Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Fish is Dead

Every once in a while, I'll stop in at Pet Smart after our monthly trip to Target to let Evan look around. About six weeks ago on one of those trips, I ended up buying us a fish. I am not quite sure what came over me, but I thought Evan would like it. He did like it, for about a day.

The novelty wore off for him, but I have actually enjoyed our little fish, Freddie. I had some quiet time with him last night before bed--cleaned his tank, fed him and watched him while he ate his little pellets. I've been meaning to take pictures and blog about him, but I hadn't gotten around to it.

This morning I went in to say good morning to him and I couldn't see him in the bowl. I looked down in the rocks...no fish. I leaned in closer and then I saw it...the shriveled up, dried out body of Freddie there on the counter next to his bowl. I let out a little scream, which sent Evan running into the kitchen from the front room. He looked at me, then waved hello to the fish bowl, blissfully unaware of the situation.

I'm actually sad about our dead little fish. He was really pretty (a blue beta fish with red stripes on his fins), and I liked watching him swim around his bowl! There is something calming about watching a fish swim. I'm just hoping Freddie was enjoying his nice clean bowl so much he was swimming fast and somehow flopped out of the bowl. I'd hate to think he'd had it up to hear with us and decided to end it all right there in my kitchen...

4 comments:

Maquel said...

I'll use your experience as advice. I've been debating about getting a fish--a beta, as matter of fact--but maybe I won't go there just yet.

Becca said...

Aunt Tracey gave Caleb a couple goldfish when he was about 2 and a frog. The goldfish only lasted about a month before we found them belly-up. The frog lasted about a year and was really ugly. I named him Mr. McNasty. One day we couldn't find him in the tank either and looked for him for a while in Caleb's room. We thought the cat ate him then we found him about a week later by the shoe basket downstairs. He had taken a little joy-hop around the house for his last day apparently.

Anonymous said...

I too experienced this same Beta tragedy. Jas and I had Betas as centerpieces for our wedding and we took two home. One day Red as he was called was not in his tank and I found him dried up on the dvds. I was quite traumatized. After a trip to the pet store to replace him I was informed this is common for Betas. They live in puddles and jump from one to the next to the next. I would recommend investing in a bowl with a top, it worked for us. We had many happy times with Red #2. I got one of those water plants that grow in a bowl and kept Red #2 in it. He ate the roots and couldn't get out because of the plant.

kendra said...

Sounds like my hermit crabs. Someone reallllllly wanted them, but somehow they became my little pets. :)