RonJ
- #1
Back in September, I met with this doctor, a general surgeon working in a public hospital here in Singapore. He moved here for work from China. I met him after my 3ft tank started leaking and was looking for a replacement tank. He had posted on a local website that he is selling his fish tank and everything in it, for almost a give away price. He wanted to move apartment, to a smaller one; hence the sale.
I went to his place and to my horror, saw that he had already moved all the fishes in to a plastic jar no bigger than a common mason jar. He was waiting for me to come and and pick up the fish and he had agreed to transport the tank. He claimed to have moved the fishes 20mts before I arrived so that he can start emptying the tank of water and filth once I reached his place.
He had not emptied the tanks yet at the time. And there was hardly any water in the jar. Jar would have had less than half a gallon water for all those fish. I told him all those fish would die in less than 20minutes.
He had 2 angel fishes, a then 6" long common pleco and around a dozen mollies in his tank. 4 of the mollies were very young and less than 1" long. He said those were 2nd or 3rd generation ones. All of them in that jar with less than half a gallon of water.
And then it was a race against time. I asked him for a bigger container, and he told me he did not have any other jar or container to move the fishes as he had already moved all his stuff to the new place . I asked him whether he had more water, he said he had only tap water, and said had no water conditioner when asked.
He claimed to have kept these fishes for almost 1.5years. Said pleco was less than 2" when he got him. So were the angel fishes, which were like 4" tall when I took over. He also said he never changed water, never cleaned poop, instead he kept an open tank and added water as it evaporated. He said not removing the poop creates a natural environment and when I pointed out that if he did not change water, the minerals get leave behind as water evaporates, he said minerals are essential for fish.
So my "tank buying trip" became a rescue mission then on. I could not believe he never did gravel vacuum or water change. So the question is how did his fish survive for 1.5 years?
He said he didn't have any fish really die. He keeps the tap water overnight and used it next day. No water conditioner, no water testing nothing. He had an overhead filter and 2X T5 that's all. Really baffles me.
The rescue, as you must have guessed was only partially successful. I lost 7 mollies by the time I reached home. 30 minutes away as in all it took close to 2 hours(time in mason jar before I reached his place + tank quick washing and emptying + transport). Had lost 2 mollies before even starting from his place.
Lost another 3 mollies on subsequent days. Finally I am now left with the 2 angel fishes, 2 mollies and the pleco who is 7"+ long now.
It took us 1-hour to empty the tank and take out 1.5 years worth of back color poop+bio-waste plus substrate. I did not touch that stuff. He happily used his bare hands with that plastic jar lid as a scooper. And this guy is a A&E(ER) general surgeon in a local public hospital.
I prayed(even if I am agnostic), that I never get into his operation theater, seeing him, scooping the poop out with that lid using his bare hands, scratching his nose, ears etc, while he was at it periodically. Finally he finished and promptly dried his hands on the black-sleeveless tee he was wearing(with out even washing them mind you)
There are many things really baffle me. Don't you think a doctor should have known better?
Still those events haunt me, putting his bare hands in the tank, never changing water or poop, and the horrific condition he kept the fishes after taking them outside the tank, as well as in the tank.
I am also extremely curious to know how those fish survived. How can this miracle be explained? All the fishes looked to be healthy before chocking to death in that plastic jar.
I went to his place and to my horror, saw that he had already moved all the fishes in to a plastic jar no bigger than a common mason jar. He was waiting for me to come and and pick up the fish and he had agreed to transport the tank. He claimed to have moved the fishes 20mts before I arrived so that he can start emptying the tank of water and filth once I reached his place.
He had not emptied the tanks yet at the time. And there was hardly any water in the jar. Jar would have had less than half a gallon water for all those fish. I told him all those fish would die in less than 20minutes.
He had 2 angel fishes, a then 6" long common pleco and around a dozen mollies in his tank. 4 of the mollies were very young and less than 1" long. He said those were 2nd or 3rd generation ones. All of them in that jar with less than half a gallon of water.
And then it was a race against time. I asked him for a bigger container, and he told me he did not have any other jar or container to move the fishes as he had already moved all his stuff to the new place . I asked him whether he had more water, he said he had only tap water, and said had no water conditioner when asked.
He claimed to have kept these fishes for almost 1.5years. Said pleco was less than 2" when he got him. So were the angel fishes, which were like 4" tall when I took over. He also said he never changed water, never cleaned poop, instead he kept an open tank and added water as it evaporated. He said not removing the poop creates a natural environment and when I pointed out that if he did not change water, the minerals get leave behind as water evaporates, he said minerals are essential for fish.
So my "tank buying trip" became a rescue mission then on. I could not believe he never did gravel vacuum or water change. So the question is how did his fish survive for 1.5 years?
He said he didn't have any fish really die. He keeps the tap water overnight and used it next day. No water conditioner, no water testing nothing. He had an overhead filter and 2X T5 that's all. Really baffles me.
The rescue, as you must have guessed was only partially successful. I lost 7 mollies by the time I reached home. 30 minutes away as in all it took close to 2 hours(time in mason jar before I reached his place + tank quick washing and emptying + transport). Had lost 2 mollies before even starting from his place.
Lost another 3 mollies on subsequent days. Finally I am now left with the 2 angel fishes, 2 mollies and the pleco who is 7"+ long now.
It took us 1-hour to empty the tank and take out 1.5 years worth of back color poop+bio-waste plus substrate. I did not touch that stuff. He happily used his bare hands with that plastic jar lid as a scooper. And this guy is a A&E(ER) general surgeon in a local public hospital.
I prayed(even if I am agnostic), that I never get into his operation theater, seeing him, scooping the poop out with that lid using his bare hands, scratching his nose, ears etc, while he was at it periodically. Finally he finished and promptly dried his hands on the black-sleeveless tee he was wearing(with out even washing them mind you)
There are many things really baffle me. Don't you think a doctor should have known better?
Still those events haunt me, putting his bare hands in the tank, never changing water or poop, and the horrific condition he kept the fishes after taking them outside the tank, as well as in the tank.
I am also extremely curious to know how those fish survived. How can this miracle be explained? All the fishes looked to be healthy before chocking to death in that plastic jar.
