For the love of . . .

FISH.

Did G'Damn the fish HAVE to die? That is TWO fish this week. We had a goldfish for about 5 months, but for the last 3 months he floated upside down. He would try to get right side up but would eventually end up upside down. It really bothered us, we found out the probable cause was Swim Bladder Disease. Well Jasmine, the gofdfish died last Friday. It was ok because she was clearly miserable and we couldn't help her. We had tried treatments but none worked.

Ellie wanted another fish so I took her to the pet store and we picked out a Beta. Her name was Rainbow (we all know that the betas they sell are males, but she wanted him to be a girl.) She was lively, cute, she ate well, looked at us, etc. And last night we fed her, she interacted with us a bit, then a few hours later she was dead. I couldn't believe it. I was nursing Elyza and I asked Ellie was she was doing. She said "looking at my fish." I said "Ok, well do you want to come to bed?" She said "I think he died." I said "no, he can't be dead honey, we just got him." So then she said "Well he's floating up-side-up." Then she explained that he was floating with his butt up and his face down. I told her ot lightly tap on the glass, she did, nothing, then I told her to move the bowl a little (I was still nursing Elyza and couldn't see) she said he flopped to the side but didn't swim. I was shocked, so I pulled Elyza off and went and looked and sure enough she was D-E-A-D !! What the heck?

The first day we got her she watched her for a long time and then came and told me that Rainbow talked to her (made a little fish face) and said she could understand fish. She told me Rainbow told her "Thank you for the yummy food and the pretty bowl and rock, I love you." She put a special rock in her bowl too. She was so sweet and innocent and seemed to have really bonded with Rainbow.

When she died she was so brave, and at first it seemed that she was taking it ok, but we only had Rainbow for three stinking days but she loved that fish. I could tell she was choking back the tears and trying to be grown up about it, so I told her that she could cry if she needed to. She immediately started bawling, I held her and she talked about how she missed her and wanted to know why she died. So I offered some suggestions that Rainbow was probably old, we could get another Beta, one of Rainbow's kids etc. She wrote a letter to Rainbow and put it by her bowl near where her face was down so she could see it. Then I told her some stories about pets I had when I was a kid or younger to cheer her up while I rubbed her back, then she fell asleep.

Doug took care of Rainbow when he came home from work.

I just don't know if we should try another fish, apparently we are NOT good fish owners.

I don't even have a picture of Rainbow because we had just gotten her!