Farewell Gandalf

Gandalf died this morning. She was a large comet, with the most beautiful
tail. She was called Gandalf because she was a survivor - she survived all
our ignorance, and thing like the dogs playing in her murky tank - I didn't
even know she was in there - which was becasue the kids thought she'd be
happy in a big 'pond'. One day I saw a glint of gold and found her. So I
bought a tank and filter for her. Just a small tank, and the pet shop guy
didn't tell me anything about water changes, water testing etc. Poor Gandalf
coped with it all. We used to change the water if it looked murky - ALL the
water, and washed everything. About the only thing we did right was to use
water conditioner. Gandalf had a friend, a fantail, who eventually died due
to our ignorance, and the 'advice' given to us by a friend with koi carp.
The advice was against all the water changes and cleaning, which until then
had worked perfectly. We were told not to do that, but weren't told aobut
partial changes or how to test the water. We found out all of that after
reading newsgroups, and then being armed with the questions to ask.

Gandalf kept growing, so we bought bigger tanks for her, and new friends.
She was good with all the other fissh. We ended up with a 'you beaut' tank
with overhead filter etc - just for her. This last year she stopped
growing - she was about 9 inches long. She was the fish everyone noticed as
soona s they came into the room. She was very good at getting attention - if
I sat near the tank and she was hungry she spat gravel at the glasss and
stared at me until she was fed. She fed from my hand, and was easy to catch
if i wanted to check her. A times she lost scales, and in the last few
months I noticed some lumps under the skin, but she was active and the lumps
seemed to come and go. Three days ago she went quiet, not hungry, stayed
near the bottom, head down, mouth opening and shutting. Yesterday she got
more active, and passed a very long faecal string, which was white but
became very red. I hoped she'd been constipated, and she seemed more active,
and more normal. But this morning she was very quiet, and she was in the
head down position again. When I came home from dropping the kids at school,
Gandalf had died, still head down.

Gandalf was 9 years old. The tank is so bare looking now.

Judy

"judy" wrote in message
u...
Gandalf died this morning. She was a large comet, with the most beautiful
tail. She was called Gandalf because she was a survivor - she survived all
our ignorance, and thing like the dogs playing in her murky tank - I
didn't
even know she was in there - which was becasue the kids thought she'd be
happy in a big 'pond'. One day I saw a glint of gold and found her. So I
bought a tank and filter for her. Just a small tank, and the pet shop guy
didn't tell me anything about water changes, water testing etc. Poor
Gandalf
coped with it all. We used to change the water if it looked murky - ALL
the
water, and washed everything. About the only thing we did right was to use
water conditioner. Gandalf had a friend, a fantail, who eventually died
due
to our ignorance, and the 'advice' given to us by a friend with koi carp.
The advice was against all the water changes and cleaning, which until
then
had worked perfectly. We were told not to do that, but weren't told aobut
partial changes or how to test the water. We found out all of that after
reading newsgroups, and then being armed with the questions to ask.

Gandalf kept growing, so we bought bigger tanks for her, and new friends.
She was good with all the other fissh. We ended up with a 'you beaut' tank
with overhead filter etc - just for her. This last year she stopped
growing - she was about 9 inches long. She was the fish everyone noticed
as
soona s they came into the room. She was very good at getting attention -
if
I sat near the tank and she was hungry she spat gravel at the glasss and
stared at me until she was fed. She fed from my hand, and was easy to
catch
if i wanted to check her. A times she lost scales, and in the last few
months I noticed some lumps under the skin, but she was active and the
lumps
seemed to come and go. Three days ago she went quiet, not hungry, stayed
near the bottom, head down, mouth opening and shutting. Yesterday she got
more active, and passed a very long faecal string, which was white but
became very red. I hoped she'd been constipated, and she seemed more
active,
and more normal. But this morning she was very quiet, and she was in the
head down position again. When I came home from dropping the kids at
school,
Gandalf had died, still head down.

Gandalf was 9 years old. The tank is so bare looking now.

Judy


So sorry to hear about your fish. 9 years is a long time to have a pet.
Sounds like you've got lots of happy memories of her to keep close to your
heart.

Jacqui

Sheesh,,,,,where's that kleenex.
--
**So long, and thanks for all the fish!**



"judy" wrote in message
u...
Gandalf died this morning. She was a large comet, with the most beautiful
tail. She was called Gandalf because she was a survivor - she survived all
our ignorance, and thing like the dogs playing in her murky tank - I
didn't
even know she was in there - which was becasue the kids thought she'd be
happy in a big 'pond'. One day I saw a glint of gold and found her. So I
bought a tank and filter for her. Just a small tank, and the pet shop guy
didn't tell me anything about water changes, water testing etc. Poor
Gandalf
coped with it all. We used to change the water if it looked murky - ALL
the
water, and washed everything. About the only thing we did right was to use
water conditioner. Gandalf had a friend, a fantail, who eventually died
due
to our ignorance, and the 'advice' given to us by a friend with koi carp.
The advice was against all the water changes and cleaning, which until
then
had worked perfectly. We were told not to do that, but weren't told aobut
partial changes or how to test the water. We found out all of that after
reading newsgroups, and then being armed with the questions to ask.

