My 3 Goldfish

Today I brought home Wilson from the Fish Bowl (the pet store where I just started work--mainly fish and reptiles). He's almost as long as my hand, and with his long, grey, eyebrow like membranes, and tendency to come to the front of the tank and appear to be carrying on a conversation about the weather like an old man, I named him Wilson (after my late Granpa, X.A. Wilson, who was a giant of a man and could talk to anyone about anything, friendly to a fault). Wilson also will rub against my hand if I place it in the tank. Very interactive and friendly for a fish.

The calico fantail's name is Peach Cobbler, or Peaches for short, and tends to be timid around Wilson, although he did a very good job of taking care of Google when he was injured. I figure Peaches was always the biggest fish in the tank. He's slowly warming up to Wilson.

Big-Googly-Eyed-Gold-Fish, or Google, is my sweetheart. Jalee really wanted one; initially I didn't like him, but then after a few days I had grown very fond of the strange little fish with his upward facing eyes (the reason his variety is called a "Celestial"), lack of upper fin, and tendency to run into everything. So I researched the little guy, learned that they are nearly blind, and the eyes, which are water filled membranes, are very fragile, and there were a few things I should change about my tank. Karma caught up with me. God protects the ignorant and foolish, and after my research I was no longer under that protection. Within 3 hrs. Google had popped an eye, so I had to rush to take out all sharp or rough edged objects, as well as remove the pleco and Betta, leaving only the two goldfish. Peaches stayed very close to Google, whose eye healed and slowly refilled with water, so that only a week later it's nearly the size of the undamaged one. Thanks to my precautions he survived. The two still at the Fish Bowl have not fared so well. One has died in the week and a half since I took Google home, and the other has developed a large blister on top of one eye. Sadness.

They are acclimating very well, and Google and Wilson seem to have bonded after only a few hours in the tank. I look forward to a very long time with these guys, and am learning more at work every day to help care for them. The tank colors are no longer to my liking, and I still have to find shade for Google without rough edges so he doesn't always have to look straight up into the blinding light. Next weekend I'll probably draw and color another background, and then gradually work on the rest of the arrangements.