June 5, 2005
Since You Asked
This fish could go for record book
Here is a question I bet you have never been asked. My daughter brought home a goldfish from a pet store in the mall
when she was in seventh grade. Since I was certain it wouldn't last a week I put it in a plastic pet cage we had, not
bothering to invest in a fish bowl. Well, my daughter graduated in 2003, the pet store in the mall has long been out of
business, and the fish is still alive in the same plastic pet cage. Just how long can they live? The plastic pet cage is
just about worn out, should I invest in a fish bowl?
— Sara G., Medford
The experts at Nui Kai Pets in downtown Medford say it’s time to spring for a new aquarium for your finny friend.
Perhaps a 500-gallon tank would be sufficient to assuage your guilt?
Seriously, saleswoman Deana Larson said a goldfish’s typical lifespan is seven to eight years, but a hardy fish in
a good environment can live 20 years or longer. The oldest goldfish, certified by the Guinness Book of Records, lived 43
years after its owners won it at a fair in Yorkshire, England, in 1956.
Larson said it sounds like your fish comes from good stock and likely was very young when your daughter brought it
home.
Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to
541-776-4376; or by e-mail to
youasked@mailtribune.com. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering
all of them.
|
