Rain, snow, sleet or hail won't keep Bedford-Stuyvesant's goldfish pond from welcoming curious visitors, the pond's creator told the Post.
The famous goldfish pond on TikTok is made from a fire hydrant that leaks into a shallow tree hole, and will be retrofitted with a plexiglass system to allow fish to continue swimming through the winter, the pond's creator says. Hajj Malik Rovic said on Sunday – less than a month after it was defaced by vandals and killed fish in the process.
Robick said the pond at Tompkins and Hancock streets is busiest with visitors when it rains, but it's unclear whether snow will have the same effect.
“We're going to put in heaters,” Lovic said. A GoFundMe fundraiser to winterize a temporary pond with an outdoor ventilation system has raised more than $3,000 of its $5,000 goal. “It's generated by solar panels.”
Robick argued that the plan to surround the pond would not infringe on the city's access to fire hydrants.
Pond visitors submitted their own ideas to the Post on Sunday afternoon to keep the fish swimming through the winter.
“Maybe you could cover it like an aquarium,” one person speculated.
Some people say bring the fish indoors until the weather warms up again.
Regardless of how the fish are handled, the goldfish that Robic purchased earlier this summer and dumped into 1.5-inch holes will suffer from temperature changes, chemical runoff and hungry rats, according to The Beast. Physician Ben Rosenbloom previously told the Post.
He called the pet project “animal abuse” and said: “Fish in these conditions are going to die anyway.”
The location has received at least two 311 calls reporting animal abuse since the pond rippled in August.
The Department of Environmental Protection shut off the leaking hydrant several times, but pond advocates quickly reopened it.
“When a fire hydrant breaks or leaks, it poses a major safety concern. It can affect the availability of water during a fire emergency, affecting water pressure and could cause supply issues,” Beth DeFalco, DEP's deputy secretary for public affairs and communications, previously told the Post.
“We love goldfish too, but we know there are better homes for them than sidewalks.”
But some pond visitors say the fish should be kept as permanent residents on Bed-Stuy Street.
“This needs to stay here forever,” said Will Fallon, 20, a student at Pace University. “I like that it’s very community-based.” [oriented] …This is part of this street now. I feel like everyone left their name with all these decorations. ”
“I really don't want this to end,” added Erica Kao, 19, a student at Pace University. [inside] In winter? ”
Goldfish are “very hardy,” so it's difficult to say how long they can live, Rosenbloom said. “But it won't thrive under these conditions.”
Advice from veterinarians to pond builders: Pack and send your fish.
After the property was destroyed, a veterinarian told the Post last month, “Re-house them in a suitable pond or large aquarium.”
“These are, again, completely unsuitable conditions for fish to live in, and vandalism is just one of the consequences of this.”
