. Jude had somehow busted the bag, and the fish and water spilled all over the floor. I immediately scooped up the fish and placed them in a cup. I turned on the water in the kitchen and filled up the cup. The fish were dazed and confused. Jude was still screaming and crying. He thought he had killed the fish. I told him the fish were okay for now, but that didn't console him. He just kept screaming and crying, and then he puked all over the floor and on his clothes. The poor kid got so upset because he thought he had killed his fish that he got sick and puked on himself. Poor kid!! So, I cleaned him up and continued to prepare the aquarium. At this point, Jude was still upset, and I didn't think the fish would make it after their traumatic experience. We filled the tank with water and de-chlorinater. Then, we dumped the fish in. They seemed shocked, but soon recovered.


The fish made it, and they are still doing great. The little shits eat about every 3 hours. Between Jude, Husband and me feeding them, they've turned into little porkers. And, when the fish see you walk near them, the come to you and expect to get fed. They are quite entertaining to watch. The other day, the small guppy had strange bubbles hanging from it's poop. I thought they were eggs. Then, after a little Internet research, I realized that they weren't eggs, because guppies give birth to live babies. Nope, not eggs...my guppy was simply constipated and farting. That's right, fish get constipated and fart. Crazy, huh? Now, the fish seems fine.


Just another day Weenie's World!

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