When a goldfish gets sick, most average aquarium keepers just accept their pet’s fate. Not 32-year-old Henry Kim, however.
When he discovered several of his goldfish had swim bladder disorder, he found a solution to help them stay buoyant. It’s like a wheelchair for fish – well, sort of.
Henry created a clever, little plastic contraption that helps the fish swim upright. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the aquarium and dying.
Swim bladder disorder can result from several different causes – overeating and dirty water being common ones. Henry noted that he often finds the disorder more common in imported fish, shipped from China and Thailand.
Fish with the disorder can end up swimming upside down or sinking to the bottom of the aquarium. Once this happens, their chances of long-term survival tend to be slim.
Henry, however, says his device “helps them live a longer life.”
With his invention, fish that might’ve once only lived a month or two have been able to survive much longer.
