Siblings having tanks

[Raechal]

Okay so I gave my younger brother (he is 12) my 29 gallon to make room for my 120 gallon in my room and my two 10 gallons for my goldfish and my bettas. He liked cories so he has 4 cories in there as of now and will most likely get some more later on. The thing is, he never feeds them, never does water changes, and sometimes he forgets to turn the lights on and off in the morning and at night.

I gave my little sister an extra 10 gallon I had as she wanted a pair of dwarf puffers. It spent about a month cycling it and getting it perfect for them and she bought them a few days ago. He hood has a built in light and it is above the water so it keeps the water pretty warm when left on. I checked her tank today and it was 85 F She must have left he light on all night long! She also wants to add more fish as she thinks the DP's are not enough for her tank. She doesn't get the fact that it doens't matter if they are tiny, they are territorial and NOT a community fish.

I just wish I never would have given them any of my tanks. Now I am stuck with cleaning, feeding, water-changing, and gravel vacuuming 8 tanks. 5 of them are mine, and one of them is my moms, the other two are my little brother and sister's. I don't mind doing my mom's as she pays for my "fish addiction" and buys me fish food,plants, fish etc. whenever I want or need them. So in return I maintain her fish and stuff like that.

So, what should I do? Should I just suck it up and keep taking care of their fish? Or should I have a serious talk with them and tell them they need to pay more attention to them? They are the kind of people who don't listen to what their older sister has to say. They'll say, "Okay I will." and then two days later I will be doing it for them.

What would you do in a situation like this?

 

[Paul_MTS]

threaten to close them down if they don't take action and nothing changes in a week close them down!!

 

[Johnny V]

i would either a) take back the tanks due to their negligence (sp?), or B ) sit them down with your mom and explain how and why they should or you will take back their tanks. or c) sell their tanks. I wouldn't keep taking care of them. They're not your tanks anymore, therefore not your responsibility.

 

[laboul]

This is a tough one. It is so fun to share your hobbies with younger relatives, especially when you are getting excited about it yourself. I was going to do this with my nephew but I just think he'd get disinterested after awhile and might try again when he's a little older, maybe 12 or 13...

I'd give them a serious talking to and tell them if they don't shape up, you're going to have to get rid of these tanks because it's too much work for you (you can think about what you would actually DO with all these fish in the meantime!) Give them a timeline, some rewards if they take care of the fish (well, teh fish should be their own reward!!) and consequences if they don't. But you have to think about what those consequences will be...

What a lot of work for you, 8 tanks!!! I am busy enough with just one! I tend to agree with Johnny V.

 

[Jen]

If they want the fish, then they should take on all the responsability that goes along with it - Feeding, cleaning and all the rest. I know you can't take the tanks away from them, but it isn't your job to look after their pets.

 

[BettaMomma]

I would take them all back and line the walls in my room with tanks, if I were you.



Honestly, I would have a talk with them all.
Am I correct to assume that all these tanks are at least under one roof? if so, then I would still have a talk with them, then just make sure the fish are being taken care of... even if you have to do it. Either way your family should know that it upsets you that they're not taking care of them.

 

[Raechal]

Well I payed for the 29 gallon and everything inside the 10 gallon besides 2/4 of the cories so technically I can take it back if I wanted to. But I'd feel bad. I mean I know they have school in the daytime, but they could atleast TRY to help out on the weekends. I would sell the tanks, but where would I keep the DPs? I could easily stick the cories in my 120 gal, but the DPs are a different story. And I can't put them in my room as I have no more room for anymore tanks unless they are like small 2 gallon betta tanks. I talked to my mom about it and she said that I should just let her handle it and if they die then she'll know it was her fault and she shouldn't have anymore fish. But I feel bad just "letting" them die. I guess I will talk to them and if things don't change, I'll talk to my dad about it and he'll do something like ground them or something like that until they can prove they can take care of them.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Set them down and tell them that either they take care of their fish, or they become your fish, and you'll do whatever you want with them. Then follow through, because if you go wishywashy on them they'll never believe you when you lay down the law.

 

[Raechal]

Bettamomma- Yes we all live under one roof. I can't possibly fit anymore tanks in my room, I'd have to start buying more furnitue to set them on, unless I stacked them on the floor.

I enjoy taking care of them and watching them, but sometimes it gets to be too much especially for one person taking care of 8 tanks. I am struggling now as my 120 just had an outbreak of internal parasites, my goldfish just got over ich, and my betta is just now getting over his finrot. Plus I have an electric 55 gallon that shocks you when you put your finger in the tank.

Although, we have fixed that problem for now...we just unplugged everything except the filters and it isn't electrified anymore.

 

[Raechal]

And another thing that gets me upset is that my little sister wanted those DPs for months and I repeatedly told her that she could only keep 2 and NOTHING else. Maybe some kind of plec or otos MAYBE, but I wouldn't risk it and she said, "that's fine I only want 2 DPs" So now she has them and she wants something else. I told her she was the one who wanted the DPs so bad and she said, "Well they looked cool at the store, but now I don't really like them that much." Now she wants to give my little brother her 10 gallon for him to put his cories in, me find somewhere for the DP's (aka buy another tank) and give her the 29 gallon to get cichlids in.

 

[Paul_MTS]

'll stick by my initial words, if your sister can't look after the DP's properly first then there's no way i would switch the tanks round for her!!

oh and the electrified water tends to be knackered heaters we get it alot at work, can be quite fun!!

 

[Raechal]

'll stick by my initial words, if your sister can't look after the DP's properly first then there's no way i would switch the tanks round for her!!

oh and the electrified water tends to be knackered heaters we get it alot at work, can be quite fun!!

But it is leaking underneath the cabinet where the air pump hose leads. I was thinking maybe the air pump is acting as a syphon and sucking water out? But it may be the heater as well. Both are unplugged, along with the lights, so it is one of those three. I'm ruling out the lights though, so it could be the heater or air pump.

 

[Paul_MTS]

ah ha, try a check valve on the airpump so it can't syphon back.

you should beable to dismantle the air pump and let it dry out some where.

although when airpumps go i think you usually know about it, heaters usually being a bit smaller don't give you that much of a shock.

 

[laboul]

Do NOT give in to your sister'd demand for more fish... it would be a nightmare. SHe has to take care of those fish for at least 3 months, if she can prove herself, she can get more....

kids these days... (mutters to self)

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i have a solution for them not doing the lights correctly!! buy light timers at walmart -- they're like 9 bucks.