Till Death Did They Part:Chubby rejoins her beloved Orangejello

A mere two weeks after the tragic death of Orangejello, his longtime girlfriend Chubby Arbuckle was found dead in the same waters they once shared. Chubby's body was recovered from tankwater surface at 1:20 p.m.

"I had the fear that this might happen," said Chubby's close friend Aubrey the black molly. "She told me after Orangejello died that her will to live was gone. She said, 'I consider that my life is over, and I'll spend the rest of it waiting for it to really be over.'"

Chubby and Orangejello's romance was the stuff of aquarium legend when they first began dating last summer, soon after both were added to the aquarium population.

"They were a fabulous couple," said Neon Tetra. "They were both young and beautiful. It's a real shame, but at least they are together again."

Family and friends are gathering at this hour for the start of a funeral procession that will take Chubby to her rest next to the fresh grave of her lost beau, Orangejello. By special invitation, Miss Celine Dion is travelling from Canada to do an a capella rendition of her classic love song, "My Heart Will Go On."

"These two young lights have been extinguished," said TankKeeper in an emotional statement today, "but those of us who loved them will reflect on the warmth of their love for all eternity. May they rest in peace."

For never was there a story of more woe than this of Chubby and her Orangejello.

Fish march in protest outside SAG Awards

Our community fish are just back from Los Angeles where they joined a massive school of fish who were in town to protest the SAG Awards.

"We think it's high time these Hollywood types give fish their due," said Aubrey, the world's largest molly. "I challenge you to name another movie besides 'Finding Nemo' where fish were portrayed as anything other than dumb animals or food. We're here to say enough is enough."

Fish holding signs that read "Go Fish!" and "Fish are people too!" marched in lines twelve-fish across as the most famous actors in Tinseltown slithered up the red carpet and into the ceremony hall.

"They certainly have a right to be heard," said Reese Witherspoon (above), who won a Best Supporting Actor Award for her role as June Carter Cash in "Walk the Line."I would love to work with fish. In fact, I came close when I starred with Selma Blair a few years ago."

The protest brought scant media attention to the fish cause.

"Our only hope is that Oprah will make us animal of the month," said one fish who wished to remain anonymous. "Otherwise, we're pretty much screwed."

Pioneering teacher voted our favorite human

It is unanimous. Our fish voted Christa McAuliffe their favorite human being from recent history.

"She was just a great lady," said Lucas the silver dollar. "She saw an opportunity for a great adventure -- one that would stretch her knowledge, and that of schoolchildren everywhere, to the limits -- and she went for it. That is such a rare and noble thing."

McAuliffe was selected to be the first "Teacher in Space" by NASA, but her mission was unfulfilled. She, along with her six crew mates, died on Jan. 28, 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch.

"Her dream was to bundle up the excitment of space and make it accessible to children and ordinary people everywhere," said Hercules the Hatchetfish. "We have lost her, but her dream can still come true. We need to dedicate ourselves to that."

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. Commemorations held around the country honored the memory of the Challenger seven -- Commander Dick Scobee, Pilot Mike Smith, Judith Resnik, Ron McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Greg Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe. Freshwater Adventures joins the nation in offering our eternal thanks, good wishes and prayers to the families of these courageous Americans.

Remaining baby fish released into aquarium

Tank officials released the eight baby fish who for two months floated topside in plastic cribs, bringing the tank population back to pre-plague levels.

"With these releases, we bring renewed life and renewed hope to an aquarium that lately has been all too familiar with loss and grief," said TankKeeper in the moments following the release at 5 p.m. today. "May these baby fish live long and prosper in our community aquarium."

The Platy Bunch -- Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby and Cindy -- were released first and are all sticking close together. They were born on Nov. 9 to Mr. and Mrs. Howell, a pair of golden platys.

Napoleon and Josephine, a pair of marble mollies born on Nov. 28, are also sticking together.

"There comes a time when baby fish must take to deeper waters," said a nervous fish-watcher who witnessed the release. "All we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the future. That's the way of things at this kind of time."

TankKeeper names successor

TankKeeper stunned fish-watchers today by announcing his retirement from the daily upkeep of our community aquarium.

What follows is the full text of TankKeeper's statement:

"When half of our office moves to the main office next week, my ability to manage the fish tank each day will be compromised. I have seen fit to appoint Corey Smith as my deputy tankkeeper. Tracy Benbrook will serve as the alternate. In the event that my deputy is unable to fulfill her duties, Tracy will help us out.

It has been my pleasure to care for the fish each day since our aquarium began back in February 2005. I have grown to love each and every fish for his or her unique ways. It will be hard to leave them, but it's not goodbye. I will still see them often.

I am still going to administer medicine and complete the full-tank cleanings, but day-to-day Corey will be taking care of our babies. I know we can trust Corey. She is an amazing fish-watcher and guardian. We are lucky to have her as our new deputy tankkeeper, as we are also lucky that Tracy Benbrook has stepped us as well."

