It’s been a while since I reported on our fish community. We’ve had a death in the fishy family, which was most unexpected. Silver Streak, the show-off Koi, a real shining star when it came to doing laps in our pond, was MIAย one morning at feeding time.
As the pond is inside our screen-room, there was no possibility that he’d been carried away by one of the many birds in our backyard, so we were thoroughly mistified as to where he’d vanished to. Hubby had a feel under the rock where they go to sleep at night and have siestas in the afternoon, but found nothing. A couple of days passed and then he spotted something glinting in the rockery surrounding the pond. It was the stiff and lifeless body of Silver Streak, who had obviously taken a corner at breakneck speed and flipped himself right out of the water, landing underneath a Bromeliad. His cries for help went unheard, and he’d expired forthwith. Hubby had to throw him in the lake, which, I suppose, is the equivalent of us having a burial at sea.
Blue Flash, the other koi seemed very lonely without his mate, so we bought a new friend for him to race with. I named him Shadow, partly because he’s grey and also because he stuck so close to his mentor for the first few days whilst he got used to his new surroundings. I guess the pond seemed positively palatial after the small tank in the pet shop and even more so after the plastic bag he rode home in.
Five of the six goldfish are doing splendidly and have grown quite fat. Marilyn, with her red lips and blonde head and tail, is especially greedy. She nudges other fish out of the way as she sashays around, making sure she gets more than her fair share of food.
Poor little Freddie, the smallest goldfish isn’t doing too well. He’s not as active as his friends, and spends a lot of time down amongst the plant pots, just dreaming the day away.
When he does appear, he swims sideways, as you can see in my first photo. He doesn’t have much of a tail and his fins are very sparse, so he can’t wiggle his butt and flap his fins like Marilyn and her admirers. He just seems to drift around like a boat without a rudder. Occasionally he makes a supreme effort to right himself in order to get some of the fish flakes before they’re all snaffled up by the others, but as soon as he gets bumped in the fray, he does a nose-dive down to the bottom and it’s a while before he can gather enough strength to get back up again. I feel so sorry for him and wish I could crochet him a set of fins and a long swishy tail, but hubby says that probably wouldn’t work. I keep hoping that one day his fins will grow and he’ll be fat and strong like all the others.
Wishing you all a great and very happy weekend. Tomorrow night we’re going out with friends for Sushi, but please don’t tell that to my fish.
wow, beautiful pond same with the koi fish and goldfishes too did you know that https://www.giobelkoicenter.com/koi-fish-pond-therapeutic-effects/
We very much enjoyed reading about the fishes in your life. Or is it fish? Neither of us has ever owned fish so we don’t know much about them. Your description of your koi takes us straight back to a visit in Tokyo where we saw many magnificent ones swimming in a huge pond at one of the large hotels. Thinking of them being in tiny cages at a pet store is rather heartbreaking.
Peta & Ben
Sorry to hear about Silver Streak. Obviously being too exuberant can have its consequences!
Awww – lovely fish.
Thank you. I’m very fond of them. ๐
that is the most gorgeous fishpond… poor silver what a way to go
I know, right? At least he died doing something he loved. ๐
Sorry to hear of Silver Streak’s untimely demise. Racing sports can be dangerous. I hope Shadow and Blue Flash will learn the lesson and say in the water. I, too, hope that little Freddie surprises everyone and grows to be a strong guy…and agree that prosthetic fins, however finely crocheted with love, are not likely to work ๐
Thanks so much, Helen. I’m sure little Freddie will get stronger with time. The others just seem to ignore him. He’s a brave little chap. ๐
Greta post, thanks for the chuckle!
Thank you. My pleasure. ๐
What a fantastic fish family! So sorry to hear about Silver Streak. XOXO – Bacon
Thanks so much, Bacon. Silver Streak has gone to fishy heaven. ๐
Hope your fish hatch an egg before that happen Sylvia ๐
Poor Silver Streak. So sorry for your loss. We had a koi do that same thing. Twice! The first time I found him in time. The second time BJ found him. BJ was our cocker spaniel. It was not a happy ending for Mr. K. ๐ข
Oh dear, thatโs not a good story. I guess fish donโt have nine lives. ๐ ๐
You have a beautiful fish pond, Sylvia! Sorry to learn that old Silver Streak has passed on. Hope little Freddie grows fat and strong.
Thanks for the condolences and good wishes for Freddie. ๐
I’m sorry you lost the koi, they are such beauties. If little Freddie isn’t getting his fair share, you could isolate him in a net to feed him. I used to do that sometimes when I had a tropical aquarium. The pond looks very well established now, you must be pleased ๐
Thanks, Gilly. That is a good idea. Iโll try it. ๐
Welcome to the family Shadow. Love your goldfish name ‘Marylin’. Hoping that Freddi starts swimming strait soon. #RIP Silver Streak
Always distressing when they go MIA and we have lost a few over the years. Koi are long lived and as they become quite tame one can easily get attached.
