Yea, but they should be able to turn the lights on and off if they want the responsibilty of fish.pica_nuttalli said:
Turning the lights on and off is the least difficult of all the tasks. 
dont get anybody anymore fish unless you want to take care of them by yourself. you should get some plant fertilizers and put it in their tank, so the glass will grow a crapload of algae. if they come running to you to clean it, you should just take the tanks away. if they ask you how to clean it, maybe they can handle fish.
Haha.Dorkhedeos said:i thought you could keep 3 dp in a 10 gallon
I am thinking about getting rid of all my live plants and replace them with silk ones anyway. They keep dying on me. 
Make sure they start taking care of their tanks... Wish I had a 29G when I was 12... 
If they don't change, take away the tanks. Simple as that... And yes, absolutely follow through on any "threats" you make . Don't feel guilty, it's only fair!
Well they're not THAT young, one is 12 and one is 14.Discomafia said:What would you expect with such a young kid? They're going to be happy watching 2 one inch fishes hiding amongst plants? Why didn't you get your sis some colourful & easy fish to take care of. Mollies, guppies, platies... Those kinda fish.
But it's too late now I guess...
They are pretty mature for their age, although I guess they lack responsibility. I suggested some mollies, platies, guppies etc. to her but she insisted on the DPs so I gave up and said whatever, your tank your fish do what you want. So she did and she bought them.
I've told them anytime they had a question or needed help they could come on this forum and ask. They are both very computer literate and can type very well and know this site is on the favorites. Hell, they've even been on here before to look at fish pics.FrisaGirl said:Do your siblings know all the details of fish care? It sounds like their neglect could be a combination of laziness/ignorance (not understanding the ramifications of ignoring their fish.) My parents always made me research like crazy before getting a new pet. Maybe you could do the same for your brother and sister, give them a few websites to read and then quiz them on the info. But in all, I would definently have a talk with them, explain that it's not fair for you to do all the work, and lay out definite chores they have to do for their fish if they want to keep them. (You don't have to be mean, just firm. Explain your position and stand up for yourself!)
But they just are too "busy" to do anything for their fish I suppose that is their excuse. I've told them time and time again and when I ask them if they fed their fish they will lie and tell me they did, when I know they didn't as I keep all of the food in my room, and I never saw them go in there and get it.
Good point about not wanting to buy them, but you could suggest to them the idea of buying the timer themselves. I LOVED having my light on a timer, that way I knew that even if I wasn't home at the same time, or I went to bed early, etc. my fishies would always get their "alotted" light time.Raechal said:Yea, but they should be able to turn the lights on and off if they want the responsibilty of fish.pica_nuttalli said:
Plus, if I buy something for their tanks they'll just think I'll just give them everything and fix anything for them.
). Also, maybe you can show them how to clean the tank efficiently. Showing them some "short-cuts" that you have found in cleaning five tanks might help. It sounds like they are finding the fish to be an annoying chore that they don't want to deal with anymore. ), and I keep over 10 tanks! I clean them every week, plus I have 5 horses to work, soon to be 6 
! I have a lot of homework every night(2+ hours), but I still do it. My fish are always fed, medicated, etc. when they need it. If your siblings are not going to take care of their fish, don't beat around the bushes, take their privelidge of the aquariums away 
! I'm not trying to be mean, but get them off their butts and make them care properly for their fish ! If they don't, take the aquariums away and sell them. Again, I'm not being mean, I'm being truthful. Tell them what will happen to their fish if they don't care for them, get mean 
(lol)! Hope this helps some !
i totally agree with this. i think the key thing to remember is that you're their big sister, not their mom. you can't expect them to accept your total authority, 'cause it ain't gonna happen.dartos said:I have to ask: do they know how to clean a tank? I am guessing that they do since you are expecting them to clean them, so maybe a different approach would be to setup a schedule for them. That way they have a visual reminder. I am not talking about marking a day on the calendar that they must clean the tank. Just something that they can check off after cleaning the tank that week, or however often you want them to do it (I think you might be happy with a month
As for the feeding, it might help to remind them if they had their own food. Having the food in sight somewhere around the tank might help them to remember to feed them.
They are early teenagers and no one at that age is going to remember everything. Especially if it is something that they didn't gain their own interest in but found that they liked it because they saw their sister's (who started her own interest in it) tanks. It goes against what most other people here are telling you but I don't think threatening them with taking the tanks away is the best way to come across to them, especially to your sister that isn't even interested in the DP's anymore. Maybe you should ask if they actually still want the tanks and if not then maybe you should try and find a way to sell them.
P.S. I don't really see how grounding them is going to make them enjoy the fish any more. I realize they need to take responsibility in choosing to use the tanks and fish, but making them dislike taking care of fish isn't going to solve anything.
