Parent trouble, give reasons why

[OohFeeshy]

It's not for me, its for my parents. I'm trying to get a bigger tank (eg, 12 UK gallons). Been looking in Free ads but all come with either no accesories or a stand, which I don't want. Anyways, Mum asked why I wanted a bigger tank anyway. I said, so I can get more fish *in a slightly puzzled voice*. She said, whats wrong with your other tank (its 11 litres)?. I said, well I can only have one fish in it. Yes she said but you only wanted a siamese fighting fish. So I said, thats all I can have in there. Then dad starts laughing and says, you believe everything you read ( ). And mum says, whats wrong with getting a few small fish?

I gave up. So, it is with a heavy heart I turn to those of you who know an awful lot more about fish than mister "don't believe what a person who has kept fish succesfully most of his life tells you about fish". And mrs. "whats wrong with keeping this fish in this tank (eg. she wants me to get silver sharks!!!!! Don't say anything about them, please)". Thanks in advance. I know others have this kind of problem.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry to say that tank isn't up to keeping anything in it apart from a betta,at a push 3 guppys, but it isn't that big and they do like a fair bit of swimming room, so work on parents for a bigger tank, show them some members beautiful tanks pics to see how stunning they can look, and big tanks are more forgiving in water quality.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I know about the guppys but they are pretty fragile at the shops I've been to.

 

[WILDER]

Get all one sex as you can't being doing with fry in a small tank, say three platys, work on parents.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I don't want guppies, and I will only get single sex groups, thats how they are kept at the shop, (not at pets at home but I will not buy fish from there).
Te idea of this thread is to say why I CANT keep platys etc in my tank

 

[sylvia]

Well just use the 'one inch per gallon guideline' - 1" of adult fish per gallon. Your tank is about 2.5 gallons and guppies/platies get to around 2" (as do most other 'small' common fish) and most also need to be in groups BTW (not livebearers but many others) and all fish appreciate space to swim (they live in whole lakes and rivers in the wild you know). So there you go - that's why a couple of platies is the maximum you could put in there but even that isn't fair on the fish (I reccomend 5 gallons and up for any fish) and why only a betta (which should be in a minnimum of 2.5) is your option - the reason being that they have been bred for hundreds of years in similar conditions and can breathe air - I personaly think keeping them in less than 2.5 gallons is unfair but one betta would be just about right for your tank (as would an ADF to go with it, a snail or a few shrimp). I suggest you print out some articles on cycling for your parents to read - maybe once they realise fish keeping is NOT just about fish and water they'll apprecaite the importance of a stable environment and a larger volume of water.

 

[clutterydrawer]

you *could* put some guppies in there and they would probably live. for a while,a t least. but whats the point when they won't be happy? they'll be more prone to stress and disease in such a small tank, and you dont want to spend all day looking at stressed fish, you want to look at a nice happy healthy fish who is swimming around...

 

[desley]

would little cherry barbs be any good.

They are really cute and don't grow big and my experience was they are quite hardy.

 

[sylvia]

Cherry barbs can be aggressive to each other if in a small space and keeping a single one is not reccomended.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Thanks Sylvia I've had gupies in there before I could read about bettas (and I realised that Pets at home and other shops sold them) but they only lasted a few days.

 

[FrAnK3333]

I know how it is. My mom keeps saying she will think about letting me have my 75 gallon tank.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

tell your parents your a deeply disturbed/depressed/crazed individual and the fish help you to relax and stay normal....

 

[Yenko]

Better yet, convince her to get you six or seven silver sharks and a 150 gallon aquarium to put them in.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Actually I have a tank just that size!! I've only been using it for ~5 months (temporary measures, people...) but I've been keeping a S. American puffer and a Khulii Loach in there. I've tucked a couple of Apongetons in to help with water quality, and so far I've had good luck (lousy Ap's actually keep seeding the thing.)

I wouldn't recommend my situation as a long term, but you could do something similar. Have you looked into Dwarf Puffers? There's several varieties that come in 2 inches or smaller, so just one could probably do ok in that little tank. Its obviously a non-ideal arrangement, but a single puffer fish has three or four times the personality of a single beta. Plus a little fish with a big personality is an easy way to sucker Mom and Dad into a bigger tank...

PS: I understand about the 'rents... My mom actually suggested that I should just feed my guppies stale bread "since they only live a few months anyways." Apparently that's what they did when she had them as a kid...

 

[Aylana]

I would say you could keep a few guppies in that tank, but what would be the point? They would be unhappy in such a small environment and would probably have a short life span as I would imagine it would be difficult to keep your water paramenters stable in a small tank with so many fish in. Why spend money on unhappy fish that you will probably have to keep paying to replace when you could make an initial investment on a bigger tank and some happy healthy fish that will survive longer. Plus with larger tanks you can do a bit more aquascaping to make it look really nice!

I would get some nice pictures of tanks and show them some possibilities for how good it could look!

Aylana