Tips, Tricks or Other Ideas for Convincing Parents to Let Me Get Fish?

[waddles99]

The water changes and tank cleaning were the worst for me just because I didn't really have a convenient way of doing it. I'm sure you could rig something up with buckets and a pump or somehing like that.

I ended up adding plants and for the most part, the tank regulated itself pretty well on its own. Once it was established, I only did water changes every so often but the numbers held pretty well.

The most frustrating part is waiting for the tank to cycle! I had to wait six weeks. I used a betta to cycle my tank (I was very careful to be sure the numbers weren't toxic to the fish, but my preferred method is to tank gravel from someone who has an already established tank. Then the other frustrating part was adding the fish in small numbers! It's hard to be patient sometimes!

Do you own a gravel vac? You can combine tank cleaning and water changes into one, clean out the dirt on the substrate while removing water. Just hook up the vac to the sink and drain dirty water into it, then fill it with the sink. Of course, you need to have proper pH and dechlorinator if you decide to fill it with sink water, but it is definitely and easier way of doing things. I have found most cichlids(with some exception) to be very forgiving of lack of water changes.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Do you own a gravel vac? You can combine tank cleaning and water changes into one, clean out the dirt on the substrate while removing water. Just hook up the vac to the sink and drain dirty water into it, then fill it with the sink. Of course, you need to have proper pH and dechlorinator if you decide to fill it with sink water, but it is definitely and easier way of doing things. I have found most cichlids(with some exception) to be very forgiving of lack of water changes.

those are amazing! For the longest time i didn't have one (I was cleaning my 9 tanks by hand) and then got one and i will always have one! It makes everything so much easier

 

[lovetopaint]

I think I'll be using danois to cycle--I've heard that they can survive that sort of thing.
Time to start the 'Saving for gravel vacuum fund'.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I didn't have any heavy duty gravel vacuum. It was just a tube and you create the suction. But it did take forever because he tube was small (I just had a ten gallon) and trying to get the vacuum established was always a pain!

 

[waddles99]

I think I'll be using danois to cycle--I've heard that they can survive that sort of thing.
Time to start the 'Saving for gravel vacuum fund'.

You don't necessarily have to get the gravel vac right away. During the cycling (4 week period) you don't need to clean the tank.They aren't that expensive and maybe if you show your parents responsibility in taking care of your fish they will get you one.

 

[lovetopaint]

So how was everyone's Christmas? My grandma gave me her typewriter from when she was in high school--I've wanted one for so long! The sentimental value just made me cry!

 

[waddles99]

So how was everyone's Christmas?  My grandma gave me her typewriter from when she was in high school--I've wanted one for so long!  The sentimental value just made me cry! 

I spent the day building a brooder for my chicks, lol, not the most fun Christmas but accomplished a lot!

 

[yellowchicks]

Here's a list of species I am considering for the tank:

Black Molly
Blonde Delta Guppy
Gold Twinbar Platy
Mickey Mouse Platy
Marigold Variatus
Red Gold Tuxedo Guppy
Red Wag Platy
Sunburst Mickey Mouse Platy
Sunburst Platy
Sunburst Wag Platy
Zebra Danio

Are any of those guppies too enticing for a betta? I'd appreciate any help!
Male bettas are prettier, but I would easily settle for a female. Would either work?
I've read that under 74 degrees is surviving and over 78 degrees is thriving for a betta. If I were to keep the temps around 78 degrees, would that even be remotely cheap? Like, under $50? This tank (if it happens) will be a monster. About 180 gallons.
Thank you so, so much!

I wouldn't recommend any of these fish to be with a female Betta, except for the Danios, because the other fish tend to be top-dwellers, meaning anything that you add to the tank to break the Betta's line of sight won't work. These other fish are also slow and will easily be bullied. Normally, female Betta's are kept with fast fish (Danios, Tetras, etc.) or aggressive fish that will be able to hold their own (such as Apistos, other females, etc.). I would recommend not having the Betta and instead try for some other fish that is territorial and not outright aggressive, since they will be just as beautiful as Bettas if not more so. I kept Apistogramma for a few years and they get along just fine with most other fish since they are territorial. With a tank your size, you could keep a few Harems given enough cover is provided.

From your list, I'm assuming you're shopping from Petco or Petsmart. When the weather warms up, check out Aquabid which has tons of sellers. You could also lurk around fish forums and wait for people to sell their excess spawns. Those are usually much higher quality and much happier fish than what you would find in a chain store because they aren't crammed and are raised by people who are in it for the fish, not the money.

If you really are stuck on the female Betta (I know the feeling) check out BettaTalk. She really knows her stuff and the Bettas are much more likely to survive. It's sad but I'd write off most of the Bettas in chain stores because they have malnutrition, are sick, and often don't fully recover even outside of that disgusting blue antibiotic water.

Btw, NEVER EVER introduce snails into your tank. Once you put them in you'll never be able to get them out meaning you'll never be able to put live plants in your tank without them being eaten. Try a Pleco and a few large ghost shrimp instead for algae and waste control.

Fish are way pickier than chickens, they die much easily. Good luck!

 

[waddles99]

Just a comment on snails, not ALL snails will overpopulate. Check out the orange rabbit snail, pretty but only has about 3 babies per year since it is a live bearer.

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

So how was everyone's Christmas? My grandma gave me her typewriter from when she was in high school--I've wanted one for so long! The sentimental value just made me cry!

mine was great...i got a new guitar amp along with all the hook-ups, cords and headphones...it was awesome. Typewriters are really cool! Does it work still? Have you used it at all? That would be an awesome present.