Makeshift Bed-Stuy Fish Pond Supporters Pool More Than $2K

BED-STUY, NY — Bed-Stuy's makeshift goldfish pond— made possible by a leaky fire hydrant's puddle — now has financial backing, courtesy of nearly 70 donors so far on GoFundMe.

The online fundraiser for the pond, called "Help Fire Hydrant Fish Survive and Thrive" has raised $2,088 as of Thursday, which the organizers of the fundraiser say will go toward food and a ventilation system.

Bed-Stuy local Hajj-Malik Lovick, 47, told Patch that his friend first had the idea, and that the love they've received from the community has prompted them to dream bigger.

"Now we're looking to see how we could, God willing, seal it off with plexiglass and put heaters in it," Lovick said. "But if not, we're going to donate the fish to local kids and then start back up again in the spring in a better way."

According to The New York Post, people were taking the fish from the pond — potentially out of concern for their wellbeing — until Lovick put a sign up asking people to stop stealing.

The pond, which is rapidly approaching its two-week anniversary, is located at the corner of Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street. Just look for the handmade sign that says "Bed-Stuy Aquarium."

Shortly after videos of the pond made rounds on social media last week, city officials at the Department of Environmental Protection voiced their disapproval and fixed the leak in the hydrant. But the valve was reopened by one of the fish pond's guardians, according to NBC New York.

“We love goldfish also, but we know there is a better home for them than on a sidewalk,” Beth DeFalco, the DEP’s deputy commissioner for Public Affairs and Communications, told The New York Post.