Frankie got an upgrade!
Frankie was one of a group of five bettas who came to us in January. They'd been horrifically neglected by a fish store, then purchased cheaply by a well intentioned but unprepared person. When they got to us they all had shredded fins and were stressed beyond belief.
Those days are long gone, and yesterday Frankie was upgraded from a 5 gallon tank to a 10 gallon tank! As we say goodbye to our older and sick betta friends, the shelf space becomes available to provide our other bettas with more space. We want to do this to improve their lives and make sure we're doing the best we can by the fishes who call our sanctuary home.
When I first started rescuing bettas, I strongly felt that 5 gallons was the minimum reasonable tank size for a betta. But after spending so much time with them and seeing how active and inquisitive they are, I've come to feel that a 5 gallon tank is simply too small. We're aiming to eventually house bettas only in 10 gallon or larger tanks, and this is part of that effort.
In captivity, a tank is a fish's entire world. They can't ever leave or experience something different unless their caregiver provides it. And we know that travel is exceptionally stressful for fishes, so we can't take them for walks like we might a terrestrial animal. With a simple upgrade to his tank size, Frankie's works just became 100% larger, giving him more space to explore and autonomy over what he can choose to do.
So far we've upgraded a few of our residents as the space becomes available, and we'll continue to do this to ensure they're living the best lives possible for a fish in captivity 💜
#upgrade #sanctuary #fish #adoptdontshop
Rushu is ridiculously, adorably small. She also has a habit of resting in the most hard to see places 💜
Usually, she's actually hard to find (unlike in this video) because she'll be sleeping under a plant or down in between that log/cave thing and the plants where I can't find her from any angle. But I never think to record in the 30 seconds I spend frantically trying to find her, and once she sees me she zips right out to ask for snacks!
We love our new girl but she certainly knows how to give a good scare!
#betta #hideandseek #sanctuary #adoptdontshop
An update on our bluegill buddy, now named Tommy 💜
Tommy came to us with a massive burn on his side. He was seen by our vet right away, and the wound was cleaned, and he received antibiotics to ward off infection. Because the burn was so deep (you could see his muscle 🙁) we weren't sure what the recovery would look like. But we're thrilled to share that Tommy has fully recovered, with just a scar left where over the original burn.
Tommy will soon join the goldfish outside in the big pond, which means we'll see him quite a bit less than we do now. We'll miss getting to see his adorable face every day, but we know he'll be much happier with the space and enrichment provided by the larger pond 💜
It's been such a pleasure to witness and facilitate Tommy's recovery. When he arrived he was clearly in a huge amount of pain and completely shut down. Now he's an active, engaged, curious fish. We know he'll thrive in our pond, and we're so thrilled that he's recovered and ready for this next step.
To help support Tommy and our other residents, please visit: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #bluegill #fish #fishing #endfishing #fishfeel #friendsnotfood #veganfortheanimals
Emerald corys are our most numerous corydora species here at Friends of Philip! We have a delightful group of four who spend most of their time close together. They do socialize with the other corys as well, but choose to spend most of their time together 💜
Included in the bunch is our oldest resident, Sasha. Sasha was the beloved companion of a couple who contacted us when they moved overseas for retirement. Sasha had lived with them for 15 years at that point, and has been with us since November of 2021!
Sasha is our largest cory, and is a gentle, calming presence in the community tank.
To help support Sasha and our other residents, please visit or click in our bio: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #vegan #veganfortheanimals #cory #corydoras #catfish #fish #rescue
Spring is here and the goldfish are officially awake!
We had a few false starts on the warmer weather, but things have been consistently warm and sunny for a few weeks now and the goldfish are loving it! They're spending far more time at the top of the pond, enjoying the warm weather and nibbling on the algae that's started to grow on the liner.
We added this net over the top of the pond when they first started coming up to the surface. The net protects them from birds and other predators, and there are many in our area! We regularly see hawks and other birds of prey, along with coyotes! We haven't seen them, but we know we also have raccoons around here too.
We love our local wildlife, and recognize that we're all just trying to live our lives. Oftentimes, humans will label wild animals like coyotes as "pests" because they will hunt domestic animals, but that's just a coyote acting within their natural instincts. It's our job as caretakers to keep our animal companions safe, and punishing or hurting wild animals instead of doing our jobs is cruel and irresponsible.
