I was quite happy that I was able to talk my 6 year old around to getting some goldfish as a pet instead of what he really wanted, which was an alligator. It had taken me the full year since his fifth birthday to convince him that we should maybe start with something simpler and less bitey. I have pushed the Aligator out till his ninth birthday.
So on the 8th of May we went to a pet shop and bought the tank and everything we needed. Two fish he had picked out from the crowd, I believe they called it a shoal and drove home all excited.
As a Daddy my son looks to me to know everything and I had to tell him that this is one area I know nothing about but, I was sure we could learn together. All good so far. The last few weeks the fishies called Goldy and Cheetah have been doing well. To be honest the whole thing is much more complex than I thought it was. You have to get the water just right. Not just tap water as I believed, it needs to be treated and all the while making sure the chemistry is right because at the end of the day they are living in their own filthy. The PH needs to be right and the water has to form a whole ecosystem with bacteria and whatnot. We have also added a little house and a shrubbery. Stuff to keep themselves entertained while we are not watching them through their glass cell.
Today I was informed while I was working that Cheetah is not doing well he is just sitting at the top of the tank breathing, while Goldie is buzzing around being her happy self. I gave council over the phone trying to suggest things that I thought might help, some new water, cleaning filters etc. Maybe the water needs more air but I really don't understand why both of them are not acting the same if bad water is the cause.
It was late in the evening when I got home and things were still as bad. I really hope Cheetah will get through the night so that I can go to the aquarium tomorrow to get some advice and maybe a prescription to make him better.
Wish him and us luck, we really don't know what we're doing and don't want this first pet experience to end badly for my boy.
