Fish

On my 8th birthday (around that time) I got a goldfish.  I was so excited for my very own pet.  They even got me a bowl.

Yeah, like this except no gravel and no grass, just Goldie, water and the bowl

I wanted to prove to my parents I could take care of this fish all on my own, that I was responsible and they wouldn't have to help me.  As soon as they let me I ran upstairs and filled the fishbowl with water.  Goldie was happily swimming away, I fed it some food (all part of my birthday present, wow such a wonderful gift!)

The party finished, everyone went home and I went upstairs to check on the fish.  Bedtime was approaching and I wanted to make sure it was OK.

It wasn't moving.  I was devastated.  I pulled it from the fish tank and put fresh tap water in the tank hoping it wasn't too late.  Apparently in my haste to give it fresh water I turned on the hot water (my sister pointed that out a few decades later), sealing it's fate.

Sobbing I took the fish to the front yard and buried it.  I don't know how long I cried that night, mourning the loss of Goldie (I actually don't think I named it, that's what I'm calling it now).

See the gas can? That's where Goldie is buried.

After almost 30 years I still remember the fish funeral in the front yard digging the grave with my hands, the only light I had was from the porch.  I'm pretty sure my parents were behind me, I don't recall.  Very traumatizing for a young mind.

Fast forward to today.  My 8 year old daughter and 7 year old son both wanted fish.  My wife claims the water from the fish tank will help the humidity levels in their rooms (which is great, the boy has some serious allergies).  I'm thinking it should be cheap to get things ready, only need a bowl, a tank, and some water.

We go to Petsmart, start looking for tanks and fish and I learn that one goldfish needs 10 gallons of water to grow.  Crap, the cost of the fish just increased exponentially.  I also learn that the water needs to be conditioned for a few days to make the water safe for fish.  

Wow, everything I thought I knew about caring for fish (water, food and you're good) went right out the window.  Suddenly I realize that the hot water on my fish probably didn't do it in but the fact that I used untreated tap water (and I definitely had a bowl that was too small for that fish).

I wanted to give my kids a better chance at keeping their fish alive than I had so we grab the water treatment and everything we need to keep them healthy.

We buy the fish, 5 neon tetras for the boy and 6 guppies for the girl.  We were told the transition for the fish is extremely stressful and some may die in the process.  My kids seem prepped for this and as far as I could tell the expectations that they may lose a few fish were understood.

Two days into their new environment and all seems great.  We get home the afternoon of day two and we see one of the guppies struggling.  We bring my daughter upstairs and tell her what is going to happen.  She seems to understand.  The tetras were doing fine, all 5 of them.

We leave and run some errands, come back just before bedtime.  We go upstairs to feed the fish so we can start our bedtime routine and notice the guppy is belly up.  My daughter loses it.  All I can think about is my experience almost 30 years ago.

You teared up, you know you did.

We go check on the tetras, we need to feed them anyway.  One is dead and one is missing.  Crap, 3 dead fish after only a few hours away.  My son, handling it better than the girl, also starts crying.  

One hour before bed and we have 3 dead fish, 2 sobbing kids, and 2 parents doing the best we can to help soothe them, and one happy German shepherd (oblivious to the turmoil, just glad we're together as a family).

My kids went to sleep in much better moods than when we got home.  If this is how they are when they lose fish they've owned for 2 days, I hope I can prep them when it's time to bury our cats or dog.