Man Builds a ‘Wheelchair’ for Little Goldfish with a Disability

Derek Burnett, manager at Aquarium Designs in San Antonio, received a goldfish from owners who had given up hope on taking care of the little creature. As Bored Panda explains, the fish has swim bladder disease which renders it unable to control its buoyancy, causing injuries. With a background in marine biology, Burnett went to work thinking about how he could help the goldfish stay upright.

Burnett took his new fish friend home and built it a “wheelchair” of sorts. Today.com says the contraption is made of “tubing and netting, securing to the fish’s body without abrasion by using weights on the bottom and Styrofoam on top to keep him properly positioned.” Incredibly, the device works, and this little fishy can swim with ease.

Burnett and his fish were brought into the spotlight by local YouTuber and fish fan Taylor Nicole Dean. She posted a photo of the wheelchair to Twitter, and the post gained over 11,000 likes. Burnett is happy to see the photo spread. He told Today.com, “I have to say, I kind of anticipated this reaction. The message that I really hope spreads from this story isn’t just that fish are more complex pets than people think, but that they deserve as much care as any pet we bring into our home!”