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 ๐
#upgrade #sanctuary #fish #adoptdontshop
Rushu is ridiculously, adorably small. She also has a habit of resting in the most hard to see places ๐
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 ๐
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 ๐) 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 ๐
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
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 ๐ 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 youโve 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 ๐ 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
We got a fair bit of snow last night, and this is the pond at the start of the snowfall and the aftermath this morning!
You can see that our pumps are doing their jobs well and keeping the pond from freezing over. This guarantees that the goldfish who are resting at the bottom of the pond have plenty of oxygen and stay safe through these colder months ๐
#snow #storm #winter #pond #frozen #goldfish #adoptdontshop #Sanctuary #fish ##fishfeel
The snow came to Reno a bit late this season, but finally made an appearance this week!
The pond had a substantial amount of ice on Sunday, and a fair bit has melted away already. We expect more to accumulate tonight with the storm that's kicking up now.
Caring for our pond residents looks very different in winter than the rest of the year! Here are few important things to know:
Goldfish go into a semi-hibernation like state called "torpor" when water temperatures drop into the low 40s and below. Their activity levels drop dramatically and they stop eating! As the water warms back up in spring they'll return to their typical active selves. This is normal for cold water fish species and perfectly safe so long as we manage the pond correctly!
The big concern through winter (and generally) is oxygenation and water quality! We can't let the pond completely freeze over, and we can't let the cycle in the pond die and stop processing the waste. Luckily, both of these are helped by the same thing: water movement! We moved the outlet for the pump into the main body of the pond and added an air pump to help agitate the surface and prevent the pond from freezing over. This also increases the amount of oxygen in the water and ensures our goldfish have enough!
Otherwise, with a bit of preparation, winter pond management isn't too bad! Our goldfish will relax comfortably at the bottom through the season, then be ready to wake up and enjoy warmer temperatures with us in spring!
This is our first winter with the in-ground pond, so we weren't sure what the ice was going to look like. After seeing the initial freeze, we have another air pump coming this week that will help to keep more ice away. This isn't really necessary, but will guarantee that our goldfish always have exactly what they need to go through winter safely ๐
While this has worked for us, every pond and climate is different! The layout of your pond or the weather you get may require additional or different co
Phantom survived for an astonishing 2 months and 6 days in a tiny plastic cup on a pet store shelf.
Just six days after coming home, he is already unrecognizable as the same scared, pale little fish he was at the store. His colors are darker, he's gained a little weight, and, most importantly, his personality has started to shine.
No animal will thrive in a tiny container, and the cups bettas are sold in are particularly cruel. The fish is exposed, cold, stressed, and at the whim of every passerby. We've witnessed people tap, shake, and generally roughly handle the cups these poor fish are stuck in, and the fish has no way to escape or seek safety.
If they're lucky, the water might be changed a few times a week, but that depends on the amount of time the employees have. Waste products like ammonia accumulate rapidly and burn the fish's skin, gills, and eyes. The water is cold, and temperatures can fluctuate rapidly with such a small volume.
All of this is terrible, but just a small snapshot of the horrible lives these animals are forced into. Conditions in shipping and at the farms they come from are no better, and often worse.
These animals live with constant stress and poor conditions, and it's not surprise that so many of them die as a result. We consistently see amazing, rapid transformations like Phantom's, simply by providing the individual with the care they need and deserve.
Please choose not to support the industries that hurt these incredible animals. Choose adoption.
#adoptdontshop #sanctuary #fishfeel #transformation #betta #adopt #chooseadoption #rescue #fish #betta
This is the first time ever that this fish has had so much space.
He may have spent time as a very young baby in a larger tank with all his siblings, but would have been separated out shortly after and spent the remainder of his time in tiny containers.
Bettas must be kept separate because they're very aggressive to each other and can be aggressive to other fishes as well. This is used as justification for keeping them in cruelly small containers like the plastic cups you see on pet store shelves. This is then compounded by the myth that bettas live in puddles in the wild, which makes people think they will thrive in tiny bowls. Many, many bettas on pet store shelves today will spend their entire lives in less than a gallon of water.
In reality, a wild betta will maintain a large territory, and bettas in captivity will always do better in a larger tank. We encourage a five gallon minimum, but really larger is even better. The tank a fish lives in is their entire world, and it's our job to give them the best possible life in captivity.
We're so thrilled this boy is here, and heartbroken for all the other fishes like him who are suffering in the pet trade.