Many of our residents live in the house with us, but our hens and goldfish have their own comfy homes outside of the main house. So we secure these to keep them safe from predators. The chickens have a metal roof and fenced run with buried perimeter wire, along with a secure, insulated coop to keep them warm and safe at night. The goldfish have a tall fence, deep water, and a surface net to keep them safe!
We also have our two rescued companion dogs who love to "patrol" the yard (though that's definitely not their job!) and they help to further deter predators.
To learn more and help support our residents please visit the link in our bio or click: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #adoptdontshop #rescue #pond #goldfish #spring #springhassprung #warm #sunny #sun #warmweather
Today is Susie's first day out with the other hens!
She'll stay separated in this smaller run for at least a few days until we're confident they're all friends, then will be loose with the others 💜 Susie is a fair bit smaller than our other three, so we want to be extra sure they're getting along well.
#adoptdontshop #sanctuary #veganswithchickens #veganfortheanimals #chickens #hens #backyardchickens #eggshurt
Many people dismiss chickens as unintelligent or "stupid," but we know that isn't true! So many of us never get the chance to meet a chicken who is healthy, happy, and living in the proper conditions to show us just how incredible they really are.
Our newest hen Susie is in quarantine for a few weeks still, and she's taught herself how to use this enrichment toy to get some tasty treats. This toy is designed for dogs and comes with instructions for how to teach a dog to use it, but Susie learned how to use it all on her own!
Chickens are very intelligent and naturally curious. Susie's curiosity taught her how to interact with this toy to get the food inside, and now she has another way to spend her time in quarantine. We regularly let her out of her crate to explore and spend time with us, and she's a sweet, personable, and hilarious hen. She follows us around, talks to us, and is so, so curious about everything happening around her.
Susie is a leghorn, the breed of hen most often exploited for eggs. On farms, hens are only as valuable as the eggs they can produce, and they're killed when egg production begins to decline (usually at around 2 years old). In sanctuary, Susie will never be valued for what she can provide, but for who she is. We love her dearly already and are so thrilled that she will live her life safe and loved as an individual.
If you'd like to support Susie and our other residents, please visit or click in our bio: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #eggs #eggshurt #chicken #hen #leghorn #enrichment #dog #dogtoys #friendsnotfood #veganfortheanimals
Have you ever seen a fish vet exam? The wonderful @drjessiesanders of Aquatic Veterinary Services came to visit our new bluegill over the weekend, and this is part of his exam!
Dr. Sanders confirmed that the big spot on his side is some kind of injury, either from trauma or a run-in with a heater. She cleaned it, reviewed some samples for any signs of parasites or other issues (all clear!), and gave him an injection of a broad spectrum antibiotic to help make sure he avoids infection while the wound heals.
Medical care like this is so important, and we're so grateful to have access to an amazing, compassionate vet like Dr. Sanders. Our bluegill and other residents will continue to receive medical care from Dr. Sanders through their lives, and we get so much peace of mind knowing that they're in such wonderful hands!
Be sure to follow Dr. Sanders to learn more about aquatic veterinary care!
#medicalcare #vet #fishvet #vetvisit #veterinarian #veterinarycare #fish #fishcare #aquarium #sanctuary
Today Susie goes to her first (likely ever) vet appointment!
Susie will get a full exam and receive the reproductive care she deserves to stay as healthy as possible.
Susie is a leghorn, one of the breeds of chickens that lays the most eggs. If you've ever purchased white eggs from a grocery store, they almost certainly came from leghorns. Likely from leghorns kept in extreme and cruel confinement.
In the egg industry, Susie would only have a few short years to live before being killed when her egg production dropped. If she lived on a battery farm, she'd be kept in a tiny cage with several other chickens. If she lived on a free-range farm, she'd be kept in a massive shed with hundreds or thousands of other hens. In both scenarios, she would likely not see the outdoors until the day she was loaded on a truck to go to slaughter.
If it sounds brutal, it's simply because it is. The egg industry is one of the cruelest terrestrial animal agriculture industries, though of course all exploitation is cruel and unnecessary.
At sanctuary, Susie will never be exploited or expected to provide anything. She'll be safe, loved, and able to live a long life with the friends she'll meet after quarantine. We'll provide routine reproductive care that will help to prevent some of the worst effects of egg laying, though unfortunately, she's still very likely to deal with reproductive issues through her life. At sanctuary, our fellow animals are beloved family members who get the consideration and care they deserve.
