Does anyone elses family members do this? >:(

[FallenMessiah]

My mum got me my first fish when i was like 12 i think :) 3 gold fish in a little 10 liter bookshelf tank, but now i'd never put a another goldfish in that tank again, its waaaaay too small. Now i my largest tank is a 5 foot with my adult oscar and i got my eye on my uncles 6 foot. haha
Buuuut mum says no more fish, ( i have 4 empty tanks) not till after my holiday at least, i can see her point tho, im going away for a month, and i actually have no room, been trying to convince mum to move out ;) i was going 50% water changes daily on my Oscar tank when i first got him and i dont have to pay for water sooo...

But now fish keeping is a serious hobby for me i even give my brother the riot act and hes kept fish for longer then me haha! but when a friend gets a fish i gently coach them on how to look after them properly, one got two Bettas, which have now actually died :'( she had them in these little 500ml containers and i said to get them in a bigger tank and heater but at least she took my advice and tried.

[MadameDesu]

Originally Posted by FallenMessiah

but when a friend gets a fish i gently coach them on how to look after them properly, one got two Bettas, which have now actually died :'( she had them in these little 500ml containers and i said to get them in a bigger tank and heater but at least she took my advice and tried.

I know what that's like ... I live at college, so a lot of people keep fish as pets. One girl I know has a betta in a jar ... I feel so bad for it :(
He's absolutely gorgeous, but I think he's slowly dying because he hardly ever moves. He's probably cold. I don't know this girl very well, so it would be rude to tell her she's a bad fishkeeper. But she really is a bad fishkeeper.

[Wolfie305]

My parents keep complaining that the electric bill is going to go up because I have a heater in one tank and a filter in another. They haven't seen me do water changes yet, so I haven't heard the water bill lecture yet.

I'm curious, how much DO these type of things run money wise a month? I'm sure they can't be all that much, and I would love to shove some facts into their faces so I don't have to listen to my mom anymore than I already do about everything else.

I'm moving out soon anyway. 23 years old, time to get the hell out. Can't deal with my mom anymore, nor my parents recent decision to get a divorce ugh.

[MrVampire181]

My family doesn't enjoy my complaining about long trips... I refuse to leave my fish over one week without clean water (I'm talking 30 gallon tanks too). I'm not going to California in May because 1. I want to spawn my white pair the first week of April and 2. all the fry I'll have will need daily 75%-90% water changes and lots of food.

[freemike]

Well I guess I am lucky as I live with my parents getting through college. My family doesn't "get it" or think the time is worth it. They are very appreciative of my fish though lol just wouldn't do it themselves. My family will look at and adore my fish. They don't want the duties involved by any means.

Though after reading this thread I'm glad my parents didn't raise me with the sentiment that they was always right. My parents taught me to learn as much as I could about the world and help feed my curiosity. They taught me to question authority the right way; even if it was themselves. They never once told me they was the final word. My parents taught me the right way to challenge authority. My parents also let me know that even if I did it the right way that sometimes the authority would still take dissent against me. They taught me how to do research, find facts, and present them. Even children while needing to be taught should never be oppressed by making them submit to an ultimate rule. The last thing our society needs is more mindless slaves.

[PersephoneK]

I live in college and just got a betta. I'm letting my grandma and her husband take care of him for the first half of spring break and then I'm coming to stay with them. My grandma has kept bettas before in those tiny little betta bowls and was talking about how crazy I am. I gave them the empty tank and they asked why I didn't just give them the tank with him in it. His little 3 gallon aquarium weighs 20 pounds with the gravel and water in it! I'm not going to carry that down 3 flieghts of stairs and across the block. Then they made comments about how this was like "taking care of a grandchild". They asked me if they could leave him in the car for an hour while they went to lunch. Anyway, I wrote out long detailed instructions on his care and plan to call daily but I'm terrified that he's going to die. I was talking to my mom about this and she also thinks I'm crazy. I just want him to be happy.

[PersephoneK]

Originally Posted by Aus

I'm the 45-year old mother of a 13-year old girl. I'd be seriously worried about her if she started saying "yes ma'am" to everything I asked of her.

Mainly as I gave birth to a child, not a robot.

That said. She wants a pet rat. I said no (and gave several sound reasons). And I am now the parental equivalent of Idi Amin, with my special kid-crushing, soul-destroying meany-pants on.

Omg. At least our pets are decent.

If it's alright for me to say this, rats are wonderful pets. They bond with humans the way a dog would and love to snuggle. I think most people see their tails and freak out but rats are like little people. Just telling you that they aren't as bad as most people think. I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong or bad or anything.
The only real downside to rats is that they only live about 2-3 years. They usually get tumors and either die slowly or are put to sleep. So this sweet little furry friend that you develop such a close bond with isn't around for very long. But apart from that, rats are excellent.

[Bombalurina]

Originally Posted by Wolfie305

I'm curious, how much DO these type of things run money wise a month? I'm sure they can't be all that much, and I would love to shove some facts into their faces so I don't have to listen to my mom anymore than I already do about everything else.

A friend of mine talked to an electrician, and apparently the amount of eletricity tanks use is completely negligible - enough that you could run two six-foot tanks off one six-point powerboard.