Aquarium Location and Kids

[Greeny]

I am thinking of putting a 25 gallon tall aquarium on a short (sturdy) stand in my living room. I have two almost six year old girls and a 20 month old boy.

The spot I am thinking about is in the opposite corner from the traffic zones...but they are kids (and thus they create traffic wherever they are). I have a child fence that I can put around it and I am willing to put a strap around it to attach it top and bottom to the wall. I think that would take care of the risk of it getting knocked over.

I don't really have a feel of how strong an aquarium is...what kind of an impact does it take to break it?

My kids are not TOO rambunctious in the house, but they are young and the possibility is there for an accident. Should I avoid it or is the risk pretty low? I want the aquarium protected, but my real concern is that I absolutely do not want a risk to my kids.

The only other option is in the basement, and the kids play there too...more often without supervision.

Thoughts and suggestions, please! Anyone ever have a problem or an accident?

Thanks,

Greeny

 

[Speakerman]

skinny/tall aquariums like in your case are the least sturdy as far was if they were to get pushed over. Bigger = heavier = not gonna get pushed over as easily.

As far as getting hit with something, small aquariums have anywhere from 1/8" to 3/16" glass, which is fairly strong, but would likely break from something being thrown at it. Again bigger aquariums have thicker glass 1/4" - 1/2" glass which will take a lot more force to break them.

Your best bet to be safe with children is to (like you mentioned) put it somewhere out of the way, make sure the stand is level and sturdy, and explain to your children the dangers of playing around the aquarium.

good luck

 

[Leeny]

A 25 gallon aquarium weighs about 250 pounds with water in it, so it's less likely to break by being knocked over than breaking from something being thrown and shattering the glass.

 

[black hills tj]

I'd be more worried about something foreign being thrown in the water than kids breaking it. I've hit my 29g with a wii controller and nothing happened. Haha

 

[shawnryan1977]

I have 5 tanks with a 2 year old and I have had the tanks way before she was born, and I have never had any real problems with her since me and my wife warned her from the time she could first crawl that she is not to touch daddy’s tanks and it has worked very well plus I get her involved with my tanks by letting her feed the fish before she goes to bed which I think helps. The only thing I did do with my tanks differently is I started keeping all fish chemicals on a high shelf along with fish food so she could not get into them.

 

[happygirl65]

Speaking from experience, several tanks, two boys and one girl.....they do things when you are not looking (says the chip out of the plasma TV that suspiciously fits the nose of a toy airplane)
The main thing I think is to place it in a room where they are MORE likely to be supervised around it most of the time.
I get more cars driven on my tanks than anything at this point...but especially when they are are small (like your 20 month old) they will want to feed the fishies (had several discus die this way) Before I got a heavy hood I also had batteries, nintendo games, and gold fish crackers go into the tanks, not to mention the times when I caught them with their arms in the tank trying to "pet the fishies".
So I think the height of your tank is a big advantage. Your six yr olds are old enough to understand a conversation about not putting anything in there and you can of course explain that the fish pee in there and they will keep their hands out....lol.
Your biggest challenge will come from your youngest. Here is what you should do from my experience.
1. Keep all food locked away
2. Have a heavy hood or some kind of latch so he cant toss things in if he manages to climb up on a chair or something
3. Include your kids in maintenance and feedings so they don't feel like they have to sneak it to be near the fish. Kids are naturally curious but I have found that when I let my daughter feed the fish and explain (even though she is too youg to get it) that mommy has to tell you how much or they get sick....she tends to have satisfied her curiosity for the moment and moves on to something else.
4. Lock the cabinet (if you have one) and keep the cords hidden away

All in all I think it is a positive experience to have an aquarium with kids, they are excited to learn about every new thing you put in there, they love to watch the fish, they love to learn the names of the various species of fish and you have someone to share your enthusiasm of the hobby with. It just requires some care to make sure they aren't sabotaging your efforts as they can do by overfeeding (half a bottle of tetra flakes) But with a little foresight you can take those dangers out of the equation.

 

[darkmule27]

Definitely what happygirl said! Include them and don't make it a totally "forbidden" thing...cause then it's so much more inviting to them! Buy locks for the doors, keep the cords organized and away, maybe see how hard it would be to install a small lock on your hood? I saw some small lock assemblies for doors at home depot.

Speaking as a someone who had many, many animals as a kid, if the kids are involved then they're far less likely to mistreat. You could probably include the 6-year-olds in water changes and other routine maintenance. Completely sectioning it off makes it that much more appealing to young uns. Take this opportunity to teach them! Explain that fish are just as much a pet as a dog or cat, even if you can't pet them. Maybe buy a fish book or check one out from the library that has big, colorful pictures but also the scientific name and such. Something like Amazon.com: 500 Freshwater Aquarium Fish: A Visual Reference to the Most Popular Species: Greg Jennings: Books would have absolutely fascinated me as a kid.

 

[Greeny]

Awesome answers. Just awesome. Thanks so much!!

I think you even convinced my husband.

 

[ezy33]

IMO a plexi glass tank is less likly to shatter.

 

[jsoong]

Plexi will get scratched in no time with kids playing on it ....

Chances of kids breaking the glass is pretty small, as long as they don't hit it with a hammer or something heavy & sharp.

I would be more concerned with the stand. A 200lb tank is not likely to be tipped by a kid. (My son used to hang right on the side of a a 60 gal when he was small - when we were not looking! - & no mishaps.) The stand is a different story. A flimsy stand will wobble when someone runs into it, and that is much more likely to split a seam & cause a leak. A low sturdy stand is definitely preferable. Maybe something wider than the tank so it has a wider footprint & more stability. <Plus your kid won't crash into the tank, they just bump the stand .... Can you tell my kids liked to run around in the house?!>

Certainly involving the kids in the maintenance is a great idea. A fenced off object is sure to invite exploration ... the forbidden fruit is much more desirable. And teach the kids to CARE for the fish as pets. They won't want to hurt the fish by banging on the sides ("It hurts their ears" ...) or dump things into the tank ("It makes them sick" ....), etc.

 

[chenwb]

Alright, post deleted.