I'm thinking about getting a fish tank because a buddy of mine is big on them as a hobby, and he was talking about how soothing they are to watch. I've been down lately and honestly would like to get a tank. Something small like a 10 gallon fresh water tank. What do you guys think? Anyone here have one?
I used to. They are soothing to watch but a real pain in the rump to clean. I got rid of mine because it was too difficult to clean when you're not well. Just my opinion tho. It may be much easier for you.
I got rid of my tank for the same reason, very hard to keep clean. My son's girlfriend has a little bowl that hangs on the wall and has a Beta fish in it. It is very cute and would only take a short time to clean out.
Sue Ann
How big were they? I'm trying to be positive about this, but it's starting to get hard. Lol
Mine was about a foot by a foot big.
Used to have them growing up, and am thinking about getting a really small one (hopefully the clean up won't be so bad).
Patze
Quote from: Patze on July 17, 2011, 07:49:45 AM
Used to have them growing up, and am thinking about getting a really small one (hopefully the clean up won't be so bad).
Patze
I have been reading for a while, and honestly, a bigger one with a filter is way easier to clean. You only have to take out about 10% of the water with a pump then while it down a little, and fill it back up. That's it.
I also have had fish tanks over the years...but don't now....right now I have a turtle tank...and turtles can be very dirty if you don't keep up on the tank...lol...but I love them.
Anyway...fish tanks can be very soothing to watch...getting a good filter is definitely going to help you out. Try out a small one first to see if it's going to interest you and if it does you can always upgrade to a bigger tank. They come as small as a gallon or two and go all the way up to huge ones like 50 -100 gallons!
There are so many pretty fish you can get....as well as little frogs, crabs, and other bottom eaters and algae eaters that will help keep your tank clean too.
Have fun and let us know what you decide to do! :)
My DH had a tank of fish some years ago. They were coldwater fish and were a pain to keep clean. Eventually, they all died, and he didn't replace them.
Just had to tell you a funny though: recently my friend was reading a book about fish to her 5 year old. The book included information about prey and predators (as in different kinds of fish). To check her little girl's understanding at the end of the book, my friend asked her daughter, 'which would you prefer to be, prey or predator? The little girl considered for a few moments then said , 'I think I'd rather be an angelfish!'
I thought that ws so cute.
Kathyx
I have had tanks for years.
They are a little bit of work- I do a 10% water change and vaccuum the gravel every week but it only takes about 15 min. If you don't keep up with the regular cleaning then it is MUCH harder.
I'd suggest at least a 20 gal filtered setup. Big enough to hold some fish but not super hard to care for. My 1st was a 20g hexagon. More of a vertical tank and very interesting to watch the levels.
Right now I have a 44 pentagon corner tank. My fish range from 1" Barbs to 10" Severums. I have pictus catfish that go up and down the sides.
Good luck
Pup
(I'm not telling you that my old tank sprung a leak last weekend and I stood with my finger in the dike until DH could get home to help- Tha't never happened before :-)
How about starting out with something small - like a beta fish in one of those gallon tanks? That way you can see how it will "work" with you before you invest a lot of $$ in it.
Fish are soothing to watch and supposedly help is lowering bp. But as my mom used to say, you can't take a fish for a walk. Me I like something that wakes me up in the morning, appreciates me, bawls me out when breakfast is late, gets pushy and annoying at times. ( just realized that my sound like a husband. ;D :D ) I have kitties as they are pretty self sufficient
Aw Pisces, that does sound like having a "hubby"! :D
You have self sufficient kitties??? They make them??? Wow, the fur ball I have is always after me to do this or that or another thing...whew, he's more work than kidlet was! ;) ;D
Patze
ttdub,
Sounds like a good idea! ;) You've already been given lots of advice, so I won't repeat any. Fish seem like a low-maintainence pet (except for that tank cleaning) and if you don't have other pets, it may be something you really enjoy.
I think for those of us who are home quite a bit, caring for any animal can help us by taking our minds "off ourselves" for a while, and they are fun to watch!
Good luck with your decision; you'll need to update us, ok?
Melinda
I am going to throw a klunker at you. Guess I thought I had better mention it. If you get infections easily from a immune system that is weak I would think about this a lot longer.
There are mycobacterium that cause infections and it can survive in water and cause issues for people who have immune disorders. If you wear gloves and even a face mask when you are cleaning the tank I would think it would be ok.
I have low t-cells and got Mycobacterium kansasii a few years ago and had to take 3 different kinds of antibiotics for one year. The one I had is a second cousin to TB but is not contagious. I had it in my lungs, liver and spleen.
