Tragic Story

[Abernathy]

It's a long story, but I had to vent somewhere. Thanks everyone.

I have two tanks, a 29g w/3 labs caer, 3 lombardoi, and a 10g w/1 aggressive 4" tiger oscar, 1 4" pleco. I left on a 3-day trip and asked my friend to drop by and to feed my fish. I left pretty clear directions as to what to feed, how much, and also to make sure the filters and the heaters were running. NOTHING MORE!

I come back to discover that my hyper-dominant lombardoi male is missing from the 29g. I look everywhere for the tough guy, but he's nowhere to be found. I start dialing my friend when I look over to my oscar tank and see my pleco feeding on something. To my horror, it's my barely breathing, barely moving lombardoi. I quickly scoop him out, but he's done for with shredded fins and severe damage to his jaw and one eye.

At that moment, my friend picks up, and I yell, "How did one of my fish end up in the Oscar tank!?" Startled, she explains that she felt bad for my other fish, because this one was picking on them, and she thought the Oscar would like some company! Arghh!!!

You might wonder why I don't have names for my fish, and it's because I don't name them until I've had them for at least a year. It would have been a year at the end of this month for my tough guy. Argh!!!

Thanks all, for letting me vent. Incidentally, my friend felt bad and offered to buy me new fish, but she had to add, "What's the big deal? They're only fish." Argh!

 

[wuvmybetta]

That IS a tragic story, who'd of thought "please don't take them out of the tank" needed to be part of your instructions

So sorry about your fish, I don't name mine either

 

[smb]

So sorry to hear that abernathy. Terrible loss.

I don't let anyone touch my tanks.


I bet wuv would have some really cool names if she did name her fish tho

 

[juanveldez]

that is really too bad. all I can say for your friend is heres your sign. I just can't belive that someone who would know how important your fish are to you would do something like that.

 

[freshmike]

I am sorry to hear about this....some people just don't think about things before they do them.....

 

[FanOFish]

I guess the only positive is that she thought she was doing something good. Oh and in the future you will probably write a list of do's and don'ts...

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

That must be so frustrating. I agree with Juanveldez, I hate people who do stupid things.

"What's the big deal? They're only fish." Argh!

I HATE it when people say that.

 

[commanderdoom21]

MY MOM IS JUST LIKE YOUR FRIEND!!!! I couldn't have summed it up better myself.

 

[Aienu]

That sucks. Only advice here is maybe next time just buy an auto-feeder, apparently itd be better than having to worry next time you leave

 

[Abernathy]

Thanks all for the sympathy! The silver lining is my friend has started to get interested in tropical fish. I explained to her why I keep the Oscar by itself, and why my lamented lombardoi acted the way he did. She realizes now her error and is thinking about getting into fish, because she "never knew they were so interesting." Well, I guess that's what having fish is all about, right? Personal satisfaction and encouraging others to learn about your fish.