how attached are you to your fishy pals

[reeferious]

came home today and found my flame angel that i had for 3 years wedged between rocks. now many of you would say it's just a fish go get another one, but for me when i looked at my angel who would no longer flit and dart between rocks and come out to snatch tidbits i felt sadness and somehow the same loneliness that cropped up when a friend passed away. now am i being too sentimentally attached to my fish and putting them on par with canine or feline pet which i both had and enjoyed at one time but was too emotionally wrecked to try again. yes you may call me softhearted.

[christyf5]

When my tailspot wrasse that I'd had for 4 years (he was full grown and "second hand" when I got him) got too inquisitive of my crocea and met his demise I was heartbroken.

I did think about giving away my butthead regal tang last year but my husband (of all people. this is the guy that rolls his eyes heavily when I start to over nerd-out about my tank in his presence :razz:) was quite upset so I kept him. He's not aggressive but very dominant of all the other fish. I'm hoping a tank move might shake things up a little and mellow him out more.

[my2rotties]

I love all of my fish and they all have names. I can always account for each and every one of them. When my Majestic passed away last week I was devastated. I lost my dogface puffer in a freak accident and shed some tears. I cried over my foxface when he died, big time.

Fish have personalities, some more then others. When I buy a fish at the LFS I watch them for a long time to see which one stands out above the rest.

I think it is normal to be upset over a loss of a fish. We feed them, care for them and watch them thrive in our tanks, of course we have feelings for them.

[Delphinus]

When I suffer losses in the fish tanks, it has a terrible emotional impact for me.

Maybe I'm softhearted too, but .. truth is that's who I am.

Yeah there are those who will not see it that way, but I can guarantee you're not alone in your thinking, not by any stretch.

Sorry for your loss. I know *exactly* how you felt, I had a pair (a PAIR!) of flame angels that I had had since they were 1", and at the time of a GFCI trip they were 3". They perished due to lack of oxygen and I'm still choked about the loss 9 months later. I saw them go from skittish to friendly, and then poof, one day they were gone just like that. It sucks.

[Carmen]

It is great that there are people in this hobby like you with such affection for their fish. :wink: It is people like you that truly care about there animals that makes this a great hobby!
I am even sad when my corals are not doing well!
Sorry to hear about your flame angel.

[Rbacchiega]

I talk to my fish and any other animal I own for that matter. They don't all have names, but I feel horrible when one of them dies. Especially if it's a long drawn out thing and I try everything to fix em

[fishoholic]

Sorry for your loss, it sucks losing a fish. Even more so when it's one you're attached too. I cried over the loss of my mandarin goby and my black velvet angel, so believe me you're not alone.

[naesco]

Some time ago I lost Betty, my powder brown tang that I kept for 11 or 13 years.
She was the boss of the tank but in a friendly sort of way.
When it was obvious to me that her time had come and that she was slowly going down hill daily, I still remember her beautiful clear eyes looking back at me and telling me that she was still the boss of the tank.

It's hard to post this post as I am sure it is for others who have posted on their loss.

[justinl]

I do feel very sad when a fish goes. If it's by a cause that i could have avoided, then i feel guilty to boot (and i make sure it doesn't happen again). I admit that my grieving doesn't last long... In my line of work, i deal with a lot of fish deaths so i guess ive become desensitized in a way? Still, I think it's important to take each one personally so you can better your methods.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

To be honest it really depends on the fish for me.

Some I feel bad because they were a living creature in my care and passed. But its nothing more than a guilty feeling. For example, my scissor gobies all passed one by one. No tears shed or any real sadness at all but I did feel "bad".

Now I have lost puffers and been DEVASTATED for weeks. Not even wanting to look at the tank sometimes.

I am very attached to most of my fish right now. Especially my Rabbitfish.

It really depends for me how long I have had them I think.

[reef bound]

I'm fairly new to the saltwater bug, having had tanks up for only one year, (almost). I've only had one tiny fish loss so far, (touch wood), but it was only in my tank for 1 1/2 days so I wasn't attached to it yet. I am dreading the day when one of my "pets" meets it's end. I'm totally shocked at how attached I've gotten to certain ones, and like so many other people I catch myself talking to them through the glass all the time.
Now on the other hand, if by chance something should happen to my yellow-tailed damsels.....................

[Pier Pressure]

I stopped naming my fish - other than Fake Clown, Real Clown, Blenny, etc. It seemed everytime I gave one a name I would lose it. Now I know this is probably just superstitious, but since I stopped naming them - I have not had a loss yet. And I am reluctant to post this as I am worried it will change my luck.

However, I am very sorry for the loss of your Angel. I think most of us on here can relate!

[my2rotties]

Losing an angel sucks but any fish with personality tugs the heart strings.

I stopped naming my fish - other than Fake Clown, Real Clown, Blenny, etc. It seemed everytime I gave one a name I would lose it. Now I know this is probably just superstitious, but since I stopped naming them - I have not had a loss yet. And I am reluctant to post this as I am worried it will change my luck.

However, I am very sorry for the loss of your Angel. I think most of us on here can relate!

[lastlight]

When I lost my Pacu (grown from toonie size to about 10" across) maybe 12 years ago or so it was quite drawn out. Had an eye infection that spread and I tried everything I could to no avail. I had him out in the alley of my parent's place and my friend pulls up on his bicycle as I am trying to bash the poor guy with a big rock to end his misery.

The fish was not dying very fast and I was bawling my eyes out. I was pretty embarrassed but yeah you can get attached.

Little more off-topic than my pacu...I lost my turtle that I had had for about 7 years. I was in grade 10 I think. Anyways my mom knew I was pretty devastated. She was kind enough to call my high school. I get called down to the principals office and I'm freaking out. I walk in and he asks me how I'm doing...he heard my turtle had died!

Still not as bad as finding a cat down in the basement. That's a heart-ripper.

[Leah]

I agree it is upsetting when the unexpected happen's. I really am attached to all my
fish. It is weird for other's to understand as yes a little crazy, I even admit being a
little off my rocker at times. Like when I was coming home once just before Christmas
and could see no lights on while driving up the hill. My stomach turned and I started
in with OH MY GOD. My mom was like what's wrong, generally I am very calm. Oh and
yes I just discouvered that one of my green spotted gobies is an excellent leaper and
found him lying on the carpet. It was to late even mouth to whole fish did not help. Rip
little guy, I am still consoling his widow. All jokes aside I was so mad at myself I was
washing the canapy and did not put it back on as I was thinking it was cool without..
not. I am a believer that fish really can jump. Won't try that again.

[Whatigot]

you ever have a fish die and then feel horrible you never named it?

[wgama]

Ya I had a fire fish named Chimo and I knew he was a jumper so I put eggcrate on top of the tank and he was fine for 5 months then one day we found h8im on the floor! I was so sad I didnt want to flush him!

[fiorano]

i am very attached to my fish... except the chromis they just dont seem to do much for me... anyway my copperband ...alex his name is... makes eye contact and everything when i walk in the room and twitches his hand and stuff to let me know hes hungry i would be totally devastated if he died. same with delilah my regal tang but i do like all of my fish so much some just seem to connect better than others