Bikini Bottom has come to Bed-Stuy, and not everyone is thrilled. About two weeks ago, a fire hydrant at the corner of Hancock Street and Tompkins Avenue started leaking, filling a pit in the sidewalk with a few inches of water. That’s not unusual in New York City – but what happened next was.
A handful of longtime local residents decided to turn the water-filled pit into a makeshift neighborhood goldfish pond. They shored up the pit, bought about 100 small goldfish, and dumped them in, along with some colorful rocks and decorations. Photos and videos of the makeshift pond started circulating online and in-person, garnering equal amounts of praise and criticism.
In a Reddit post, one neighbor — concerned for the well-being of the fish — said they had attempted to rescue some, but ended up in an argument with one of the pond-makers. “At best these fish might be swept up in a rain storm down a storm drain and become an invasive species in a waterway somewhere,” the poster wrote. “At worst they’ll suffocate in their own waste, burning gills from chlorine, diseased, overcrowded, and stressed.
The temperature swings alone from such a shallow puddle could kill them.” Days later, the poster — 29-year-old Emily Campbell, according to the New York Times — headed to the intersection after dark and swept about two dozen fish into containers to be handed off to a fish rescue. The incident ignited tensions in the nabe.
Jequan Irving, one of the organizers of what’s now being called “Gavs Fish Pond,” has said the fish are being fed multiple times a week, and that the group intend to install lights and plants in the pit. After Campbell’s rescue attempt, Irving and other members of the group monitor the fish all day. “We are here to maintain peace and tranquility,” a group member told Brooklyn Paper during an Aug.
13 visit. “If we can’t raise enough funds, we plan to give the kids in the neighborhood the goldfish.” The group has started a GoFundMe to “help build a better habitat,” including “ an outside ventilation system for them so they can survive through the seasons so the community can continue to enjoy the beauty of nature.
” Even common goldfish need up to 20 gallons of water per fish, plus filters and air pumps, according to PetMD , and shouldn’t live in untreated tap water. Though they’re considered cold-water fish, their ideal temperature is still in the high 70s. As of Aug.
14, donors had contributed more than $1,300 to the online fundraiser, which has a $2,500 goal. The fish have attracted visitors from all over the neighborhood and all over Brooklyn – many of whom voiced their support for the “pond.” “I love it,” said Caleb Lind.
“It is the combination of artificial and natural. I am pretty into animals. I want to know what they are eating.
” Another neighbor, Pam Smith, said it’s “so unique.” “This is calming for a place like Bed-Stuy where people are always on the move,” she said. Critics of the ‘pond’ say the fish are overcrowded and in poor conditions.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell But others, including city officials, are not convinced. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has turned off the leaky hydrant “several times” since it found out about it last week, a department spokesperson said, but people keep turning it back on — and have prevented DEP crews from working in the area. “It’s imperative that our DEP operations team be allowed to fix the hydrant,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs and Communications Beth DeFalco.
“There are real safety concerns with damaged or leaking hydrants; it can impact the availability of water for fire emergencies, and it can impact water pressure and cause supply issues for the neighborhood. We love goldfish also, but we know there is a better home for them than on a sidewalk.” Unusual animals unsuited for Brooklyn’s conditions are not uncommon — Prospect Park has a large population of invasive turtles , many of whom were dumped by owners who didn’t realize what they were signing up for when they adopted the reptiles.
Another reptile, an alligator named Godzilla , died last year after she was dumped in the park alongside the turtles — also likely by an ill-advised owner..
