We love the many stories about people opening their hearts to the cats and dogs that no one else wanted… but you rarely hear the same about a fish.
People don’t think much about pets like goldfish: they are usually just thought of as a low-maintenance pet that can easily be replaced and flushed away.
But one woman’s story shows that even goldfish can benefit from their owners’ love, showing her fish’s stunning transformation.
Last April, Lacey Scott visited a pet store for supplies, and one pet unexpectedly caught her eye: a big, aging goldfish, clearly miserable in his tank and in bad shape: the distinct orange gold color had turned nearly black.
“He seemed to be stressed,” Lacey told The Dodo. “His color was so dull, and his eyes were cloudy.”
She asked the store manager about the fish, and he said the fish was about 10 years old and was “pouting” after being moved to a smaller tank after he was brought in by his old owner, according to her Instagram.
Lacey’s heart broke for the old fish, and decided to buy him for $10, hoping she could nurse him back to health.
She says no one had faith in her plan: both the store owner and her husband thought the fish would just be dead in a week.
Indeed, helping the goldfish, who she named Monstro, proved to be a challenge.
“He wasn’t eating and was severely underweight,” Lacey wrote. “His eyes were cloudy, he’d lost his buoyancy due to swim bladder issues, and because of that he had lesions on his belly from laying on the bottom of the tank.”
But Lacey’s work paid off, and soon she proved everyone’s fears wrong.
“To my amazement, after about a week of daily treatments and water changes he began to eat, then began to swim for brief periods of time. After about a month his swim bladder had improved enough that he no longer constantly lay on the bottom of the tank anymore.”
His true colors started reappearing, as did his friendly demeanor.
“I’ve found so much joy in just watching his personality come out,” Lacey told The Dodo. “It’s been really inspiring to watch him transform.”
“I’ve seen a lot of people saying that it’s not the same fish and honestly, I can’t blame them,” she added. “I really had no idea that he’d change so much.”
Now this fish who was only given a week to live and written off by everyone could live for years to come. He was moved to a bigger tank and his happily swimming around living his best life.
How amazing! We can’t believe that’s the same goldfish! It really shows the difference a little love and care can make in a pet’s life, no matter what kind of animal they are.
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