Feeling Irritated, Advice Please!

[sussexgirl]

Had posted this on the coldwater board but then thought it's probably best posted here because it's more 'chit chat'.

My neighbour Karen knocked on my door yesterday and asked me to look after 5 goldfish for her. She was actually looking after them for another neighbour (16 year old girl) who's gone on holiday. Karen has to go up to Scotland to her grandmother's funeral so because she know's I have 2 tropical tanks she asked me to temporarily 'fishsit' for the young girl until she gets back and is able to take over fishsitting again.

So, she turns up at the door with two of the most tiniest tanks I've ever seen. The biggest is no bigger than 11 litres and currently houses 4 large goldfish. In addition there was a revolting huge ornament that took up at least one third of the fishes swimming space. I've taken that out obviously. The second tank is half the size of the first and houses just one goldfish with a supposed lump on his body. Apparently the girl has separated him in case he infects the others. To be honest I can't even see a lump on him. I've been given a margarine tub and a plastic sieve which I'm told is all part of the cleaning out process. Karen said she had just cleaned them out the way the young neighbour had told her to. This apparently involves putting the fish into the margarine tub with a bit of tank water and then rinsing the gravel under the tap in the sieve and then topping the tank up with tap water. No dechlorinator or anything. There's only one big tub of flake food too. There is obviously no filter in either of the 'tubs' and the water looks filthy.

What I want to know is how on earth should I go about educating someone that I haven't even met?! How do you think I should handle this because as far as I am concerned it's just plain cruelty. Thanks

 

[babybell911]

Most people get those goldfish starter kits with a free couple of gold fish so arent to know any better maybe if you just sit her down andexplain to her that goldfish need a pond or much bigger tank then she'ss find them a better home.

 

[jayjay]

Give them to someone with a pond and say they died to the girl. Or try show her test results from the tank? Show her the size goldfish grow? Say she's slowing killing them by stunting.

 

[OohFeeshy]

What temperature is your main trop tank running at? In the high temps we've been having I'm sure the goldfish are in about the same temps as the tropical fish. So for now you could put some in there, or find the biggest food safe container you have lying around and use that.

For now, perhaps take some photos, test result readings etc. When the owner comes back, tell her exactly what you think of her, and what she should be doing about it. If she refuses to do anything, simple. Post the pictures etc. up here, print off the responses, post them through her letter box every day.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi sussexgirl

The owner of these fish is probably just a girl who doesn't know better. Why not just plan to meet her and explain a few of the basics of fishkeeping to her? You might want to tell her about the forum too.

You just might make a great new friend.

 

[sussexgirl]

Hi sussexgirl

The owner of these fish is probably just a girl who doesn't know better. Why not just plan to meet her and explain a few of the basics of fishkeeping to her? You might want to tell her about the forum too.

You just might make a great new friend.

I think that when I hand the fish back to my neighbour I'm going to print off a few articles about the basic and general rules of goldfish keeping and ask that Karen hands them to the girl when the fish are finally returned. I'm sure that it's exactly what you say, a young girl who doesn't know better. I don't want to do anything malicious and I know that the conditons that I describe are going to bring out some fairly extreme reactions on the board because we all care about fish at the end of the day. I think a sharpish nudge in the right direction is the order of the day and if I see the girl around (I've only seen her twice since I moved in 6 months ago) then I'll have a quiet word to see if she's done anything about it.

I've just cleaned the fish out and measured that the smaller container holds 5 litres and the larger holds 8. That's allowing for an inch to spare at the top and all the gravel being in it. I'm tempted to go and buy a bigger container to put them in whilst they are with me and send it home with them. I don't really want to put them into my tropical tank because I don't want the fish mixing with mine and potentially spreading any disease. I've just examined the sick one and there is a definite lump along the one side and curvature of the spine. Possibly anything to do with the cramped conditions?

Any recommendations for good articles?

 

[OohFeeshy]

The 'sick' one could well be showing the physical symptoms of stunting.

Sites, heres a couple

http/www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/faq.html
http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cl...&articleid=2650


Google for more sites, advoid info from Hagen, Tetra etc.

 

[sussexgirl]

The 'sick' one could well be showing the physical symptoms of stunting.

Sites, heres a couple

http/www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/faq.html
http/www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cl...&articleid=2650


Google for more sites, advoid info from Hagen, Tetra etc.

Thank you so much for those great articles. I have printed them out and will be handing them to my neighbour when she picks up the fish with an offer of being around to talk anything through with the young girl if she wants me to.

 

[big mick]

The main problem will be convincing her parents who will be the ones no doubt buying the new tank and a 100g tank wont be cheap.

 

[Erised]

If you are getting something bigger for them I recommend you go to a garden center or a DIY shop and just pick up a plastic storage box. It won't be an ideal solution, but the bigger ones hold an ok amount of water and it's bigger than what they're now in. Plus a lot cheaper than getting a new tank for fish that aren't even yours.

I really hope the girl is willing to be educated when she gets back from her hols.

 

[sussexgirl]

The main problem will be convincing her parents who will be the ones no doubt buying the new tank and a 100g tank wont be cheap.

I know Mick. I sat watching them this evening and said to my husband "you know I just feel like going out and buying something for them to live in" to which he replied "don't you bloody dare". He already despairs at the fact that we went from 0-2 tanks in 3 months, let alone start buying them for the neighbours. This hobby is just so expensive and unfortunately many people just think of goldfish as the cheap fish to experiment with for a couple of years so they think that small, unfiltered containers will suffice. These fish just look unhappy and I feel powerless. I don't know the family, I'm just helping out my immediate neighbour and whilst I want to help these fish I don't want to come over as the interferring b**ch from up the road!

 

[big mick]

Whilst I wouldnt want to see any animal suffer Id be tempted just to give her the info and hope her parents have the sense to rehome, if not then there isnt alot you can do....hard as it may be there are lots of people who simple dont care or maybe dont know about fish requirements, especially goldfish and as the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink"

 

[smurfyy_2k3]

you know when i was about 8 i had 2 goldfish in a tiny bowl (i didnt know any better had asked the lfs what to do and that what i done) i used to clean them the exact same way very sad really my gold fish laster 2 years

 

[Scott MacAdam]

maybe you could convince her to rehome them and go for a "smaller" fish.... maybe trade them in for a betta for the 8 liter tank, she would still have a fish and hopefully then the goldfish would be ok. as for filters, you can but on of those small filters for a 2-5 galon tank at walmart or any department store carring fish supplies for like 10$-15$(not sure about currency conversion), i'm sure that she could afford this, just make sure she understands the nessescity of a filter and rehoming the fish. this can be done nicely without you coming off as mean but be careful, just start with your experience so she KNOWS that you are knoledgable in the fishy ways !

GOOD LUCK with what ever you decide to do.

 

[sussexgirl]

Thanks guys for all the advice, it's been great to vent here and hopefully we'll get these creatures rehomed and whether it be in someone's pond or by convincing the family to buy a bigger tank. For now I'll just keep cleaning them out every day and pass the advice on. Thanks again.