I once had a Goldfish
I once had a Goldfish
Well, over my childhood I had several goldfish - as you do - but this was a Special goldfish, and I was a grown-up.
My then father-in-law took my then young son to a travelling fair, and came back with a small goldfish in bag as a prize (I'm not sure that this is allowed these days). Well, I kitted it up with a tank etc, and as the fish had white fins and tail, my son with devastating originality named him Whitey.
For some years, Whitey was another of Mum's chores and a boring one at that. One Christmas when all the family were gathered and needed looking after and the room grew hot, I was nearly relieved of the burden of Whitey when I found him floating belly-up in his tank. I put him into some fresh cold water and he came back from the dead, dammit.
But not long after this Whitey changed - his white fins and tail grew longer and longer, and more and more like the finest silk gossamer, and soon this little slim golden fish was a vision of beauty with white fins and tails wafting around him like the most glamorous bride. I was captivated by him.
One day I returned home from work, to be greeted as usual by my lovely Dobermann Rio. Hang on, what's that bit of carrot doing in the middle of the living room floor? I went to pick it up - it was Whitey! Dead as a hammer with a canine-tooth-shaped hole neatly through his body.
I cried like a baby.
My then father-in-law took my then young son to a travelling fair, and came back with a small goldfish in bag as a prize (I'm not sure that this is allowed these days). Well, I kitted it up with a tank etc, and as the fish had white fins and tail, my son with devastating originality named him Whitey.
For some years, Whitey was another of Mum's chores and a boring one at that. One Christmas when all the family were gathered and needed looking after and the room grew hot, I was nearly relieved of the burden of Whitey when I found him floating belly-up in his tank. I put him into some fresh cold water and he came back from the dead, dammit.
But not long after this Whitey changed - his white fins and tail grew longer and longer, and more and more like the finest silk gossamer, and soon this little slim golden fish was a vision of beauty with white fins and tails wafting around him like the most glamorous bride. I was captivated by him.
One day I returned home from work, to be greeted as usual by my lovely Dobermann Rio. Hang on, what's that bit of carrot doing in the middle of the living room floor? I went to pick it up - it was Whitey! Dead as a hammer with a canine-tooth-shaped hole neatly through his body.
I cried like a baby.
LyndaW- Names of Dogs : Kuchar
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Re: I once had a Goldfish


Eleanor- Time Online : 5m 1s
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Awww, noooooo!
Naughty Rio - I hope she was suitably embarrassed!

Naughty Rio - I hope she was suitably embarrassed!
Last edited by Caryll on Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:57 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
The best dog is the one you take home with you.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
Caryll- Names of Dogs : Dempsey
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
I've got over it now, thank you (muffled sob)
I don't think Rio realised what she had done - she never knowingly hurt man or beast.
I'd love to have another fish like Whitey, if only I knew what the heck he was (and I'd put a lid on the tank this time!)
I don't think Rio realised what she had done - she never knowingly hurt man or beast.
I'd love to have another fish like Whitey, if only I knew what the heck he was (and I'd put a lid on the tank this time!)
LyndaW- Names of Dogs : Kuchar
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
I know next nothing about fish! We had a couple of goldfish when I was quite young, but as to what variety they were...no idea!!
_________________
The best dog is the one you take home with you.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
Caryll- Names of Dogs : Dempsey
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Sounds like it could be a Veiltail goldfish 


Do they look anything like Whitey?



Do they look anything like Whitey?

Eleanor- Time Online : 5m 1s
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
They're lovely fish Eleanor and thank you, but no they're not a patch on Whitey.
He was gold like the second one but not fat. His fins and tail were white like the first fish (without the spots) but even more profuse than the second fish.
I think he was a freak; a one-off.
He was gold like the second one but not fat. His fins and tail were white like the first fish (without the spots) but even more profuse than the second fish.
I think he was a freak; a one-off.
LyndaW- Names of Dogs : Kuchar
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
They come in all sorts though - some fat, some thin, some gold, some white. 
What about this one (ignore the orange fins)?

It's possible that he was just a very special fishy

What about this one (ignore the orange fins)?

It's possible that he was just a very special fishy

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Re: I once had a Goldfish
I think he was a very special fishy Eleanor!
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Bless him!

