It was becoming painfully clear that either setting up our own pond for him or trying to fund a 125+ gallon tank for him was not in the stars right now. So, I talked with my friend who runs a pet store about it, and she has a close friend with a gorgeous backyard pond with a few fish, and Goldie went to his new home the day before my birthday. Sounds ironic, but it was the best gift I could have received - knowing that he's got gallons and gallons of space to roam around in, buddies to interact with, and he gets to swim around under the sun and in the open air.
He started out maybe two inches long. The only survivor of a dozen that were put in a 5 gallon stagnant bucket wishing well at the local shelter. When we went to collect a different aquarium from there, the former manager had also tossed a dozen tropical fish in the bucket rather than waiting for us, and they all died, too. He was a miracle fish! He also survived three friends that we tried to get for him. (Two from bacterial infections within a week of coming home, and then Gail who had severe facial injuries but was with us for a year and half before she passed.)
My only regret is that I didn't think to take photos before we sent him home. My friend was kind enough to snap some photos as he was being released and of him swimming around after. I feel so much better being able to see that he's okay. (And then she gave birth to her new baby the next day, because she's hardcore awesome like that. I don't have permission to share the photos yet and I'm not bugging her anytime soon.
) Fins and all he was almost as long as the standard scrub bucket was wide. Quite a lot of growth since November 2012! Yep, I had to scoop him up in his tank cleaning bucket he was so big.
Since I don't have a good recent photo, here's the first one I ever took when he first came home. (Little Adalynd is still with us and not going anywhere....... and is not much bigger than then, actually...)
). She brought home four & these two are the survivors. They've at least tripled in size! I know she'll be faced with making this decision at some point as well. She has them in a 40-gal aquarium for now.
