A homemade aquarium appeared in a Brooklyn tree bed. Then came the goldfish heist

A makeshift aquarium established by two longtime Brooklyn residents in a sidewalk tree pit often flooded by a leaky fire hydrant has stirred controversy. The project has drawn concern from city officials and backlash from animal rights advocates. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, two neighborhood residents carried out a rescue mission. Using nets and plastic bags, they pulled about 30 fish from the two-inch deep waters. They say they were rescuing the fish from inhumane conditions. The operation has sparked a roiling debate about gentrification in the historically Black neighborhood, which has seen an influx of young white residents in recent years.