Saving "Goldie" - Part 2

"...Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you're perfect."
~Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gaines ("Friday Night Lights")


So the stuff that I got at the local Wal-mart were these fizzy tablet things that were supposed to be anti-fungal and anti-bacterial things to treat aquarium water for tropical/goldfish. When I first put one in the water it fizzed right up and reminded me of an Alkaselter tablet the way it acted. I also added in the stress-coat slime stuff. Hoping that it'd do Goldie some good.


"...And that truth is you did everything you could. ..."


By the next day I didn't really see much of a change in Goldie's appearance or behavior. He was still flopped over to the side and kinda floating around whichever way he went. Every other second I'd see him take a breathe in and if I tried to move him around with my finger or the tip of the scraper brush he'd wiggle just a little tiny bit. Otherwise looking at him you'd think he was dead, but there was just enough life left in him that you knew he was still alive.


"... There wasnt one more thing you could've done. ..."


I thought maybe the tablets can be used consecutively as the instructions on the box weren't really clear. So I put another one in and watched the fizzies in the water. (Kinda cool!) I even increased up the air pump on the bubblestone that was in the water to perhaps get even more air exchange into the water in hopes that something would work. I just tried to keep positive and think that he'd come out of it.


"... Can you live in that moment as best you can ...."


After work tonight I stopped at the store again, this time to get some "ick" medicine. That's only known if you have had fish before or dealt with fish/aquarium chemicals. As far as what I mean by "ick". (It's a fish disease, or illness.) I came home ready to add some into the aqarium.


I was not going to let my Goldie down! I've had him since 2001 and I felt kinda proud that through all the moving and water changes and everything else that has ever gone on since whenever in 2001 (or was it 2000?!) that I got him, that he was living this long. Growing up we'd have goldfish and they've live only a few months or something. I had other goldfish before Goldie and they died, but he was still with me. I have my cats and Mr G Gerbil with me now and Goldie I had gotten before any of them. Even before Porkey cat - the first of the cats that came to live with me. Technically he and Tabby were adopted on the same visit, but Porkey was picked out before Tabby. (That's a story for a different blog, though.)


I had anti-bacteria/anti-fungus treatment. I had the stress-coat slime stuff. I had the ick-medicine. I was doing my best with my limited knowledge of fish handling and raising. I was not going to let the fishy down!


"... And that truth is you did everything you could. ..."


In case you're wondering how things turned out and where they're at now, I'll tell you. And it has a very happy and joyous ending.


"... There wasnt one more thing you could've done. ..."


By the time I got home tonight with the ick stuff and checked on Goldie in his tank...


He had already passed on. Still floating as he has been all week, but there was no movement to him. No attempt to wiggle his fins, no attempt to breathe through his gills. His eyes were silent. Goldie passed away while I was off at work today.


You may be saying to yourself....but Jay, you said that this has a happy ending? How so?


"...Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you're perfect."


As far as my cats, my gerbil and Goldie go.... I do everything I can for my pets. I do whatever it takes to make sure they are ok. With Goldie..... I did everything I could and I know that there wasn't anything else I could have done. As far as Goldie will remember, I was perfect.


"Goldie" Goldfish
2001(approx.)-2008