Kind Man Builds a Tiny ‘Wheelchair’ for Goldfish Who Couldn’t Float

Animal lovers will go to incredible lengths to help an animal in need. We recently shared an inspiring video of a man who saved a dolphin from a fishing net as well as the story of the man who saved a finch who was frozen to a metal fenced that has left us in awe. Seeing these stories gives us hope that there are plenty of people who see animals as valuable and important members of our society.

And that goes for even the tiniest of animals in need of our help. When Derek, an employee at an aquarium store in San Antonio, Texas, had a customer come in with a pet goldfish who suffers from permanent swim bladder disease, he wasn’t going to let the little fish die. Instead, Derek built a custom wheelchair-like contraption for the goldfish. He sent a photo of the goldfish happily swimming with his new aid to a friend. Unsurprisingly, when the friend tweeted out the photo, it instantly went viral. The tweet now has over 27,000 retweets and has left people in tears of happiness for this sweet goldfish.

The goldfish can now hold himself upright, all thanks to Derek’s innovative wheelchair! 

Sadly, the bladder disorder previously prevented the goldfish from controlling his buoyancy in the water, Derek explained to Buzzfeed. The goldfish kept getting stuck at the bottom of the tank – until Derek stepped in. He created the “wheelchair” out of aquarium airline tubing, valves, and weights to keep him propped up.

“I added weights to the bottom of the ‘chair’ and something to keep him afloat on top (styrofoam), and slowly removed pieces until I achieved just the right buoyancy to make it easy for him to swim around without feeling like he’s dragging around a chair,” Derek told Buzzfeed.

And how is the goldfish doing now? He loves his new wheelchair and is getting around just great! 

Understandably, Derek is being hailed as a hero. If dogs and cats can have wheelchairs to help with their mobility, then we don’t know why a goldfish couldn’t either! We are thrilled to see this compassionate story of someone going above and beyond to help an animal in need – even the smallest of animals. This goldfish is a shining example of how an animal doesn’t need to be able-bodied in order to have a full and happy life.

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Image Source: Taylor Nicole Dean/Twitter