A Tale of Three Fishes

 Stepping back, I proudly surveyed our hard work. The two and a half gallon fish tank created circles of bright light which shimmered across the top of the small cupboard upon which it sat, as the water flowed in and out of the filter. The smiling purple octopus, with its many pink spotted tentacles held high a No fishing sign. The small statuette of a sunken old tree base, grown over with algae and small crustaceans, along with another sign bearing the words, Home Sweet Home were the only articles of décor in the tank for now. It had gone through quite a cleaning and looked very different from when Dad had pulled it out of the attic, soiled, dusty and with the remains of some spider’s former abode sticking in the corners. Everything was ready. All we children had to do was wait for the return of Dad and Mama from the pet shop….

A while later, I heard the unmistakable sound of a car rumbling down our gravel driveway. We all rushed outside, eager to see the new arrivals. Dad and Mama climbed out, carrying with them two small plastic bags. 

Inside of one, were tiny feeder goldfish, and in the other a slightly bigger Plecostomus. After oohing and aahing for a little bit, they were taken inside to acclimate to the temperature of the tank, and then introduced to their new home. So began our fish adventures. Our three new goldfish quickly grew and were loved by all our family. Fish are fascinating creatures to watch, as they glide beautifully through the clear water. Many times, have I lifted up a little niece or nephew to “feed the fishies” or “see the shark” the common name among them for the Plecostomus.

Time does pass, and before we knew it even the littlest goldfish was much too big for the tank. Goldfish excrete ammonia through their gills, and ammonia is toxic to them. So, the bigger the fish are the more ammonia they excrete. It keeps adding up until the goldfish can no longer breathe since the oxygen was replaced by ammonia. Other elements such as decaying matter etc., can also build up ammonia and with only a three-gallon tank, oxygen can get replaced very quickly. 

It was time to release our fishy friends, and all six of us kids went to watch. The whole way we talked about how we couldn’t wait for the little “fishies” to grow into big “fishies,” and how they would love their new home. Arriving at the pond, Jayla did the honors of letting the fish go, and after freeing themselves from the algae near the edge, we watched with pleasure as they swam side by side into the deep. Then suddenly one golden orange patch disappeared! The other two were swimming quickly back to the shore, and then we saw them. Three or four small, but giant bass compared to our own little fishies, were chasing them down! Another was gone. The last fish was frantically swimming, we girls were screaming by then, and with two big gulps, the bass ate the last fish. We stood there stunned for a moment, and then ran back to the house to tell the tragic tale to Dad and Mama. It was terrible and funny all at the same time.

Don’t worry, the story doesn’t end there. For at this moment, two little goldfish are happily once again swimming in our sweet little tank.

~Halayah