Orangejello, We Hardly Knew Ye

Editor's note: At our invitation, Corey Smith writes about her fish, Orangejello, and the special grace he brought to our aquarium for the seven and a half months that he was alive. This is her story:

The Plattform aquarium is first and foremost a family. And when a member of that family passes away, it is important to remember what made that brother, sister, father or mother special. And when a family member as special as Oragejello passes away, it's important to remember what that family member meant to all of us.

Orangejello was not the biggest fish. He was not the fastest fish, the most colorful fish, or even the most entertaining fish. Yet there was something about the little Platy that we all found engaging. Who among us wasn't fascinated with the little fish's discovery that day among the weeds? Who didn't watch him struggle and grow in the baby crib? Can any of us say we didn't give a little cheer when Orangejello survived his first few minutes in the big tank? And didn't we all smile when we saw Orangejello swimming with his fish brethren after his release? What other fish than he could have brought us all together in such an amazing way.

For me, and for many on the interactive side, the tank will never be the same without that little flash of orange among the green.

But every time I see a new baby born and released into that world, I will think of Orangejello. I will think of what he meant to Plattform Interactive, and of what he meant to me.

Tributes pour in from far and wide

A ripple of grief that started here late yesterday afternoon travelled around the world overnight. Nations across the globe were stunned to learn of Orangejello's sudden death, and tributes have been pouring in from every civilized nation.

From Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England:
"My subjects and I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of this great fish. We remember fondly a fish whom in life we loved and admired and whom in death we will always mourn."

From The People's Republic of China:
"We had hoped that this news would be proven untrue. There are no words to express the deep sense of loss that we feel here. You can always be proud of him."

From Prince Sihanouk of Vietnam:
"Those of us who were fortunate to know him well know that his was a life lived to the fullest. We thought of him as a guiding light, and as such he will always remain."

From Baroness Buxhoeveden of All the Russias:
"In my mind he will live on eternally. What wonderful memories we have of him and of our time together last fall. My heart goes out to his beloved family -- to Corey and to his wonderful Chubby, his true love."

From a special Proclamation by the U.S. Congress:
"This untimely death seems to have disrupted the natural order of things -- destroyed it, really. We must resolve to make something good out of this bad situation. We are determined to cherish his memory."

Orangejello dead:Superstar "just slipped away"

Orangejello, the brilliant orange platy who captured the hearts of millions worldwide, died today. He was seven and a half months old. Tank officials have not been able to determine a cause of death.

The tiny fish's body was discovered lying face down at the base of the Parthenon at 3:55 p.m. He was transported to a nearby hospital but never regained consciousness. He was declared dead on arrival at 4 p.m.

"There was no apparent trauma and no signs of parasite or infection," said a tank physician who examined the young fry. "We can find no apparent cause of death in this case. It is simply a mystery."

Tank officials noted that as recently as 2 p.m. this afternoon the little fish was swimming alongside the other fish."

"I saw him near the heater," said TankKeeper. "He was by himself but, as always, the picture of health. I just can't believe it. He just slipped away so suddenly."

Fish-watchers unaware of the tragedy were stunned by the news.

"This is a sad day for people and fish everywhere," said TankKeeper via a press release late Tuesday. "He was a fish of the people and our brightest star. Those of us who loved him will mourn his death until the day of ours."

Orangejello was the darling of the community aquarium since his birth on Thursday, June 23. His mother, guilt-ridden over eating all but one of her newborn fry, committed fishicide on July 5.

Tank officials doted on the first baby born to our aquarium and were cautious about his care and upbringing.

"We didn't even release him for three months because we wanted him to be absolutely safe," said TankKeeper. "He was such a great fish -- one in a million."

His release party on Friday, Sept. 23 was a national event that brought thousands of fish-watchers tank-side for a chance to glimpse the handsome orange platy in his new surroundings.

Orangejello took to the aquarium quickly, preferring to school with his own kind. His presence inspired many a story in this publication.

"There's no question he was a superstar," said Freshwater Adventures circulation manager Reed Moor. "Whenever his profile graced our front page, our traffic when through the roof. He will be missed."

Orangejello began dating Chubby Arbuckle in the fall, and the couple's on-again, off-again romance was the stuff of Hollywood fairytales. Tabloids had speculated that the couple wed on Dec. 18, but the rumors proved false. Chubby was informed of her partner's death and is said to be bearing the news with characteristic dignity.

Corey Smith, Orangejello's guardian, has been informed of his passing and is dealing with the news from her tank-side home.

Tank officials have invited her to issue her own statement when she feels up to it.

An Orangejello death scare on Oct. 18 crippled the entire aquarium community for hours until the tiny fish was discovered alive and well, hiding beneath a coral display near the Parthenon.

Another famous baby fish, Gozer, died on Oct. 24 of injuries suffered weeks earlier during a botched attempt to release him into the general population.

'Kmanster' denounced as a Bolshevik

One fish-watcher posted a derogatory message to Freshwater Adventures about Orangejello on Tuesday that has the whole community calling for his ouster.

Signing in under the name "kmanster," the fish-watcher wrote "I wish I had him on my death list. 99 points wasted!"

Other fish-watchers who saw the post were outraged, and our office was flooded with angry calls.

