My friend came over for dinner tonight and I asked her whether she wanted to see my new tank. "Of course!" she says. So I show her the tank and we start talking about fish. "I'm buying one of those vases from the pet store soon." she tells me. I asked her how big it was. With her hands, she indicated that it was about 5 and a half inches wide and a foot tall.
Thinking she was gonna say a betta, I asked what fish she was gonna put in it. She says, "Oh, just two little goldfish." Stunned, I asked her what she was gonna do when they grew up and got huge. She looks at me with pity. (She clearly thinks she knows everything there is about fish.) "Prue, they only grow to the size of their bowl!"
I just looked at her blankly, then explained to her that it was cruel and that they'd live short, painful lives. She just frowned and said, "But my sister had one and it lived for ages, almost three years!" I told her that they can live to be over 15 if well cared for. She didn't believe me. So I took her into the office and showed her websites that said that they can live that long, and I showed her in the guiness world records book the entry about the worlds oldest goldfish. I showed her numerous pics on Google of massive goldfish. I showed her pages and pages that said not to keep goldies in less than 20 gals each. I asked her how she'd feel to be kept in a closet and expected to remain the size of a 13 year old. She just protested, assuring me that she would take great care of the fish. By now I was pretty impatient and I lectured her about ammonia poisoning, stunting and the rest.
Guess what: after all that, she's still going to get the fish!
Sorry about this massive rant everyone, but I can't stand it when people assume the "the-pet-store-did-it-so-I-can-too" approach. When the fish die, she'll come to me crying and say "I can't believe it, I did everything right! Fish are just too fragile."
Poor fish.
Thinking she was gonna say a betta, I asked what fish she was gonna put in it. She says, "Oh, just two little goldfish." Stunned, I asked her what she was gonna do when they grew up and got huge. She looks at me with pity. (She clearly thinks she knows everything there is about fish.) "Prue, they only grow to the size of their bowl!"
I just looked at her blankly, then explained to her that it was cruel and that they'd live short, painful lives. She just frowned and said, "But my sister had one and it lived for ages, almost three years!" I told her that they can live to be over 15 if well cared for. She didn't believe me. So I took her into the office and showed her websites that said that they can live that long, and I showed her in the guiness world records book the entry about the worlds oldest goldfish. I showed her numerous pics on Google of massive goldfish. I showed her pages and pages that said not to keep goldies in less than 20 gals each. I asked her how she'd feel to be kept in a closet and expected to remain the size of a 13 year old. She just protested, assuring me that she would take great care of the fish. By now I was pretty impatient and I lectured her about ammonia poisoning, stunting and the rest.
Guess what: after all that, she's still going to get the fish!
Sorry about this massive rant everyone, but I can't stand it when people assume the "the-pet-store-did-it-so-I-can-too" approach. When the fish die, she'll come to me crying and say "I can't believe it, I did everything right! Fish are just too fragile."
Poor fish.
At least you tried, but yeah, the complaining afterward would really set me off. GRRRR poor fishies. 
)
