Do You Have A Plan?

Having a unique hobby is fun, but fish are not like LP's or vintage cars.  This pursuit involves livestock. There was an event recently that prompts me to recommend to everyone, “please, name someone, and tell them that you named them as your back up!"

This solemn story goes like this:  Peter Massad, a long time member Boston Aquarium Society (BAS) died unexpectedly on Saturday January 18, 2020.  We were all shocked and deeply saddened by this unexplained death while he travelled for work.

Peter had 100+ fish in 4 large tanks. He was well liked and had been generous with his plants and fish over the years at the BAS.  At the request of his widow, we stepped up to "take care of" (her words) his hobby room. There was a brief flurry of emails and calendar coordination, followed by a careful, if hasty, dismantling and distribution of all of Peter's aquarium things.  Four of us rallied and found adopters for all his critters within 7 days.  These were beautiful tanks. It was very sad to see his work be taken apart...

Thinking about higher things, I am making the suggestion to my BAS club members that we all ought to have contingency plans. I make the same suggestion to this forum, as well.  Do you have a plan?  Having a buddy system would be a way for fish to be cared for smoothly if the owner dies. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit floored by the whole event of Peter's passing to begin with, just as everyone was.  In addition to dealing with Peter's demise came the surprise of being asked to help with his things; I was honored to do it.  His family was in great distress, but  club members came through great.

RIP Peter.  Obituary for this good man on FB: https://www.facebook.com/BostonAquariumSociety/

I agree - a useful post, with life's fragility and particularly that of a fishkeeper illustrated well. I think contingency plans are a great idea - I keep intending, and this might now spur me into action, to develop a "what to do" guide concerning fishtank keeping (daily feeding regime, tank maintenance and logistical order of what to do and beware of, equipment in fishtank cupboard and its purpose) in the event anything happens to me. Mr FCMF has a fair idea as he's involved in water tank maintenance but wouldn't know certain aspects such as being extra careful when removing plants to ensure a fish isn't hiding among them or when re-attaching the filter to ensure that fish/snails haven't sneaked in behind its position. Also, in the event that Mr FCMF or the next back-up wouldn't want to continue with the fishkeeping (which is almost definite!), then I'd want to leave details of where to advertise/give aquatic inhabitants and my fishkeeping equipment to.

@Dominique that is a very moving story and I'm so sorry to hear that you lost such a great person from your aquatic society.

I've not really considered the topic that you have raised, and I know that some of the gang that I have are not things that people deal with on a regular basis.

However, the father of my best friend in Cardiff passed away just before Christmas. After his funeral in January we had a long chat and discussed what funeral arrangements we would prefer, and what to do with remains. I think that I could give her a list of people & shops who I think would be able to deal with my gang in an appropriate manner, as I don't have any family who would be capable of making any arrangements.

yeah it's something that's never actually crossed my mind, but it is worth considering. One of my friends partner had a heart attack at the weekend, he OK but it was a bit of a shocker he's only a few years older than me.

Al would probably like to keep the tank but although he helps with water changes, I'm not convinced he'd want to do the other bit and bobs.

Food for thought indeed.

That is a very sensible idea.
Years ago on a different forum, there was suddenly a help thread started in the marine fish section. A member had been in the middle of a water change when she was stung by a fish and had a very bad reaction. Her husband promised to finish the water change when he got home, but didn't have a clue what to do and being marine it was more complicated than add dechlorinator and fill up the tank. So he asked for help on the forum and the marine fish keepers talked him through it. All the fish survived and were swimming round happily when his wife was released from hospital a few days later.