Age of Aquariums

There is a döner parlor around the corner from us. It is run by a Turkish family, the sons have grown up here and speak fluent German but the parents not so much.

I often pop in to get something and have a little chat with the father.

A few months ago a friend gave them a gift of his aquarium with exotic fish because he was moving and it didn't fit in his new appartment. It's not very big but it is very pretty and well-kept. When it arrived it had 23 quite large and exotic fish in it and I admired them a lot.

One evening I went in and the father was looking even more depressed than he normally does and wasted no time in telling me "Thirteen dead!"

I looked inside the aquarium and sure enough there were only ten fish left. Apparently all thirteen had died overnight. I guess it is pretty obvious they all ate something that wasn't good for them.

Apparently schoolkids come in at lunchtimes and while he's busy making koftas and yufkas and the like they're busy feeding the fish bits of döner.

So now he wants to get rid of the aquarium as fast as possible as he says he can't be watching all the people all the time. He has offered to give it to me for half the price of new. And he wants me to take it really soon. I'm still considering it as it would take up quite a lot of room and is a considerable amount of work.

Also I would be worrying about the fish all the time, giving them names and counting them twice a day. Maybe not such a good idea.