I just wanted to let you know that these bacteria pretty much live in the soil and water and don't cause problems for people usually. It is the people with low immune systems who are high risk for infection that have problems.
The beta fish are fun to watch and would be a lot easier. Get a big enough fish bowl for it though. My grandkids had one named "Mabel" who lived about a year. I think she died from dirty water cause they didn't have a big bowl and also didn't change the water often enough. I loved the name though. Good luck. Irish ;D
Quote from: irish on July 17, 2011, 10:53:44 PM
I am going to throw a klunker at you. Guess I thought I had better mention it. If you get infections easily from a immune system that is weak I would think about this a lot longer.
There are mycobacterium that cause infections and it can survive in water and cause issues for people who have immune disorders. If you wear gloves and even a face mask when you are cleaning the tank I would think it would be ok.
I have low t-cells and got Mycobacterium kansasii a few years ago and had to take 3 different kinds of antibiotics for one year. The one I had is a second cousin to TB but is not contagious. I had it in my lungs, liver and spleen.
I just wanted to let you know that these bacteria pretty much live in the soil and water and don't cause problems for people usually. It is the people with low immune systems who are high risk for infection that have problems.
The beta fish are fun to watch and would be a lot easier. Get a big enough fish bowl for it though. My grandkids had one named "Mabel" who lived about a year. I think she died from dirty water cause they didn't have a big bowl and also didn't change the water often enough. I loved the name though. Good luck. Irish ;D
I really appreciate the info. I will have to do the mask thing (though I don't get infections too easily). I will be keeping it in my room, so hopefully that won't be bad. I will most definately try to keep it as clean as possible. Does the Mycobacterium automatically live in water, or is it just that their is a chance?
Well everyone, I read a lot into this mycobacterium thing, and it really is scarry. It's not extremely rare, and in cases with immune compromised people, it is sometimes fatal. They suggest to have someone else look after your tank all together.
Basically, I have pretty much decided against the whole thing entirely. I wanted to eventually get a really big (55 gallon or so) tank because the idea of just one fish really isn't that great. I wish the idea never came up now. lol. Please don't get me wrong though. You guys are great, and I do appreciate the information Iris. It's better to be upset now then to have it later. I'm not going to lie though, I was looking forward to getting an aquarium, and really have no desire to get a dog/rodent or anything. I mostly liked the idea of the fish's simple, when I need to relax, they're there kind of thing. I swear, what else will this disease hinder in my life?
I just feel like every single thing I want to do, I just can't because of either lack of ability, or fear that future problems will stop me, so I don't even bother with it. Sorry for the short pitty party, I guess it's just the fact that the thing to make me feel a little better has turned around to making me feel worse.
I'm so sorry your "bubble was burst" about the fish tank. I know you were excited about something new, and it can be a challenge to find things we are able to do and that interest us.
Anything else you might have an interest in? Maybe we can all help finding some ideas... ;)
Take care,
Melinda
Quote from: Meld256 on July 19, 2011, 04:18:45 AM
I'm so sorry your "bubble was burst" about the fish tank. I know you were excited about something new, and it can be a challenge to find things we are able to do and that interest us.
Anything else you might have an interest in? Maybe we can all help finding some ideas... ;)
Take care,
Melinda
I really appreciate it! You guys truly are a great group of people! I may purchase a fish tank still I don't know. It's just a scary thought. Ugh. I hate this crap.
I think I know what you mean about fear holding you back. I really thought about that; believe I've done that to myself a time or two.
I want to go somewhere or do something, then I talk myself out of it sometimes for fear I'll feel worse later. I've found most times it turns out ok. Granted, a couple times I DID feel worse later, but I enjoyed the time I had! ;) So it was worth the chance I took.
Sounds like if you really want fish, maybe there's a way to do it. Could speaking to your doctor about any health concerns you have help? Just a thought...
Hoping you have a blessed day,
Melinda
I am really sorry that I even mentioned about the mycobacterium, but I sure as heck didn't want anyone to have to go through what I did. Mine could have been fatal but I was very lucky.
That type of bacteria are all around us in the water and soil. One doesn't even think about anything like until you get a case of the darn stuff.
The other thing we must be careful about is the valley fever that they have in Arizona and some of the other states. I asked my immunologist about traveling to Arizona cause relatives live down there. He said that people with suppressed or low immune systems should avoid these areas as they are high risk. The valley fever can be fatal. They told me to just think about it and make my decision. Well, I figured I would be very stupid to put myself willingly in harms way. Makes me darn made though. I really want to travel to Arizona to visit and see the sights. Irish ;D