Gandalf kept growing, so we bought bigger tanks for her, and new friends.
She was good with all the other fissh. We ended up with a 'you beaut' tank
with overhead filter etc - just for her. This last year she stopped
growing - she was about 9 inches long. She was the fish everyone noticed
as
soona s they came into the room. She was very good at getting attention -
if
I sat near the tank and she was hungry she spat gravel at the glasss and
stared at me until she was fed. She fed from my hand, and was easy to
catch
if i wanted to check her. A times she lost scales, and in the last few
months I noticed some lumps under the skin, but she was active and the
lumps
seemed to come and go. Three days ago she went quiet, not hungry, stayed
near the bottom, head down, mouth opening and shutting. Yesterday she got
more active, and passed a very long faecal string, which was white but
became very red. I hoped she'd been constipated, and she seemed more
active,
and more normal. But this morning she was very quiet, and she was in the
head down position again. When I came home from dropping the kids at
school,
Gandalf had died, still head down.

Gandalf was 9 years old. The tank is so bare looking now.

Judy

I'm so sorry to hear it. Until the tank moved downstairs, I never believed
you could get so attached to a fish!
Cheryl

Very sorry you lost your fish.
It's great you learned to give her a good and happy life.
My sympathies.

judy wrote:

Gandalf was 9 years old.

My sympathies.

-D
--
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

Sorry about your fish.. I also had (and have) many pets and know how it is
to lose one.

This story reminds me of my goldfish... When I was a kid I had one in a
small bowl.
(I was poor, and couldnt afford a bigger aquarium).
There wasnt internet of course, and no specialized stores back in those days
(and that country).

So the goldfish survived the weekly (100%) water changes, no filter, and "as
much he could eat" many times
a day feeding for NINE years.
He was 9 years old when I gave him away (to a kid). I moved, so I never
heard of him ever after.

I hope he's still ok (if the goldfish can live 25 years)


"Donald Kerns" wrote in message
...
judy wrote:

Gandalf was 9 years old.

My sympathies.

-D
--
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

In article ,
says...

....

Gandalf was 9 years old. The tank is so bare looking now.


My sincere and heartfelt sympathies.
Gunther

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 22:37:22 +1100, judy wrote:
Gandalf died this morning. She was a large comet, with the most beautiful
tail. She was called Gandalf because she was a survivor - she survived all
our ignorance, and thing like the dogs playing in her murky tank - I didn't
even know she was in there - which was becasue the kids thought she'd be
happy in a big 'pond'. One day I saw a glint of gold and found her. So I
bought a tank and filter for her. Just a small tank, and the pet shop guy
didn't tell me anything about water changes, water testing etc. Poor Gandalf
coped with it all. We used to change the water if it looked murky - ALL the
water, and washed everything. About the only thing we did right was to use
water conditioner. Gandalf had a friend, a fantail, who eventually died due
to our ignorance, and the 'advice' given to us by a friend with koi carp.
The advice was against all the water changes and cleaning, which until then
had worked perfectly. We were told not to do that, but weren't told aobut
partial changes or how to test the water. We found out all of that after
reading newsgroups, and then being armed with the questions to ask.

Gandalf kept growing, so we bought bigger tanks for her, and new friends.
She was good with all the other fissh. We ended up with a 'you beaut' tank
with overhead filter etc - just for her. This last year she stopped
growing - she was about 9 inches long. She was the fish everyone noticed as
soona s they came into the room. She was very good at getting attention - if
I sat near the tank and she was hungry she spat gravel at the glasss and
stared at me until she was fed. She fed from my hand, and was easy to catch
if i wanted to check her. A times she lost scales, and in the last few
months I noticed some lumps under the skin, but she was active and the lumps
seemed to come and go. Three days ago she went quiet, not hungry, stayed
near the bottom, head down, mouth opening and shutting. Yesterday she got
more active, and passed a very long faecal string, which was white but
became very red. I hoped she'd been constipated, and she seemed more active,
and more normal. But this morning she was very quiet, and she was in the
head down position again. When I came home from dropping the kids at school,
Gandalf had died, still head down.

Gandalf was 9 years old. The tank is so bare looking now.

Judy

My deepest sympathies to you. I felt quite sad when my goldfishes died
just four months after I got them due to my total ignorance. It must be
so much worse after having him for nine years. It is really good that
you gave him a very fulfilling life in the end.

Srikant

My deepest sympathies to you. I felt quite sad when my goldfishes died
just four months after I got them due to my total ignorance. It must be
so much worse after having him for nine years. It is really good that
you gave him a very fulfilling life in the end.

Srikant

I would also like to send my sincerest sympathies to you Judy, my 8
year old goldfish called Noel died just last Sunday. I have another
fish and they have always been together, it's very sad to see him on
his own. I am also finding it difficult dealing with insensitive
friends and family, who keep stating that he was 'just a fish'. I
hope that you're f+f are more supportive.

Diane