Getting my kid a fish tank

[Huber.]

9 Reasons Why Fish Are Really Sad ‘Pets’

1. They are far more intelligent than they get credit for:
2. They DO feel pain:
3. When you buy tropical fish, you could be contributing to the extinction of a species:
4. Many “pet” fish were probably stolen from the wild:
5. They’re social animals who languish in small tanks:
6. WE most likely evolved from the ancestors of modern-day fish:
7. When you buy a freshwater fish, you support a greedy industry:
8. Misconceptions about fish create poor and unfair conditions for them:
9. Fish will surprise you:

https://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/9-reasons-fish-sad-pets/

 

[Sebastian]

9 Reasons Why Fish Are Really Sad ‘Pets’

1. They are far more intelligent than they get credit for:
2. They DO feel pain:
3. When you buy tropical fish, you could be contributing to the extinction of a species:
4. Many “pet” fish were probably stolen from the wild:
5. They’re social animals who languish in small tanks:
6. WE most likely evolved from the ancestors of modern-day fish:
7. When you buy a freshwater fish, you support a greedy industry:
8. Misconceptions about fish create poor and unfair conditions for them:
9. Fish will surprise you:

https://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/9-reasons-fish-sad-pets/

Fish are often tasty as well.

 

[Randolphkeys]

@Huber. going off on his liberal extremist mumbo-jumbo poppycock again...

Get these fish:

http://m.footfiles.com/beauty/cosmetic-foot-care/article/are-fish-pedicures-dangerous-to-your-health

What Is a Fish Pedicure?

One of the strangest trends to hit the beauty world in some time, fish pedicures are similar to traditional pedicures in all but one area: the removal of dead skin. Typical pedicures remove calluses and dead skin with a pumice stone or a metal foot file, while fish pedicures handle the calluses in an entirely different way: small carp fish called garra rufa fish (or doctor fish) nibble the calluses and dead skin off of the feet.

Originally hailing from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, garra rufa fish have long been used for skin softening as well as for relieving and sometimes even curing conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Asian countries first began exporting the fish for use in salons and spas, and Europe picked up on the spa trend not long after. Fish pedicures finally hit the United States when Yvonne Hair and Nails in Alexandra, Virginia, offered the very first garra rufa fish pedicures in 2008. Now, the spa trend has spread to several states and typically costs anywhere from $40 to $100, depending on the salon, the length of service and other factors.

Do Fish Pedicures Hurt?
Garra rufa fish are unique in that they actually don’t have any teeth, meaning they are merely sucking and nibbling the dead skin off of your feet for the duration of the pedicure. Many people say the experience is ticklish at first and then slightly tingly — but never painful. And the fish are used to sucking skin: In the wild, the carp survive by nibbling dead scales off of other fish, so your tootsies are actually quite a delicatessen for the little swimmers.

 

[natedagg]

I think a fish tank is a terrible idea, with a few notable exceptions:

-You can breed & sell some expensive saltwater fish.
-You can breed & eat some fish. Bonus if you have your kid go fishing for the one you eat.
-You get 1 fish that'll grow to the size of how much you feed it. Proceed to feed the fuck out of it and don't stop until it's at least 500 lbs.
-The fish tank exceeds 10,000 gallons and includes either some penguins or a shark that would be large enough to make you nervous to get in there yourself.

 

[The Oi]

Really enjoying the tank!

Have two platies to start off with and will add more once the tank is cycled.

Just getting into the ammonia cycle now. I used the strips and it tested as “stressed” which I am aware is to be expected at this point. I am doing everything we are supposed to do to keep the fish healthy throughout the process.

I figured this would be something I’d be interested in but not in love with, but I’ve found I really enjoy it a lot. As does my son.

It appears that there are two fry in the tank. I have no idea how they got in there. If they got scooped into the bag along with the fish or whatever. Both of the platies are female. If one is pregnant, do they give birth one at a time?

Chances these fry will survive the cycle?

 

[cavman]

Really enjoying the tank!

Have two platies to start off with and will add more once the tank is cycled.

Just getting into the ammonia cycle now. I used the strips and it tested as “stressed” which I am aware is to be expected at this point. I am doing everything we are supposed to do to keep the fish healthy throughout the process.

I figured this would be something I’d be interested in but not in love with, but I’ve found I really enjoy it a lot. As does my son.

It appears that there are two fry in the tank. I have no idea how they got in there. If they got scooped into the bag along with the fish or whatever. Both of the platies are female. If one is pregnant, do they give birth one at a time?

Chances these fry will survive the cycle?

Most of the time they are pregnant when you buy them. They can also store sperm to fertilize the next batch of eggs too. You will be flushing fish in mass in about a year if you add any males in there.

