Grandson number two told me Christmas Day that I might be getting his tank. This is the grandson that started us off by buying us one for a present last Christmas.
He is having so much trouble with snails and he has lost so many fish this year I thought it was because he was fed up with the hobby.
I have to say I groaned a bit as I knew what the other half would say later and that it would be No no no no no. It is also a very small tank at 22 litres so can't get much in it. I turned ours into a shrimp tank.
However, it seems our grandson wasn't so much fed up keeping fish as that he wants a bigger tank and our daughter is doing her version of no no no no no !!
He came to our house a couple of days ago and saw our two tanks and was very quiet. He was asking about the plants, most of which are fake as apart from anubias and a bit of cryptocoryne and fern I just don't have luck with plants.
I also said that I do get snails but I am constantly on the lookout and the minute I see one it gets turfed out and should he strip his tank again (he's already done it twice to my knowledge) he needs to look at guaranteed snail free plants but, of course, they are expensive.
It took me a long while to get started with our Christmas gift last year as I wanted to cycle the tank (which I did with Sue's help). They all laughed at me and told me I was too precious out it.
Apart from the first 6 fish from Maidenhead's which all died within two days and was down to them (which they admitted), a hasbrosus that died through an accident when it got caught, and two replacement hasbrosus from Kesgraves, I still have the original fish (reading that back it makes it sound like Trig's broom!)
I do keep hinting about another tank but it is falling on deaf ears. The other half it very keen that I do the sand waterfall which I mentioned a while ago and which once the decorations are down I am going to start practising with.
The other day I showed him more of them on the net and he is even more keen.
I have pointed out to him that I might be able to get it to work in theory in my practise tank (a large deep plastic storage box) BUT because I run an internal filter it is possible that it will have an adverse effect on the fall so while we have fish it might not be feasible unless we have another tank, a planted tank, just for the fall!
All he said then was, "Where would we put it, we don't have room"
I do try, I really do !! Off to do a water test now.
Happy New Year everyone
sandra