The fish in this picture is dead. Skipper was purchased at PetSmart for $6.27 including tax in July 2005 to be used in this photo shoot.
My intention was to return him to the store when I was done as I had no intention of housing the one animal I love to eat, but the photo turned out well and I decided to adopt him.
After 2 years, and three tanks, Skipper got big, then fat, and later began swimming upside down on a regular basis. I resorted to the internet to remedy his suspected swim bladder infection and began to feed him thawed, frozen peas which he ate with particular zeal. After returning from a trip, I noticed he was gasping in the corner of his tank, upsidedown. Not dead yet, I offered him more peas. He was not in the mood. I waited a few days to see if he might right himself. It did not happen. Again I referenced the interenet now searching, "fish euthanasia" and found that I had the ingredients in my kitchen to put him to sleep in a gentile way. I used 1/4 cup baking soda in 1/2 gallon of his own water. Add one sick fish and Skipper slipped away in a carbon dioxide slumber. The last step was to freeze the fish in a ziplock bag to make sure the deed was done. He now rests between the dill and oregano in my garden. Exactly where he'd want to be.