There is always the risk of a self-ejecting fish in a shallower pond, especially if there is no net.
I’ve seen the heron that visits our spot take a large yellow koi out , drop it and fly off, yet the koi survived!
They are quite resilient.
Thank you for the update, and the lovely photos of course. Poor Silver Streak – what a way to go, but I have heard that fish sometimes jump out of the water for no apparent reason. I hope things improve for Freddie – those crochet fins should certainly help. ๐
๐คฃ๐คฃ
Amusing post. I love your sense of humor!
Well photographed – I should think they would feel good that you went out for Sushi
You mean, rather than eat it at home around the pond? ๐คฃ
Now that would be most unkind ๐
When I first read the title of the post, I thought you were going to tell us about making home-made fish and chips ๐ Poor little fishy moving on…he will be missed and probably is still swimming in spirit with the other fishies ๐
Hope you enjoyed sushi, Sylvia. Sushi is great and I eat it at least once a week ๐
You have a lovely little pond and real nice fish family. I love that you named those fish. I think that makes them your close family ๐
It’s sad when there are fishy fatalities. Especially when it’s a mystery as to why. I had one this morning. I will have to break the news to the grandchildren, sigh.
Poor Freddie. RIP. I did giggle at Ute’s comment. ๐
Thanks, Jill. Ute is good at keeping a secret. ๐
Isn’t it interesting how fish have obvious personalities which you see once you own them….sorry to read about Silver Streak flipping out of the pond.
I think watching fish swimming around is very peaceful somehow.
Yes, it is a very peaceful pastime. They look so content in their surroundings and have to do nothing except breathe and eat, oh, and make sure they stay in the water. ๐
I won’t mention sushi, but as I don’t do sushi, they’re safe around me. I only do California roll-type things. Saving all those fish for others. ๐
janet
Iโm also not a serious sushi person. A bit of salmon and maybe a little tuna in my pretty rolls. I canโt eat whole slabs of raw fish, unlike my daughter and her husband. ๐ณ
RIP Silverstreak.
Any chance you could segregate Freddie in a goldfish bowl of his own to see if you could fatten him up?
Thanks, Nancy. I think Freddie is quite content and feels secure in his little hidey-hole down by the plant pots. We did try separating him for a short time, but he didn’t eat at all. I do try to make sure some food lands in front of his open mouth. ๐
So sad he died Hopely the other fish stays in the water.
Thanks, Marylou. I also hope thereโs no repeat performance. ๐ณ
Oh dear, I feel sad for Silver Streak. He probably didn’t mean to leave home in such an abrupt manner. Our daughters had a fish tank when they were little and one particular goldfish seemed intent on departing. He would regularly launch himself and land on the floor and, of course, one day no one was there to rescue him. After that we put a piece of Perspex on top, with gaps on the side.
Oh, well at least Silver Streak wasn’t the only such fatality. He was extremely gung-ho with his racing technique. No Fear! ๐
Thanks for sharing fish fry-day. ๐ Freddie is adorable. ๐
Yes, Freddie is very special. I always make sure some good lands near to where he manages to surface. Unfortunately the other fish usually notice, and make a dive for it, usually knocking him out of the way. ๐ณ
Oh dear I hope the fishies all had ear plugs in when the sushi plans were evolving! Too bad about Freddie. I’m sure he appreciated the burial at sea. Best wishes for the heatlh of all in the pond.
Thanks, Sue. We never expected Silver Streak to predecease little Freddie. I think it was a shock to the whole fishy community. ๐ณ๐ข
Aww he was just too speedy for his own good. Xo
Speedy Gonzales. ๐
Thank you for the fish tales… I feel sorry for poor Freddie too ๐ฆ
Thanks, Lisa. It’s hard not to feel a special affection for little Freddie. He has such a look of desperation on his face as he struggles to the surface.
Poor Freddy, glad they don’t know about the sushi ๐ฃ
Thanks for keeping my secret, Ute. Happy weekend. ๐ xx
Sad about poor Freddie, but it’s the down side to getting attached to these lovely captive fishes. What a lovely pond you’ve given all of them!
Yes, I suppose you’re right, Gunta. I am quite fond of the little critters. ๐
Poor little one – promise I won’t tell…
Thanks, Ann-Christine. I really appreciate that. ๐
๐ (Poor Freddy!)
I know……….he tries so hard. I want to scoop him up and hand feed him. ๐
Aww… Better resist that impulse, hahah… ๐
Awww cute!
Freddie is very cute. I think I love him the most. ๐