What happens when you combine a leaking fire hydrant, a trip to the pet store, and the good intentions of the residents who want to give their block a sense of serenity? If you happen to be in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, you get a makeshift goldfish pond. Bright orange fish in the double-digits have been inhabiting a puddle fueled by a leaking fire hydrant, and neighbors have deemed it the “Bed-Stuy goldfish pond.” The impromptu aquarium at the corner of Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street quickly caught the attention of folks living nearby and videos of the pond went viral online. Je-Quan Irving and his friends are responsible for turning what would normally be a forgettable patch of wet dirt into a sidewalk aquarium and attraction. Irving said after the idea came to him, he spent $16 at a local pet store and scored about 100 goldfish. Goldfish are surprisingly resilient, but keeping them in the shallow pond has plenty of risks, said veterinarian Julius Tepper, who runs the Long Island Fish Hospital. "You’ve got issues with pollution that could be a problem. You've got issues with predatory birds," Dr. Tepper said. Plus there’s the issue of the water supply. Thursday evening the Department of Environmental Protection crews showed up to shut off the trickling fire hydrant. Irving isn’t worried, because he’s come up with Plan B — “Once the temperature and everything starts changing, we’re going to take them out and give them to kids in the community.” Officials say that’s a great idea and certainly a better home for the fish than on the sidewalk.
