Love a FISH?

First of all, those of you who know me KNOW I am a DOG lover.  Fish on the other hand, I could take or leave, or so I thought.

Rick got a fish tank for his 35th birthday and filled it with 85 gallons of water and 11 fish. We had a rough start keeping them alive as we learned how to 'keep fish' but it was fun to decorate and watch them thrive and entertain us.  (Current decorations now include a 'fwog' and a diving Elmo, in addition to three 'bubbo' makers as we live to please our daughter).

Five years later we have 3 bala sharks and one pleco, until yesterday.  The largest bala shark decided to try and swim up the hole on the top of the log, well, he didn't fit.  We saw him struggling to get out and Rick had to help him by pushing him back from where he came. Boy was he torn up.  It was so sad  watching him just suffer, he wasn't eating and his eyes were cloudy. He just hovered over the hole as if to warn the others 'stay back'.  I told Rick maybe we should put him out of his misery and he suggested just throwing him away (too big to flush - learned that lesson the hard way with the last funeral) and I said "NO, you cant just put him alive in the garbage!  He wasn't up for 'putting him down' just yet so I was bent on saving his life. I went to the fish store and got some medicine meant to help open wounds.

Shockingly it worked. Day by day he got better and his wounds miraculously and gradually healed.  Soon he was back to his old self chasing everyone else around.  We were so amazed and we were so intent on watching him and checking on him all the time, we didn't notice that one of the other balas successfully committed suicide.  Yep, she jumped out the back and landed on the floor behind the tank and died before we noticed she was even gone!  We were crushed and felt so bad.  Rick rigged up the back so the others couldn't jump out and felt bad we hadn't done so before.  There is just about a 2 inch gab on the top back and somehow she got out just right when we weren't here.  We didn't think any of them would even fit (balas are known jumpers)

I feel so dumb feeling bad about a dead fish and I think it has more to do with all of the fur friends who have passed recently.  Another of my dear friend's dog died on March 20 (he was 14, rest his sweet soul) and all of this just reminds me how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken.  

I am not looking forward to the day I have to explain this fact of life to Madison when "Ah Eeee" or "Ooo Eee" are gone, but the joy pets give to us everyday far outweighs the sorrow of their short time with us. Don't you agree?