"I want him found and I want him skinned alive," said one caller. "Who dare he? He's positively inhuman."

Another called was just as steamed.

"Who knew we had such monsters among us? This person -- I'm being generous calling him or her that -- makes Marge Schott look like a saint. If I find out who did this, they're going to be on MY death list."

Fish narrowly escaped masked madman

Our freshwater fish narrowly escaped a close encounter today with a psychopath wearing a hockey mask.

"He was so scary," said Aubrey, the world's largest molly. "Like something out of a horror movie. I hate horror movies myself, but some of the little fry put up with them."

The masked madman lurked outside the aquarium walls for several minutes, staring down fish with his creepy red eyes.

"I looked death in the face," said Orangejello. "I have never been so scared in my life."

Peace was restored by 10:30 a.m. when the mysterious visitor seemed to lose interest in the aquarium and exit the building.

TankKeeper missing, feared deadSearch goes on despite total lack of interest

TankKeeper, the gentleman who for the past year has ceaselessly cared for our community aquarium fish, is feared dead tonight after having gone missing two weeks ago.

Officials are continuing a nationwide search for TankKeeper, but sources close to the investigation say it's a search in name only.

"He's dead sure as I'm standing here talking to you," said Rusty Tuttwater, city clerk. "He hasn't been seen or heard from since his last press conference on Dec. 29. Trust me, the dude ain't in the union no more."

Speculation has centered around the mysterious plague that was at its height when TankKeeper last appeared on Thursday, Dec. 29.

"This is just so unlike him," said one mildly concerned fish watcher. "He really loved the fish and had a real feel for the aquarium. It's terrible not to know what has become of him."

A few fish-watchers are holding out hope for TankKeeper's safe return.

"We heard that he went and got himself one of those liquid educations," said a fish-watcher who refused to be identified. "That could explain why we haven't seen him in about two weeks."

Love will keep us together

We here at Freshwater Adventures apologize for the gap in postings here at http//:ourfishtales.blogspot.com. As you have been reading over the past few weeks there have been a large number of lost friends and comrades due to a mysterious illness and other causes. Although we have finally seen a lull in the loss of life here, our community is still recovering from the tremendous losses that we have all felt. Fortunately for all of us, our little hero Orangejello has grown up to be a pillar of strength in this difficult time. Orangejello recently received his degree in Counseling and Psychology and the University of Phoenix and has been assisting the various fish in our aquarium that have lost a friend or relative. He has also shown a tremendous amount of patience and understanding while trying to help our young children (the Brady Bunch) deal with a topic that they have never experienced in their short lives. Orangejello has come forward with some very important information for all of us and has agreed to write a brief article for Freshwater Adventures to possibly help you cope as well.

Dear aquarium watchers,

I am sorry that it has taken these terrible events to draw out my first article here at Freshwater Aquariums. I have a great interest in writing having minored in it in college and hope to be a regular contributor here, however right now I have more important things on my plate.

Some of our fish have just been witness to these horrible deaths, others have seen family and friends suffer and then go home to the great aquarium in the sky. I have stressed that the most important thing to know is that it is important to accept yourself and that your feelings of grief are normal. In times of grief you should always be kind to yourself and center yourself spiritually. We have started weekly sessions in our Parthenon where we can all gather together and gain strength from each other. We have also begun Sunday non-denominational services for those that need to come together and worship.

While we have all heard of the five stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, those are really for those that have received catastrophic news and have time to travel through that process. Typically, once a fish is removed from our community tank and sent to the Dorothy Jean Memorial Hospital it’s days or hours are numbered. We rarely have time to even begin that process, so I offer up that there are really three stages that one will go through once death has occurred. Numbness; this is where we are just mechanically functioning. We make our arrangements with Flush Brothers, attend services, and mourn publicly with others. Once all of that has occurred, others go about their daily life driving traffic to lead forms or whatever their daily to-do list shows, and we are left in the Disorganization phase where we come out of the daze and truly experience our painful feelings of loss. At this time it is more important for you to just take a moment to listen and understand where we are at. We don’t need you to try to help us answer the “why”, or change the subject to try and make us feel better, we just want to grieve. Once we can pass though that stage, then we finally arrive at the Reorganization phase. This is where we slowly begin our re-entry into a more “normal” social life. Due to the extreme amount of loss we have endured, it has taken us a while to arrive at this point. I hope that this posting to let you know that we are still here, and we are surviving to the best of our ability, will be a true beginning of our re-entry to our daily routine. Hopefully soon we will be able to welcome the Brady Bunch into the fold in the full aquarium and we can all thrive once again.

Thank you from all of us for your thoughts, card, and concerns. We thought that the wonderful casseroles and treats that you brought by were so thoughtful. Although we will suggest to Rachel P. that she not put tuna in anything that she brings by for future events. Our youngin’s were quite traumatized to learn that you people actually eat fish. We had hoped that they would learn that in the course of their schooling once they are in the tank, but we were able to get rid of the casserole and move on.

Thank you again, and best wishes,

Orangejello

Freshwater Adventures Grief Counselor