The Saga of the Suicide Fish: An odd name, yes, but appropriate. It is based on his (I've decided the fish is a he) attempted suicide the morning after I got him, when I came home to find the fish lying on the ground, completely covered in dirt frop flopping around and, I quickly noticed, gasping heavily. I grabbed him, threw him back into the pond, used half a bottle of Stress-Coat (a true miracle worker) by squirting it over him whenever he swam near the surface, and cleaned him off by brushing against him with the roots of one of the water hyacinths (they are floating plants with dense collections of fairly light, fibrous roots). He was perfectly recovered within a day, no infections (a miracle - thank you, Stress-Coat) and has lived happily ever after. I've had the pond for several months. I've come to the conclusion that this particular kind of comet goldfish -- large with an attractive gold and white pattern -- is the way to go in my little pond (I bought three fancy fish as well, all of which died within short periods of time).. As a note of caution, The Suicide Fish was _not_ a feeder fish. He was sold as some kind of decorative comet (I paid around $5 for him as opposed to the $.20 or so a feeder fish costs). I will buy him some companionship as soon as I can find any more like him. He's earned it. He's a good fish.