Ordinary Gweilo

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Sleeping with the fishes

About ten days ago, my son was given three small goldfish (is goldfish a generic term or do they all have different names?). 

A few days later the first one died.  OK, these things happen.

So we bought two more goldfish (these ones really looked like goldfish and were bigger).  Then the second one started behaving very oddly, perked up when we put it in a separate bowl (this was intended as a temporary measure in the expectation that it was going to expire shortly), and then died shortly after being put back with the others.

Then the third fish died.  Then the fourth fish died.  Whoops.

I am beginning to suspect that there’s something fundamentally wrong, but I don’t know the first thing about looking after fish (that’s probably obvious, I guess) so I don’t know what it might be.  Is it too cold?  Not enough food?  Too much food?  Not enough oxygen (we’ve got hundreds of those small blue oxygen balls, so it can’t be that).  Bird Flu?   

Now we have to contend with the fact that (allegedly) fish get lonely if they are on their own, but based on our past record I’m not sure we should be buying any more, and I fear that this one will be dead within a matter of days anyway.  So I’m not sure what to do for the best.

Any advice (or goldfish recipes) welcome. 

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25 responses to “Sleeping with the fishes”

  1. Bill avatar
    Bill

    If you use city water, you will need something to de-clorinate the water. Most pet shops sell drops you put in the water which makes it tolerable for goldy.
    If its not that than I don’t know. This site might help: http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/info/info.htm . Good luck.

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  2. Chris avatar
    Chris

    Yes, we have some stuff for de-chlorinating the water. We also changed the water gradually by replacing two-thirds of it with fresh tap water, like we were told.
    Maybe my son was over-enthusiastic and fed them too much?

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  3. Idiot avatar
    Idiot

    Have you any advice on arranging sock drawers?

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  4. Chris avatar
    Chris

    The enthusiasm of some people is quite astonishing.
    The above comment was submitted only a couple of hours after I posted the piece on the goldfish, which suggests that someone is monitoring this site with the sole objective of commenting about how dull it is.
    Is that a sign of a lively intellect or a small-minded dullard?

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  5. dave avatar
    dave

    A new fish tank hasn’t gone through the nitrogen cycle yet, and the levels of nitrates and other toxic chemicals will be lethal to any except the hardiest of fishes.
    See here for more information about setting up an aquarium.

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  6. Dylan avatar
    Dylan

    Idiot is right. When you start writing about your dead goldfish, it’s time to unplug, honey.

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  7. fumier avatar
    fumier

    Oddly enough, a very interesting fellow called Mr. Drivel posted a similar comment about socks on my site, where there was a most lively debate going on on how to fix a computer problem. I referred him to a site which suggested that tidying one’s sock drawer would adversely affect one’s sex life.
    If they are the same person, this prospect clearly didn’t concern him, from which we can only draw our own conclusions.

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  8. Chris avatar
    Chris

    I think this relates back to a scintillating debate on IceRed about how most blogs are deadly dull (unlike, er, most threads on IceRed).
    Someone (I assume it’s the man with the big yellow blog) made this droll observation about sock drawers. His rapid rebuttal unit periodically add comments here and elsewhere when they think their favourite blogs have fallen below their usual high standards. Much as I appreciate this feedback, I can’t help feeling that people must have better things to do with their time.

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  9. fumier avatar
    fumier

    I am always happy to get comments on my site, except from Swedish people. I look forward very much to Mr. Drivel’s next contribution.

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  10. Lars Jorsen avatar
    Lars Jorsen

    I think guppies are a hardier species.
    Can you still get good cheddar at Marks and Spencer?

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  11. Chris avatar
    Chris

    Oh, very droll.
    As far as I know, you’ve never been able to get cheddar (good or otherwise) from M&S in Hong Kong. I can, however, recommend the Borough Market Cheddar from Taste in Kowloon Tong.

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  12. Lars avatar
    Lars

    Where can you get good guppies?
    And how about meat pies? Branston pickle? Scotch eggs? Yorkie bars?
    Isn’t cheese expensive nowadays?
    And half a pound just goes nowhere.

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  13. Mia avatar
    Mia

    Hi, Is it possible the fish are eating the blue balls? One of my fish years and years ago used to eat the bits of stone in the bottom of the tank.

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  14. Lars avatar
    Lars

    So YOU get blue balls too!
    Where can you get decent underwear in Hong Kong…

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  15. dave avatar
    dave

    It could be the cheese in the tank…

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  16. Chris avatar
    Chris

    In no particular order…
    Never waste good cheese on fish is my advice. I certainly don’t.
    I hadn’t thought of the fish eating the blue balls, but you never know. I shall try putting a large sign up to warn them against this idea.
    Meat pies (from Australia) and Branston pickle are available in my local Park’n’Sock, but I don’t like scotch eggs so I’m afraid I live in a state of blissful ignorance about their availability. Likewise with Yorkie bars, but perhaps Mia would know?

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  17. Mia avatar
    Mia

    LOL Is that a reference to my foundness of the Scots? Actually Scotch Eggs are something I’ve never ever ever taken a liking to. Yorkie Bars however I do like, but never seen in HK.
    I shall keep my eyes open for them, but not Scotch Eggs.

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  18. henry avatar
    henry

    you want to make a nice beer batter first…use newkie broon for an authentic taste.
    then pour it into the fish tank.
    this way, if any more of your fish die, you can scoop em out of the tank and they are pre-battered, ready to pop into the deep fat fryer.
    oh and don’t forget the mushy peas!

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  19. fumier avatar
    fumier

    Chris – I’m shocked, shocked I tell you, that you allow Swedish people to post on your site. If I followed the same policy as a certain other HK blogger, I would refuse to link to this site. I would want to distance myself by at least 2 degrees from those sick blond-haired men and their dumb blonde women.

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  20. Chris avatar
    Chris

    All I can say is that things are not always how they seem.

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  21. Lars avatar
    Lars

    I find that if I roll up the socks into pairs before I put them in the drawer, it saves time and effort.

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  22. Spirit Fingers avatar
    Spirit Fingers

    Your tank is cursed, cursed I tell ya! Time for a routine exorcism.

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  23. LarsDrivel avatar
    LarsDrivel

    To roll or not to roll socks together before arranging in the drawer? What is your policy on sock husbandry?

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  24. Chris avatar
    Chris

    Spirit Fingers – Where I come from, exorcisms are never routine

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  25. fumier avatar
    fumier

    I’ve seen scotch eggs on the menu at the FCC.

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