If you'd like to support our work please visit: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #fishfeel #betta #fish #adoption #adoptdontshop #rescue #rescueisforeveryone #rescued #vegan #veganfortheanimals
Today is #givingtuesday and the second day of our Bonfire merch campaign!
Your support means the world to us and our residents, it lets us continue to rescue and advocate for fishes and aquatic life. Fish are so often overlooked, both in rescue and in day to day life, and your support shows the world that fish are just as worthy of love, respect, and dignity as everyone else.
If you're able, please consider supporting us today. You can find links in our bio to purchase a Friends of Philip shirt or sweatshirt through Bonfire, or you can donate directly through PayPal or Patreon. You can also support our residents by sending ever-needed supplies from our Amazon or Chewy wishlist.
Thank you so much for your support and for sharing our love of aquatic life ๐
#sanctuary #fish #friendsnotfood #vegan #fishfeel #rescuefish #rescue #adoptdontshop
Exciting news! Friends of Philip has launched our first Bonfire campaign!
You can buy shirts and sweatshirts with the lovely design featured here through the link in our bio! Bonfire handles order fulfillment, then the proceeds go directly to our residents!
We've set up an 8 day campaign that ends on December 4th, so orders should arrive by the 22nd!
We spend a huge amount veterinary care for our residents, and this year hit particularly hard with Lucille's illness and the loss of Annabelle. Our goal with this campaign is the be ready for any new expenses going into 2024 so we can continue to provide our residents with the fabulous medical and day to day care that everyone deserves.
Thank you so much for your support!
#sanctuary #bonfire #fundraise #merch #fish #rescuefish #friendsnotfood #vegan #adoptdontshop
Adopt don't shop applies to everyone. Please choose not to support the industries that harm our fellow animals.
Bettas and countless other species suffer immensely in the pet trade every day, but we don't have to pay for that suffering if we want to share our lives with animal companions. You can help an animal in need when you choose adoption, and adopting will also help to end the perpetuation of these industries that hurt them so terribly.
Other animals are here with us, not for us. They deserve our respect and consideration, no matter what species or size. Please choose compassion.
#vegan #veganfortheanimals #adoptdontshop #sanctuary #rescue #rescueismyfavoritebreed #fish #betta #bettas #aquarium #fishfeel
Another exciting day for our goldfish residents! We moved our remaining goldfish into the pond, and they got to meet the rest of the crew for the first time!
Because of limited space and the care needs of goldfish, we've always had two separate populations of common goldfish: 16 in one stock tank and 11 in another. After meeting yesterday, the groups have completely merged and are spending all their time together ๐
We still have a group of goldfish in quarantine who will join the pond this year (introduction to come), and we're still deciding if our group of teeny tinies will go in this year or spend the winter inside growing big!
#sanctuary #goldfish #rescueismyfavoritebreed #rescue #rescued #vegan #veganfortheanimals #pond #goldfish #fishpond #goldfishpond
16 of our goldfish residents have moved into the new pond!
We had the waterfall turned off to see them more clearly, but the pond is running well and the goldfish are doing great! Some of these goldfish came from the most horrific cases of abuse and neglect that we've seen, so to see them now living free in a pond built just for them is so incredible.
Over the next few days we'll share more of their individual stories, and will also be moving in more of our goldfish residents to join them ๐
To help support our goldfish and other residents please visit: linktr.ee/friendsofphilip
#sanctuary #pond #goldfish #friends #liberation #liberationislove #vegan #rescue #rescuefish #adoptdontshop
We turned the pond on today! The waterfall flows wonderfully, doesn't leak (so far) and everything works just how we want it!
We are so, so excited about this project. Friends of Philip is home to goldfish who were won as carnival prizes, who were abandoned to die in the summer sun in glass aquariums, who were neglected and suffering in filthy pet store tanks, and who lived their entire lives before us in less than 20 gallons of water. These goldfish deserve the world, and we're so thrilled to finally be able to give it to them.
There's a lot of aesthetic work to do still, including covering some of the sealant where the pebbles fell off trimming the liner, and making the stock tank look a bit less like a stock tank ๐ but we're so excited to see things in action! The only thing holding up move in day is covering the sealant, getting the filter installed, and adding netting for predator protection. We hope to start moving them in within two weeks!
#adoptdontshop #pond #goldfish #fishpond #sanctuary #friends #rescuefish #rescue #fish #fishfeel