Eleanor- Time Online : 5m 1s
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Yeah, well, whadya know.
He was gorgeous to look at but gave nothing back in the way of affection (well he was only a fish after all!)
He was a very pretty one-off.
Has anyone else had or still got special fish?
He was gorgeous to look at but gave nothing back in the way of affection (well he was only a fish after all!)
He was a very pretty one-off.
Has anyone else had or still got special fish?
LyndaW- Names of Dogs : Kuchar
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
They make up for it with their pretty, shiny colours! 
I've never had a fish myself, but there was a Giant Gourami on my course that I got very attached to. Her name was Rover and she was trained - she'd follow your hand around. I also taught her to, when you waggled your fingers, do a big 'nom nom nom' movement with her mouth and attempt to 'eat' your hand. She died when she was about 30/40 years old. I actually cried when it happened



I've never had a fish myself, but there was a Giant Gourami on my course that I got very attached to. Her name was Rover and she was trained - she'd follow your hand around. I also taught her to, when you waggled your fingers, do a big 'nom nom nom' movement with her mouth and attempt to 'eat' your hand. She died when she was about 30/40 years old. I actually cried when it happened



Eleanor- Time Online : 5m 1s
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
I'm afraid that although I had goldfish when I was a child, they were just, well, goldfish to me.

_________________
The best dog is the one you take home with you.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
All that is gold does not glitter;
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither;
deep roots are not reached by the frost - Tolkein
.
Caryll- Names of Dogs : Dempsey
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Awwwwwwwww whitey!! I love those little goldfishies. I got one from the school fete that i appropriately named Splash, because he kept jumping out of the bowl. He was like a dolphin! I would frequently find him on the floor just sitting waiting to get picked up. I had Splash for a good 10+ years!
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Aww, bless! 

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Re: I once had a Goldfish
LyndaW wrote:Yeah, well, whadya know.
He was gorgeous to look at but gave nothing back in the way of affection (well he was only a fish after all!)
He was a very pretty one-off.
Has anyone else had or still got special fish?
NAUGHTY RIO!
&poor mum. But you knew it was going to be your job as they arrived home!

I had one (it had no name). I had it (going to say 7yrs). Motley colours. Gold & black flecks. Only?? 4cm? Nothing flash, just a goldfish. Came home one day to find the tank water WHITE, everyone was dead! He? Had numerous friends for yrs. He was gasping... right... plastic cont with tap water quickly.
He made it!!! No one else did. He got another original name. Lucky Luke. We had him for 3 yrs after that & the damn fish has a burial site in my yard! He was a top fish, soon as I turned on the aquarium light he'd rush to the surface... tuckers up!!!
Gotta say... he was a cutie!
I currently have 10. Suppose I should add them to my avatar.

Last edited by tracyp on Tue Jun 17, 2014 2:26 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Oh oh oh! I forgot to mention "mr fred"! Named after my dads turtle. He was a browny, shimmery gold. I was???.... tiny. 4?5?
I can still see him vividly today. Long, sleek, a skinny fish. Mum said he went to see his friends a long way from us....it would be after santa that he would come back. THAT LONG? It must be far to his friends...
Poor little bugger passed as I wanted to take him out to pat him too often.
I didnt realise he needed constant water

I can still see him vividly today. Long, sleek, a skinny fish. Mum said he went to see his friends a long way from us....it would be after santa that he would come back. THAT LONG? It must be far to his friends...
Poor little bugger passed as I wanted to take him out to pat him too often.
I didnt realise he needed constant water



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Re: I once had a Goldfish
RIP Whitey.
I had a red Siamese fighter male and 2 comets that I won at a fair. He would eat out of your hand and loved to have his head stroked - although you shouldn't touch them. I then got a Black Moore and even after all the quarantine procedures it gave my original 3 a virus. They died one after the other. I also cried and buried them one by one. The Fighter was last to go. It was terrible. I'd had them for 6 years. They used to travel in jam jars on the bus with me when I went home from Uni. They even mostly froze of the cold a time or 2.
I detested the murderer so moved the tank to our shop.
Got Murderer 2 friends and after a few months the Municipality changed something in our tap water and after a tank water change they all died.
The Pet shops in MosselBay all lost loads of fish over that time.
I stopped drinking tap water round about then.
I had a red Siamese fighter male and 2 comets that I won at a fair. He would eat out of your hand and loved to have his head stroked - although you shouldn't touch them. I then got a Black Moore and even after all the quarantine procedures it gave my original 3 a virus. They died one after the other. I also cried and buried them one by one. The Fighter was last to go. It was terrible. I'd had them for 6 years. They used to travel in jam jars on the bus with me when I went home from Uni. They even mostly froze of the cold a time or 2.
I detested the murderer so moved the tank to our shop.
Got Murderer 2 friends and after a few months the Municipality changed something in our tap water and after a tank water change they all died.
The Pet shops in MosselBay all lost loads of fish over that time.
I stopped drinking tap water round about then.
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
Fish can make surprisingly good companions!
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Re: I once had a Goldfish
I love to see all the different fishes in properly run aquaria. But nothing beats the many happy hours I spent when I was younger and fitter snorkelling around the coasts of Spain, Greece and Jamaica seeing them in their natural habitat.
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