Normally I'm all in favor of a child having a pet (especially one he can care for like a fish) but since we already have Diesel and teach Chase about the importance of feeding him and taking him for walks, I thought the responsibility lessons would be redundant.
But Mrs. Poop has retained her undefeated record.
Meet Roddy. Chase wanted to name him Porange, because that rhymes with orange, but we discouraged him and he came up with Roddy instead.
Chase won him at the Purim carnival, throwing a ping pong ball into a fish bowl. They didn't even need to cheat for him (though they would have), the kid has a pretty good throwing arm.
Don't worry, since the above photograph was taken his bowl has been appointed with all the necessary accoutrements, including green (Chase's favorite color!) gravel. And so far Roddy has lived a happy and healthy week with us.
Now that I'm into this fish for $25 I hope he lives long enough that we can push off getting his replacement until next year's Purim carnival.
We didn't plan this but there is a powerful metaphor in the above picture. Chase stares at Roddy while Diesel is lingering, heartbroken, in the background.
I knew I should have been quicker about posting this.
ReplyDeleteRoddy is dead.
Operation: Replace Roddy is underway.
Yikes. R.I.P. Roddy.
ReplyDeleteA few tips from a former ridiculous fish tank nerd:
ReplyDelete1-never EVER put tap water directly into the bowl. There are drops called "tap water conditioner" which remove/neutralize harmful stuff for fish. Put water in a cleaned out gallon milk jug, treat it, and let it sit for a day before using it.
2-change the water every week or 2, because without a filtration system, it can get dirty and/or deoxygenated, or have it's PH levels thrown off with too much crap etc. Just take out half with a siphon and replace with treated water, room temperature.
3-when placing a new fish in there, you should keep the fish in the bag they gave you, and put the whole thing in the water so that it gradually reaches the same temperature of the water in the tank already. Fish can die of shock from big temperature swings.
Email me if you have questions. It's embarrassing how hardcore I was into this stuff from like 6th-8th grade.
I'm sorry. But I can't stop laughing. Paul killed Roddy!
ReplyDeleteThose are pretty much word for word the instructions that the fish tank nerd at the store gave me. So if you ever find yourself looking for work you may have a future in the aquatics department at Petgoods.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out Roddy #1 was not really a goldfish, but rather some kind of feeder fish. He told me that those are what they usually give out at carnivals. And they don't really last that long. Roddy #2 is actually a goldfish. He looks nothing like Roddy #1, but Chase bought my story of how sometimes they get bigger and change colors. He told me he hopes that he changes back. He's quite impressed with Roddy #2's tail and fins. He has started calling him Roddy the Rockstar so I think the crisis has been avoided for now. We will definitely consult with you for any other issues. Let's hope this guy lasts more than a week!!