A puddle in Brooklyn has gotten a whole lot of attention this week. Why? Well it’s home to some unusual guests.
Below the shallow surface of the water lay a few dozen goldfish. That’s right, bright orange fish in the double-digits have been inhabiting a puddle fueled by a leaking fire hydrant.
Neighbors have deemed it the “Bed-Stuy Goldfish Pond.”
“We don’t have an aquarium, so it’s good as we’re going to get,” Laura Dexter, a Bed-Stuy resident, said Thursday.
The makeshift animal home at the corner of Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street quickly caught the attention of folks living nearby and found virality online.
“Everybody takes a turn,” explained neighbor Ken Garner. “Did you feed the fish? Did you check on the fish?”
Je-Quan Irving and his friends are responsible for turning what would normally be a forgettable patch of wet dirt into the fish home and sidewalk attraction, as first reported by Hell Gate.
Irving said the idea came to him about a week ago; $16 at the local pet store scored him about 100 goldfish.
“It’s a novelty, it makes people feel good. What harm can come of it?” Dexter added.
Goldfish are surprisingly resilient, but keeping them in the shallow pond has plenty of risks, said veterinarian Julius Tepper, who runs the Long Island Fish Hospital.
“You’ve got issues with pollution that could be a problem. You’ve got issues with predatory birds,” Dr. Tepper said.
Plus there’s the issue of the water supply. A News 4 camera was rolling as Department of Environmental Protection crews arrived Thursday evening to shut off the trickling fire hydrant. Irving said at least one person has already scooped up dozens of goldfish as word spread online amongst residents worried about the wellbeing of the fish.
“There is a possibility they will survive, although it’s certainly not an ideal habitat,” Dr. Tepper said.
Irving backed up his community pet project.
“One-hundred percent this is not animal abuse,” he said.
About an hour after the DEP crews left, the ground was quickly soaking up the water – leaving the goldfish with little space to swim. Irving returned to unseal the valve and keep the goldfish alive. Irving says the so-called Bed-Stuy Aquarium has a Plan B.
“Once the temperature and everything starts changing, we are going to take them out and give them to kids in the community,” he said.
A spokesperson on Friday said the agency had continued safety concerns about tampering with hydrants.
“We love goldfish also, but we know there is a better home for them than on a sidewalk,” the DEP said.
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