Eggs hurt, and there are so many easy and delicious alternatives available to most of us. No one should have to suffer for a meal. Please choose not to support the industries that hurt animals like Susie.
If you'd like to support today's visit and the care we provide for all our residents, please visit: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#eggs #chicken #backyardhens #sanctuary #hen #adoptdontshop #eggshurt #vegan #veganfortheanimals
A big day for two of our biggest goldfish!
These two beauties joined us back in January as caregiver surrenders. They'd lived their whole lives before us in just 29 gallons of water, in a tank narrower than they are long. Imagine living your life in a room where you can touch both walls with your arms outstretched, that's the equivalent of what these fish were experiencing.
This situation is so sadly common for goldfish. Baby goldfish are sold cheaply at pet stores (often for less than 25 cents) as a good "beginner" species, so are often purchased as the first fish a new fish keeper has ever kept. Sadly, pet stores also don't inform the purchaser that the fish they're buying can grow to 12 inches long, live for 20+ years, and will need 100+ gallons to thrive. Even the "best" stores will often tell purchasers that goldfish need only 20 gallons.
This kind of misinformation does incredible harm to the fishes themselves, and is setting the caregiver up for failure. Desperate caregivers will resort to killing their fishes, dumping their goldfish in wild waterways, or forcing the fishes to live lives of extreme neglect because of a lack of resources or understanding of what they need.
Please, please never purchase animals from stores. And always be sure you’ve thoroughly and critically researched the needs of any animal you choose to bring into your home.
To support our goldfish crew and other residents, please visit or click in our bio: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#adoptdontshop #sanctuary #goldfish #rescue #pond #goldfishpond #fishpond #fishfeel #liberation #liberationislove
Our new bettas have their filters installed now thanks to everyone who sent us supplies to support them!
We've had a few requests to show more information about what we do for our new intakes, so this video shows some of that process! This is our first time making a tutorial like this, please let us know your thoughts and if you'd like to see more videos like this!
In this video we're setting up the sponge filter for one of our new bettas. These are our absolute favorite filters for betta tanks! Here are the supplies you need for this: air pump, check valve, flow valve (usually comes with the pump), sponge filter, airline tubing.
A few things to note:
These tanks are temporary! They each hold three gallons, which is smaller than a betta needs long-term but suitable for now. Smaller tanks are generally less stable, harder to heat consistently, and not as enriching or good for the residents long term.
We use temporary tanks like these for intakes because they're easy to set up and take down quickly, sterilize, and put in places where we can closely monitor new intakes for health issues. A smaller tank is suitable for quarantine so long as the water quality remains excellent, the temperature is consistent, and the fish has places to hide, relax, and recover.
We only ever "seed" filters like this (step 2) from one of our known healthy and well established community tanks. You should never share equipment back and forth between tanks, and nothing that is ever used for quarantine is used for any established tanks. When we do this with filter media the flow is "one way," meaning the filter media will go into the betta's filter, but never back to the original tank. We do this for new bettas for a few reasons that we don't have space to get into here but can expand on if you're curious!
Anything that goes into a fish tank needs to be well rinsed and free of debris or chemicals. This includes your hands! Soap and other cleaners are highly toxic to fish, so rinse well!
Friends. This fish. He's just incredible. Never before have I seen a fish who looks so bad but feels so, so good.
His enthusiasm is beyond anything I've seen in a betta before, and we are just head over heels in love with him. This video is him telling us how much he would love some dinner, and is such a dramatic turn from him on Sunday.
Sunday, he was shut down, terrified, and so, so stressed. He had visible stress stripes and wanted to do nothing but hide. But now he's in clean water with fresh food, and a new lease on life 💜 this moment is just one tiny part of why we do what we do. But the most incredible part of getting to witness this transformation is knowing that it's just the beginning. He has so much time ahead of him to feel this way, and we are so excited for him.
His behavior shows us that his appearance is almost certainly just an aesthetic issue from injuries and neglect, and we expect that he'll recover beautifully. We hope that he'll have the long, beautiful life that he deserves in sanctuary.
#sanctuary #adoptdontshop #fishrescue #rescue #rescued #betta #fish #fishfeel #friends #happy
