Apparently, it is goldfish breeding season

I have one large fancy goldfish that Alex and I about 5 years ago. She was the size of toonie when we got her and her partner. They both grew quite quickly. The white one developed some health issues about two years ago and after spending close to $200 on medication, she finally succumbed to her illness. We buried her in the back yard next to Caramel, our rabbit and Lucky, our rescue budgie.

After that, I felt bad for the Orange one so I scoured Pet Stores looking for a friend for her. Alas, due to her size, any suitable companions were upwards of $85! Yikes! So, onto Craigslist, I went. After a couple of weeks, I found a guy on the North Shore who was looking to rehome his 4 comet goldfish. They were, on average, 4 – 6 inches long. Perfect, I thought! So, I went and picked them up, brought them home and introduced them to our big orange girl. They IMMEDIATELY started to swim after her and tried to incite a mating routine. Big Orange was not having any of it.

So, for the next year, they have tried unsuccessfully to mate with her. They would follow her around the tank all the while rubbing themselves up against her and doing their utmost to get her to join in. I left them to their own devices as you cannot train a fish to NOT do what comes naturally.

Today, however, was the last straw for me. The four of them started to beat her up. She has lost a bunch of scales on her abdomen and I even saw a little blood. Time to take DRASTIC action. Alex and I caught the four culprits, put them in a bucked and took them out to our pond in the backyard. They are now out of the house and away from my Orange girl. Hopefully, she will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. But, I don’t think she will like being by herself for long. So, now the hunt for another fancy goldfish companion for her. Hopefully, I am not going to spend a lot of money finding her a friend.