Want New Aquarium!

[michaelb_123]

Hey, i seriously want an aquarium for reasons you all know but my mum won't let me have one. i have tried countless times to persuade her but to no avail. I am now trying to get a small tank that can accomodate simply a siamese betta or something. Seeing as mum can't know, it can't have electric filtration as that makes a noise and she will hear when she walks in my room. Can anyone please suggest where i can get one from? In the uk only, i live in Birmingham. Nearly all my relatives have them and i envy them with a vengeance.

This guys selling a small one off ebay:
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Designer-Ultra-Mini-...1QQcmdZViewItem

Anyone make any comments, i think it's a bit too small for practically any fish to have a happy life.

My budget is low, about £30 and i would prefer to start tropical as i have had some experience and the range of beautiful fish is far greater than that of the coldwater variety. I will start on coldwater if budget cant advance to reasonable sized tropical tank. Possible ideas of fish to go in the future tank?

Please make as many comments to help moi as i am a dying enthusiast

hope you can change this

 

[diademhill]

Hey, i seriously want an aquarium for reasons you all know but my mum won't let me have one. i have tried countless times to persuade her but to no avail. I am now trying to get a small tank that can accomodate simply a siamese betta or something. Seeing as mum can't know, it can't have electric filtration as that makes a noise and she will hear when she walks in my room. Can anyone please suggest where i can get one from? In the uk only, i live in Birmingham. Nearly all my relatives have them and i envy them with a vengeance.

This guys selling a small one off ebay:
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Designer-Ultra-Mini-...1QQcmdZViewItem

Anyone make any comments, i think it's a bit too small for practically any fish to have a happy life.

My budget is low, about £30 and i would prefer to start tropical as i have had some experience and the range of beautiful fish is far greater than that of the coldwater variety. I will start on coldwater if budget cant advance to reasonable sized tropical tank. Possible ideas of fish to go in the future tank?

Please make as many comments to help moi as i am a dying enthusiast

hope you can change this

That tank is not suitable for any fish - the heater has no thermostat & the tank holds about two litres. Many shops would refuse to sell a fish to go in one.
Sorry, but if you want to keep fish you need to do it properly which means heating & filtration. Why not look out for a small aqua 320 or similar - and give it to your Mum for mothers day!

 

[Chri$]

i agree, no fish should be kept in a tank like that, if you can call that a tank. A fish that lived in there would lead a very unhappy life.
I would take a bit more time, get some more money together so you can buy a proper tank with all the required equipment. In the meantime your mom might come round to the idea.

 

[chrismr]

Sorry, not sure if I am reading right, but do you plan to keep the fish hidden?

 

[catxx]

don't get fish just to rebel against your parents, it'll end in tears.
keep persuading, take your mum to an LFS or an aquarium. convince her she wants fishies. then maybe you can get a proper tank.

 

[Chri$]

surely your mom should have no objection to an aquarium in your bedroom??

 

[Lil]

I had a 37.5 litre and it took ages for my mum to agree to let me buy it she gave in eventually let me have it and then she said i could get a 125l tank in my room as long as i got rid of the smaller tank. 6 Months on and i still have the smaller tank up and running. She has even started to show intrest in my fish always looking in the tank asking how they are etc. She even asked if i would buy a golden nugget pleco as it was pretty the other week. Keep persuading i did and i am now talking about getting a 400l tank think it might take a while though but i will not give up. Go to your local fish store with her and look at all the tanks and fish thats what i did i am going up there this morning to have a look. Good Luck
Do the washing up for a year if you have have to.

 

[dwarfgourami]

It's tough when you're still depending on your parents, but basically it is a bad idea to keep a hidden animal, or an animal that the family is not happy about. Chances are one day you will end up letting that fish down, either by being unable to provide a good tank, or by not being able to look after it, say if you're ill or have to go away.

Gently working on your mother is a better idea. Not nagging all the time, but making it clear that this is a genuine interest that is not going to peter out, that you would putting time and money towards this, that it is educational (chemistry, biology, maths), that you would accept main responsibility during the natural lifespan of the fish, that it would not result in more untidiness or your other things overflowing into the house (you can tell I'm a Mum myself, can't you?). Most parents will not be impressed by the "it can live in a matchbox" kind of argument, as that only goes to show (in their opinion) that their child is not responsible enough to be keeping a pet. Much better is a realistic estimate of the fish's genuine needs. Make a budget, work out how much this hobby would cost if she allowed say a 3 gallon betta tank. Allow for things like dechlorinator, fish food, medications etc. Could you afford it? Would she be willing to contribute if you made some sort of deal? Don't forget to include logistics: where would it live, how would you organise water changes. Don't forget to find out (gently and sympathetically) what her main objections are. Is she worried that it will come expensive, that it will be space consuming, that it will mean you can never leave the house, that she will be left doing the work? Make sure she understands that any agreement is binding on your part; if you have said you are going to do water changes, you had better not leave her to nag you to do them.

If space is an issue, then you should not be looking at coldwater, they need more room.

Good luck! You may find all it takes is time.

 

[chrismr]

One suggestion I have for helping your mom to see how much of an interest to you keeping fish is, go to the library and get some books. Read them in the living room with the family, occasionally drop bits of interesting info on fish, show some pictures of pretty fish.

If you walk past a pet shop, try to go in. No need to drag your mom in, just let her know you are going in to have a look.

Try posters and pictures on your wall.

I am trying to suggest subtle means of letting your mom know how much they interest you. If she sees this as a genuine interest, and not just a spur of the moment desire, she will probably be a lot more open to letting you have a fish.

Try not to nag. This ony builds resentment.

 

[Marcos]

Tell your mum you've been offered a pitbull, she'll talk you into having a tank!

 

[Suzi]

i'd just buy one anyway!! i did this when i was still living at home, my mum and dad said no but its my money etc so i got one anyway... then talked them into it (well i needed someone to feed the fish if i was away...) by saying it'll teach me good responsibility! worked a treat

 

[chrismr]

i'd just buy one anyway!! i did this when i was still living at home, my mum and dad said no but its my money etc so i got one anyway... then talked them into it (well i needed someone to feed the fish if i was away...) by saying it'll teach me good responsibility! worked a treat

It may have worked for you, but do you really want to be encouraging these kinds of ideas. Think about all the things that could go wrong (and not just for the fish, but for person who made this post) if they just went out and got the fish?

Someone could end up in a world of hurt.

 

[kat and james]

£30 is loads of money, look what we picked up for under £30 - we bought it for Goldfish.

Our tank

Tanks like this come up quite often on ebay.

 

[michaelb_123]

£30 is loads of money, look what we picked up for under £30 - we bought it for Goldfish.

Our tank

Tanks like this come up quite often on ebay.

flippin eck! if i'da seen that i would have got it straight off. i'd let mom see the empty tank until she saw i'd wasted my money and something should be kept in it. I don't think i could go to cornwall though

 

[michaelb_123]

hey, thanks a load for the suggestions!! opinions are much valued

been looking on ebay again and found a few: please feel free to search and suggest?!

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/VERY-BIG-POP-UP-AQUA...bayphotohosting

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/FISH-R-FUN-5-7-GAL-B...bayphotohosting

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/FISH-R-FUN-5-GAL-SLI...1QQcmdZViewItem

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fish-tank-and-comple...1QQcmdZViewItem

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/FISH-TANK-BRAND-NEW-...1QQcmdZViewItem

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/SMALL-GLASS-FISH-TAN...1QQcmdZViewItem

can anyone suggest one i could get for around £50 if push comes to shuv??