Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

A makeshift goldfish pond beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant is reborn in a tree bed

A makeshift aquarium built beneath a leaky New York City fire hydrant has been revived

Philip Marcelo
Friday 01 November 2024 19:29 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An urban pond where goldfish used to swim beneath a leaky New York City fire hydrant has been replaced by a new makeshift aquarium, days after the city unceremoniously paved over the old one due to safety concerns.

Industrious Brooklynites have taken waterproof liner, bath tiles, concrete blocks and gravel and fashioned a new urban pond in a tree bed next to the now repaired hydrant.

On Friday afternoon, roughly 40 goldfish were darting around the new environs, which were built Wednesday and feature fake, brightly colored plants, stones and other aquarium decorations.

Pedro Zambrana, a 29-year-old visiting from Barcelona, was among the dozens of people stopping by to peer in and take photos.

“This is so cool,” he said, adding that a visit to the curiosity in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood had been high on his itinerary for his week-long stay in the city.

Devang Shah, one of the local residents that helps manage the pond, said volunteers soon hope to outfit the aquarium with a solar-powered filtration system to replace the current battery-powered one.

They also need to acquire a heating system before winter sets in and have visions of setting up a livestream so their admirers worldwide can tune in, he said.

The so-called Bed-Stuy Aquarium is searchable on Google Maps and has its own Instagram and TikTok accounts, managed by Shah and other residents.

But the 44-year-old architect lamented that the aquarium had been easier to manage under the leaky hydrant. The steady stream from the hydrant had provided a constant source of fresh water, so a filter system wasn’t really needed, he explained.

“They seemed happier over there,” Shah said, gesturing to the hydrant surrounded by a now pristine slab of concrete.

Passersby watched intently as he sprinkled fish food into the water, cleared out falling leaves and took water quality readings.

Shah said it’s the fourth incarnation of guerrilla pond, which was originally formed when the leaky hydrant carved out a shallow pool in broken concrete, prompting residents to fill it with store-bought goldfish.

People concerned about the welfare of the fish staged a “rescue” over the summer, but resolute residents restocked the pool and set up a watch.

The site has only grown more elaborate, with painted benches and chairs and decorations.

There's even a sign designed to look like an official New York City Parks Department plaque affixed to the tree that reads, “BEDSTUY AQUARIUM.”

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in