AngelFishGirl
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Ahh Walmart... Don't you just love how they treat their fish?
This is a story about a newly visited Walmart, an Oscar, a teenage girl, and a heart too big to say no. Here's the story...
Yesterday, I went up to Forest Lake, MN to visit my great aunt Polly and sleepover for the night. I hadn't seen her in 2 years, so I was very excited! Forest Lake is just a little snug town. Would take a half an hour to bike to the other side of it. Forest Lake is an hour drive away from my house, though, and I love getting out of the house on mini vacations, so I was so excited. On our way there, Polly said she needed to grab a few things at the Forest Lake Walmart. "No problem. I'll go look and see the fish."
So I walk to the pet care section... Expecting to see those small tanks desperately overstocked with sick and diseased fish all suffering with ich and fin rot, right?
That's what I thought I would see.
But I was wrong.
All of the fish were BEAUTIFUL. All the fish were overstocked, but only as a normal LFS would. The fish looked even healthier than some of the ones at Petsmarts. These fish were HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL!!!
....except one
By a complete accident, an employee accidentally put an Oscar in a 5 gallon tank with green spotted puffers.
Needless to say, it looked AWFUL
Poor guy.... I couldn't bare to see him that way. I wanted to pick him up on my way home, but we had to wake up early and we were on too tight of a schedule to pick him up this morning.
I had to make a decision. Do I leave him there? Or do I risk putting him into a unfiltered and unheated bucket for one night? I knew it wasn't the healthiest thing for him, but I also knew he wasn't gonna last another night in there. He clearly looks so beat up. No one buys nasty looking fish like that. I knew if I didn't take the chance, there wouldn't be a chance. The employee's wouldn't even switch tanks for him because they said they have no authority too. These little pleading black eyes couldn't turn me away
In a heartbeat I snatched the little guy up.
At that point I knew I'd do what I could to save him. As a teenager without a job, I couldn't afford to pay for a 20 dollar heater and 15 dollar air pump and 4 tubing all on one fish. I need to save that money for other fish. Can't spend so much on one. So I bought him some of the bottled "betta water" that comes dechlorinated and safe to add for a couple bucks.
Then, I rescued 3 bettas
Anyways, when I got home, I quickly searched for the most efficient container for him to sit in. All of Polly's vases were so small he could barely turn around. We settled on an ice cream gallon bucket. Seemed to be enough for him. We floated the bag and added him directly into the water. The room temperature was 75 degrees, and I did everything I could to keep that temperature as stable and slightly warmer than I could.
His arrival home:
Worried about his health and survival, I called my trustworthy LFS "World of Fish". These guys take GREAT care in their fish career and I've always trusted them with everything. The employee told me to wrap a blanket around the bucket for temperature, and to stir the water to keep oxygen in it every hour, since I have no filter or air pump. He did reassure me, however, after describing the condition of the Oscar, that I did the right thing, considering he has an aquarium to come home to the next day with good water paramaters and safe tank mates. It was more than enough to motivate me.
During the talk (towel over for comforting dark environment)
After that talk I diligently did my job. I stirred every half an hour to be safe, lifting spoon from the water and pouring it back in to create a waterfall affect.
Night fall came for the little Oscar and I. Worried the most about this time, I set an alarm to go off once an hour all night so I could get up and stir his water every hour. Not once did I hit the snooze. I am very proud to say that.
And by this morning, he was still alive.
I removed the blanket for that picture. I put it back on for my hour car ride home thought. I was scared about the stress from the car ride.
^a little something I did in honor of his fighting.
We finally made it home. I did the quickest 30% water change I had EVER done so the water would be new an fresh for him. I slowly drip acclimated him. First time I have ever drip acclimated instead of pouring the water into the bags. Figured it was safest for such a weak fish.
He got into my tank, and boy did he spark to life! He was barely swimming at Walmart, less in the bucket (understandably - this IS an Oscar....)
He immediately became friends with my (smaller Albino Oscar)
I just took these photos 20 minutes ago. He is doing WONDERFULLY. I am planning on healing him to full health and then depending on his temperament, give him to my friend or keep him he's not going to a LFS after that!
I am just glad he is safe now and getting healed. I realize what I did wasn't the safest for him but it was my instincts that led me to getting him, and that instinct led to saving his life in the end. He is now getting proper water and tank mates and is very much loved.
Whether a bird, cat, dog, or fish, every animal deserves a chance at life. No one deserves to go through what this Oscar went through. But in the end he was given a second chance at life and i cannot be any more happy that he is alive and all is well for him. He acts as if nothing ever happened. He even hand fed from me today while I hand feeding the angelfish.
In the end, there is no greater feeling than looking back at yesterday and thinking that I saved an animal's life.
