Colleague mistreating fish

[Ericthegreat]

I work with someone that had about seven or eight aquariums set up in our office space. The aquariums were displaced when we flooded due to a hurricane a few months ago.

Most of her tanks were rescued and doing fine…I have adopted some of her gold fish.

But there was a saltwater tank that wasn’t moved and most of the fish have died…but there are a few snails, a loach and a little clownfish remaining. They get fed but that’s all. The clownfish is clearly suffering. They are in a construction area, covered in plastic and there is an aerator. The clownfish just floats sideways at the top of the water and doesn’t engage with it’s environment, doesn’t swim around in the plants like a normal clownfish would…it just survives by fluttering sideways.

I have talked to her about it, telling her that the fish is clearly suffering but she insists that it’s not and will not take action to fix the situation.
I asked my neighbor, who has a lovely saltwater tank with a normal, active clownfish if he will take it and he said he would but he doesn’t have a quarantine tank. I don’t blame him at all for not wanting to introduce a fish that is clearly not well to his healthy, happy tank. I don’t want to bail her out by taking the tank off of her hands.

I hate to see the fish suffer. Other staff members have mentioned it as well…she’s a friend of mine. I fear this neglect on her part will permanently damage our relationship.

Thank you for coming to my tank talk.

[endlessclimb]

That would bother me as well. No animal deserves to suffer.

If you don’t want to take on the tank, I don’t see what else you can do. She clearly doesn’t care, or sees fish as less-than animals that it doesn’t matter if they’re suffering.

I’m sorry.

[chestnutmarebeware]

A fish store with saltwater fish might take them. They usually have quarantine set-ups and would make money when they could sell them

Pull the fish out and tell your co-worker they were dead when you came in and you flushed them because you couldn’t bear to see little corpses floating around.

Or if you’re less sneaky than me, find a fish store to take them and then buy the fish from this person. You would almost certainly get some store credit to offset the purchase price.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Steal the fish.

Screw the friend.

Just my 2 cents.

[GraceLikeRain]

I’d see if a store will covertly take him, steal him, tell her that you found him dead and flushed him for her.

[S1969]

@Ericthegreat

I hate to see the fish suffer. Other staff members have mentioned it as well…she’s a friend of mine. I fear this neglect on her part will permanently damage our relationship.

This is what I would say.
People are talking about the neglected and obviously unwell fish. I will find a place to take it for rehab or euthanasia, but continuing neglect on your part is going to permanently damage our relationship.