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| Name: |
Lucky, Chance
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Age: |
Three years old
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Goldfish
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| Home: |
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Introducing Lucky and Chance, the Goldfish Girls. Raising goldfish is more of a challenge than people realize. They have specific dietary requirements, and need constant maintenance of water quality. Even with these challenges, I never regret the day I found Lucky and Chance, my two amazing goldfish.
I was a sophomore student at Farmingdale State College on Long Island. After a long morning of anthropology class, I decided to visit one of the halls, where much of the student body used as a hangout to read, play video games, or grab a bite to eat. I sat at one of the tables, about to pull out my sketchpad, when I turned to my right and felt my jaw go slack. Was I really seeing this, or did I just stay up too late? Two tiny goldfish, estimated to be about a year old, were crammed in a plastic bowl with a slimy layer of food coating the bottom. In front of the bowl was a note reading the following: Do not touch. Experiment in progress.
HA! Not on my watch! I was outraged that someone could leave two defenseless creatures around a bunch of rowdy college students. I asked several people if they could believe this was happening, or knew the origin of the tiny creatures, but all had no idea. After asking a nice girl to watch the fish for me, I ran into the dean's office down the hall. The secretary was shocked to learn about the goldfish. I asked her for some type of lid, and she rummaged around her desk to find an old Chinese food container lid used for soup. That would work! While I secured the lid with as much tape as possible, the dean emerged and told me that this school doesn't allow animal testing, so the fish were mine. With shaking hands, I emailed my professor, who loved animals, and told her that I had to get these fish to safety. My mother and father were reluctant to accept. After all, I had a cat, seven frogs, and a Plecostomus fish that was over a foot long! I drove home with hands trembling at the wheel with these little orange fish on the floor of my truck. Thankfully, they arrived in their new forever home safe, and have been growing ever since. They were named Lucky and Chance after their harrowing story! I later learned that they were part of a experiment for a Sociology class to see if someone would be malicious or caring. In the hall, I found a pair of sunglasses with the same type of note.
Like people, goldfish each have their own personality. While Chance is outgoing and loves attention, Lucky tends to hide in her shadow and stay back. They occasionally chase after one another as siblings will, but love to cuddle in the evenings. Every day when I wake up, they are always excited to see me, and love when people go upto the tank to marvel at their beauty! The Goldie Girls favorite foods are: romaine lettuce, bloodworms, brine shrimp, dried mealworms, and flake food.
Chance, because she is more outgoing, is definitely the lead girl. I've actually watched a strange behavior where Chance eats at the surface where fresh food is, and Lucky eats below her. If Lucky attempts to eat too much at once, Chance chases her back in line. It makes me wonder if fish engage in alpha-beta relationships like wolves.
People wouldn't suspect that fish have fun, but they do! I have a huge air stone in the tank that's about a foot long. Both fish love to sit in the bubbles. I call it a tail spa!
My girls don't react to my voice, but do react when they see me. Chance gets super excited and does a little wiggle dance with flapping fins, which in fish means "Hello!"
From this story, I want people to realize that goldfish aren't prizes, nor are they just turtle food. If treated right with love and respect, goldfish make amazing and cute pets that can be treasured for years.
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Talk about Lucky and Chance the Goldfish in Pet Talk!
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