This is a story about a newly visited Walmart, an Oscar, a teenage girl, and a heart too big to say no. Here's the story...
Yesterday, I went up to Forest Lake, MN to visit my great aunt Polly and sleepover for the night. I hadn't seen her in 2 years, so I was very excited! Forest Lake is just a little snug town. Would take a half an hour to bike to the other side of it. Forest Lake is an hour drive away from my house, though, and I love getting out of the house on mini vacations, so I was so excited. On our way there, Polly said she needed to grab a few things at the Forest Lake Walmart. "No problem. I'll go look and see the fish."
So I walk to the pet care section... Expecting to see those small tanks desperately overstocked with sick and diseased fish all suffering with ich and fin rot, right?
That's what I thought I would see.
But I was wrong.
All of the fish were BEAUTIFUL. All the fish were overstocked, but only as a normal LFS would. The fish looked even healthier than some of the ones at Petsmarts. These fish were HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL!!!
....except one
By a complete accident, an employee accidentally put an Oscar in a 5 gallon tank with green spotted puffers.
Needless to say, it looked AWFUL
Poor guy.... I couldn't bare to see him that way. I wanted to pick him up on my way home, but we had to wake up early and we were on too tight of a schedule to pick him up this morning.
I had to make a decision. Do I leave him there? Or do I risk putting him into a unfiltered and unheated bucket for one night? I knew it wasn't the healthiest thing for him, but I also knew he wasn't gonna last another night in there. He clearly looks so beat up. No one buys nasty looking fish like that. I knew if I didn't take the chance, there wouldn't be a chance. The employee's wouldn't even switch tanks for him because they said they have no authority too. These little pleading black eyes couldn't turn me away
In a heartbeat I snatched the little guy up.
At that point I knew I'd do what I could to save him. As a teenager without a job, I couldn't afford to pay for a 20 dollar heater and 15 dollar air pump and 4 tubing all on one fish. I need to save that money for other fish. Can't spend so much on one. So I bought him some of the bottled "betta water" that comes dechlorinated and safe to add for a couple bucks.
Then, I rescued 3 bettas
Anyways, when I got home, I quickly searched for the most efficient container for him to sit in. All of Polly's vases were so small he could barely turn around. We settled on an ice cream gallon bucket. Seemed to be enough for him. We floated the bag and added him directly into the water. The room temperature was 75 degrees, and I did everything I could to keep that temperature as stable and slightly warmer than I could.
His arrival home:
Worried about his health and survival, I called my trustworthy LFS "World of Fish". These guys take GREAT care in their fish career and I've always trusted them with everything. The employee told me to wrap a blanket around the bucket for temperature, and to stir the water to keep oxygen in it every hour, since I have no filter or air pump. He did reassure me, however, after describing the condition of the Oscar, that I did the right thing, considering he has an aquarium to come home to the next day with good water paramaters and safe tank mates. It was more than enough to motivate me.
During the talk (towel over for comforting dark environment)
After that talk I diligently did my job. I stirred every half an hour to be safe, lifting spoon from the water and pouring it back in to create a waterfall affect.
Night fall came for the little Oscar and I. Worried the most about this time, I set an alarm to go off once an hour all night so I could get up and stir his water every hour. Not once did I hit the snooze. I am very proud to say that.
And by this morning, he was still alive.
I removed the blanket for that picture. I put it back on for my hour car ride home thought. I was scared about the stress from the car ride.
^a little something I did in honor of his fighting.
We finally made it home. I did the quickest 30% water change I had EVER done so the water would be new an fresh for him. I slowly drip acclimated him. First time I have ever drip acclimated instead of pouring the water into the bags. Figured it was safest for such a weak fish.
He got into my tank, and boy did he spark to life! He was barely swimming at Walmart, less in the bucket (understandably - this IS an Oscar....)
He immediately became friends with my (smaller Albino Oscar)
I just took these photos 20 minutes ago. He is doing WONDERFULLY. I am planning on healing him to full health and then depending on his temperament, give him to my friend or keep him
he's not going to a LFS after that!I am just glad he is safe now and getting healed. I realize what I did wasn't the safest for him but it was my instincts that led me to getting him, and that instinct led to saving his life in the end. He is now getting proper water and tank mates and is very much loved.
Whether a bird, cat, dog, or fish, every animal deserves a chance at life. No one deserves to go through what this Oscar went through. But in the end he was given a second chance at life and i cannot be any more happy that he is alive and all is well for him. He acts as if nothing ever happened. He even hand fed from me today while I hand feeding the angelfish.
In the end, there is no greater feeling than looking back at yesterday and thinking that I saved an animal's life.