 

[Randolphkeys]

I didn't think you went through with it, @The Oi - good father son bonding in my book. If you got a higher end Aquaclear filter, it will suck up a few fry. The sad fact is that live breeders also eat some of their young until they get to a certain age. It's a disturbing fact, just don't get your kid too attached to the babies.

If you really want some babies to survive, two tips:

1. Plants for the babies to hide in until they are old enough to avoid being food.

2. A plastic Easter egg mostly filled with the water, a little air at the top to float. Keep them protected and floating at the top for a few days with a little food to get bigger.

When it's all said and done, when the platys die you get to upgrade to cooler looking fish, so perhaps getting a family of platys going isn't the best end game.

 

[el_capitan]

How big is the tank?

 

[Huber.]

I think one of the fish ate @The Oi

 

[Hurl Bruce]

Anybody know of anyone with a hedgehog as a pet?

One of these:

Not one of these:

Are they good pets? Easy to take care of?

 

[Huber.]

How much did you get for it in the garage sale?

@The Oi

 

[The Oi]

How much did you get for it in the garage sale?

@The Oi

Still have it. Its a planted tank with corys.

First experience with platys was a big failure.

Kid dgaf about it.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Still have it. Its a planted tank with corys.

First experience with platys was a big failure.

Kid dgaf about it.

Platys die a lot. They are like a first girlfriend when you are thirteen. If that shit lasts, somebody should intercede at some point.

Corys huh? Are you heating the water and everything? I've never bought them. My planted aquarium is in the hallway with no windows, opens the whole area up. Planted is the way to go, looks nice in the corner of the room. Good for you.

 

[The Oi]

Platys die a lot. They are like a first girlfriend when you are thirteen. If that shit lasts, somebody should intercede at some point.

Corys huh? Are you heating the water and everything? I've never bought them. My planted aquarium is in the hallway with no windows, opens the whole area up. Planted is the way to go, looks nice in the corner of the room. Good for you.

Heated yes and with fluorescent lighting. In between two windows so it gets some natural sunlight as well.

My first go round I did platys and fake plants with no fluorescent lighting or snails or anything. Bacteria never took. The fish got dropsy. I don’t even think the tank ever properly cycled. The nitrates and nitrates were always super high. I did a shitty job with that one.

This time I put the plants in and cycled the tank before I put the fish in. It took less than three weeks to cycle without the fish in it.

I have three corys, two albinos and one bronze. I had neon tetras in but they all died within 24 hours of each other about a month ago. Not sure what happened but apparently this is common. Also had a couple assassin snails that died. Same...not sure what happened. No nitrates or nitrites at time these deaths all happened.

The corys are cool. Fun to watch. I’ll put in a couple more fish and some snails.

I have a lot of plants in there. They have some nice aesthetic appeal. I tried dwarf baby tears which look really cool but the corys feasted on them before they could spread.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Heated yes and with fluorescent lighting. In between two windows so it gets some natural sunlight as well.

You might have higher algae because of the natural light. Cory are supposed to eat algae and you will know by now if you have enough Cory to eat it. My hallway planter aquarium has a reticulated hillstream loach, which is also known as a UFO because of its fast irrelguar speeds. It supposedly eats algae, it isn't very good at it. I also have a clown loach that is supposed to eat algae and unwanted snails. They keep on living, so I guess they are eating the algae and snails to some extent.

My first go round I did platys and fake plants with no fluorescent lighting or snails or anything. Bacteria never took. The fish got dropsy. I don’t even think the tank ever properly cycled. The nitrates and nitrates were always super high. I did a shitty job with that one.

This time I put the plants in and cycled the tank before I put the fish in. It took less than three weeks to cycle without the fish in it.

I did a crap jobsetting up my planter. I put in some sand and some aquarium clay, planted the plants, then covered it with the neon gravel. I've researched since then and learned more ideas, but it's enough that the fish poop acts as fertilizer. That's all I wanted out of it, and the plants are up to the top of the aquarium.

I have three corys, two albinos and one bronze. I had neon tetras in but they all died within 24 hours of each other about a month ago. Not sure what happened but apparently this is common. Also had a couple assassin snails that died. Same...not sure what happened. No nitrates or nitrites at time these deaths all happened.

The corys are cool. Fun to watch. I’ll put in a couple more fish and some snails.

I have dead assassin snails and tetras on my soul as I enter the Promised Land after I die. They are fickle. It wasn't you. I'm hoping this clown loach my son bought will do a better job eating baby snails. It's huge for a fish - probably the size of Glen Infante's penis.

I have a lot of plants in there. They have some nice aesthetic appeal. I tried dwarf baby tears which look really cool but the corys feasted on them before they could spread.

I don't know what I planted, but they are like fifteen inches long after three years, the size of gourimoko's dick. All good fun!!