Say What You Want About Chicago's Government, But It Helped Some Fish

By Mae Rice in News on Dec 28, 2015 8:11PM

Photo of goldfish tank via Flickr user Moorthy Gounder

An abandoned tank of fish in a Lakeview restaurant has been rescued with not a single fish fatality, according to J. Capifali, deputy director of Chicago’s Commission on Animal Care and Control.

According to the office of Alderman Tom Tunney, whose jurisdiction the restaurant falls in, the tank was emptied. Animal Control officers were present, as was the cafe owner’s wife.

The owners took custody of the fish, if fish can even be in custody, according to Capifali.

Last week, DNAInfo reported that the fish in Casbah Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant located at 3151 North Broadway Street, were inhabiting an emptying and increasingly algae-infested tank during the cafe’s temporary closure.

One neighbor, Laconda Tsuhako, painted a grisly picture of the fishes’ circumstances for DNAInfo:

Tsuhako said the water level has been dropping for three weeks and is now below the pump that aerates the water. At least two fish could be seen swimming in the tank Tuesday.

"They seem to be gasping, so I would guess the water is not oxygenated," Tsuhako told DNAinfo. "Not to mention, I assume they haven't been fed."

However, a mix of neighborly 311 calls and notices from Capifali’s office have gotten the fish out. Hopefully, they're swimming in more oxygen-rich waters now.