Daft issue to many of course!
I have a smallish pond in my garden that my Dad helped me make, about 3 years ago when I moved in.
About 5 months ago my Dad built a pond in his own garden.
Not long after this he asked me to go with him to a fish farm. Not my thing at all but I went along for the ride. He bought various types of fish for his pond. He knows a lot about fish, they're one of his main interests. I know next to nothing.
On the way back he said 'Some of these are for your pond by the way!'
I protested. I didn't want fish in my pond really. I liked that my pond had kind of 'grown itself'. There were lots of pond-skaters, backswimmers etc. in it, native little bugs and this seemed to attract birds who ate these and bathed etc.-I liked it natural. I said this to my Dad about wanting a natural flora/fauna type garden pond and he told me to get over myself, the fish would just add something to that ecosystem and it'd be fine. I then said that I didn't think my pond was right for fish. Despite knowing nothing about them, my pond has a lot of algae and I felt they'd not get enough oxygen.
No avail, he said they'd be fine and I gave in. I am prone to giving in to my Dad-he's quite an overbearing character.
I bought some fish food and some 'bombs' designed for clearing ponds and making sure they're oxygenated.
But I was right, a week or so later one of my fish had died. I was upset about this-I am an animal lover and although I hadn't formed any emotional attachment to the fish, I was sad that I'd kind of caused one to die (probably by putting it in the incorrect environment).
My Dad agreed when I told him, said probably lack of oxygen in the pond, and came and took the remaining fish and took them to live in his own pond which is larger, newer, clearer.
Anyway couple of weeks ago I am out in my garden and I spot a fish swimming about in my pond. He's obviously missed one 😡the whole time I hadn't spotted it, so I've not been feeding the poor thing although I appreciate it must've been getting enough food naturally. I don't think they should be on their own, and I didn't want any fish in the first place!
However my Dad now says his pond is overcrowded and he can't take it from me, he'd have too many fish then.
My brother has said he'd take it but I think this would be a death sentence for it, his garden is huge and he had about ten fish in his pond and now only has two as the local Heron population have had a nice takeaway consisting of the rest of them!
AIBU to think this whole thing has been unfair? Should I buy another fish? Or try to insist he gives me another of his? Should I start feeding it?
I can't tell you what type it is, as the selection my Dad bought were a mixture of different types. It's just a quite small, black fish.