Pet Diary> Bubbles and Ruffles

Fish bowl - Painted by Me

Text by: Tanya Munshi
I had a pair of gold fish by the name Bubbles and Ruffles; one orange, the other red. A beautiful one foot fish tank, with two baby goldfish were a birthday present by a friend. I have a dog too, her name is Lisa. The instant the fish tank was brought home and placed on the mantelpiece she pricked up her ears; she knew she had company.

I decorated the fish tank with colorful pebbles and aquatic plants. My friend, who had a keen interest in keeping fish as pets and fish tanks, advised that I should clean the tank every three to four days. Since the fish were tiny and were kept in a small tank, the cleaning wouldn’t be a problem.

As the days went by, Ruffles and Bubbles became my friends. My friend was wise enough to get me baby fish, so that like dogs, they grow up to know and identify their owner.

I would powder the fish pellets, so that my infant pet fish could chew with ease. As I would sprinkle the food in the water, Bubbles and Ruffles would happily bounce in the water, eating with gusto. If I put my index finger in the water, the two little fellows would play around my finger and gently nudge it. It felt so good, that tiny beings as those had so much of feelings.

At times Lisa would stand with her paws on the mantle piece watching them swim. I think it must have amazed her to see ‘company’ confined in a transparent tank of water. Luckily, Lisa hates water and because of which she didn’t bother the fish too much.

More than six months later, one day, I found Ruffles dead. Its tiny body floated on the surface. I had just returned home from class and went to say my usual hi to my little friends. My heart broke, I started crying endlessly. My little Ruffles was no more. I called my friend and he stopped by to check. He said there was some fungal infection in the water, maybe something had fallen inside. Fish are very delicate and you never know when and what strikes them down. They are unlike a pet dog or cat, where at least it shows visible symptoms that allow you to take corrective action. A few days later, Bubbles bid good bye.

My little friends were gone. I then realized that taking care of fish was not an easy task, especially when you adopt them right from their infancy. You begin to love them and they respond.

One day to cheer me up, my dad got me a pair of guppies. They were beautiful. The complete novices that we were, these were given full grown fish, which we were unaware of. The next morning, the fish had managed to jump out of the sides of the fish tank. Why? My friend told me, the older fish you get, the longer they take to adjust. More so, they refuse to accept a new place as their home, even if they have lived all their life in another fish tank. Another point to remember is that, in a large fish tank, every fish has a pair. Maybe the pet shop owner didn’t realize that he picked up the wrong pair. The fish bonding is so strong, that they refuse to live without their partner. Hence, it’s always wise to get baby fish.

I have met many people who keep fish just for the heck of it. When they move out or are bored of it, they give it to someone else. But one fails to realize how terrible those fish maybe feeling when they are moved away from their home.