how to convince for more tanks?

[JOMA]

whether its a mom/wife/husband/dad/grandmother/grandfather/uncle/etc., there is always someone you got to convince to be able to get another tank. how do you guys do it? i'm 15 and its my mom that wont let me get more tanks.

~joma

 

[mfdrookie516]

Well, I used to suffer from this. My wife hated all the tanks. Idk what caused it, but suddenly she wanted another one. I've went all out and she's actually told me to do it right, even convinced me to go high tech with pressurized co2 and everything.

Show your mom that you're responsible enough to take care of the one you have, offer to let her pick the fish (compatible fish that is), offer to do more chores around the house... show her that you're responsible. I can tell you that at 15, I was definitely not responsbile enough to take care of even 1 tank. You seem to be, prove it to her. Have her check this site out. Show her how much you've learned and are willing to learn.

 

[Brendan99]

All I do is buy another one and have it set up when they get home u get in shot but you'll end up being able to keep it lol

 

[JOMA]

All I do is buy another one and have it set up when they get home u get in shot but you'll end up being able to keep it lol

thats what im probably gonna do when i get my liscense lolll only a few more months

 

[OhNeil1969]

I went through the same thing with my wife. The first time I mentioned getting another tank she looked at me as though I was crazy. I think the trick is to get them involved in some way. Definitely don't ask for help when work needs to be done. Let them help pick out a cool fish or, as in my case, let them help you decorate the tank. Show them pictures of cool tanks and say "wouldn't that look cool in our (insert where you want to put your tank here)"? My wife finally "let" me get my second tank. It just finished cycling and she's asking me when I am going to get more fish. She's even warmed up to the idea of a third tank.

 

[mfdrookie516]

All I do is buy another one and have it set up when they get home u get in shot but you'll end up being able to keep it lol

That's fine for a spouse.. but when living at home with parents, that's a good way to lose their trust, and potentially lose the tank they have already.

 

[hdultra]

Get your mom involved with your current tank. Show her what you have learned and get her hooked. Tell her all the technical things you have learned and surprise her with your knowledge. And then give here the sad look like the cat on Shreck,
You will get one in know time.

 

[trackfast]

Explain how the fish have matured and need more space. It would be cruel to leave them in their current tank. Or you could just upgrade slowly so they don't realize that the tank is getting bigger.

 

[JOMA]

my dad had a tank years ago and it had a black kuhli loach that my mom loved, hmmmm.

 

[OhNeil1969]

my dad had a tank years ago and it had a black kuhli loach that my mom loved, hmmmm.

There you go! Now you're starting to use the old noggin'.

 

[DragonFish71]

My husband and I would walk through our favorite LFS and he'd point out fish that he thought were cool, I'd tell him they weren't compatible with what we have, we'd need to start a new tank. Now we have 14. Batting my eyelashes works if I find a cool piece of DW too.

 

[JOMA]

There you go! Now you're starting to use the old noggin'.

hehehehhehehe

 

[mfdrookie516]

just remember, deception will bite you in the rear... don't go there. I think you're on the right track though with your current thinking. get her hooked on what she likes, and you may get more than 1 more

 

[JOMA]

just remember, deception will bite you in the rear... don't go there. I think you're on the right track though with your current thinking. get her hooked on what she likes, and you may get more than 1 more

i already have 2.5ish tanks. ones a 20 gallon fish tank, ones a 10 gallon FROG tank (not technically a FISH tank ) and a 2 gallon betta tank (woop de doo ) loll

 

[mfdrookie516]

get her to fall in love with some africans and maybe she'll let you get a 55 or 75g

 

[JOMA]

get her to fall in love with some africans and maybe she'll let you get a 55 or 75g

my dad likes oscars, 60ish gallon in my future?

 

[mfdrookie516]

now you're getting it!!! MTS FTW!

 

[williemcd]

Two ideas to help maybe... Tell her you need one to islolate any new purchases so that you won't introduce diseases in the established tank until they look healthy.. and 2. Ya need a breeding tank so that lovers can be alone.. .Your folks didn't make you in a crowd! Bill in Va.

 

[BigJim]

Keep your tanks neat and clean. Don't let the aquarium stuff take over, keep it organized and put away. Don't make a big mess when working on the tank and clean up whatever mess you do make.

Here's another thought: Find some way to make a little money with your tanks. Show a little entrepreneurship. I made $40 last night selling some extra guppies and RCS. I just post ads on Craigslist. Even if you're not breaking even, you're offsetting some cost of your hobby and most parents love it when their kids show initiative like that.

My wife hated the way my aquarium stuff took up a corner in our apartment. She really hated it when I'd slop water on the carpet lugging buckets back and forth to the bathroom. She liked the fish, but hated the mess.

I convinced her to let me set up my 20L by telling her she could put the metallic blue guppies she found at the LFS in the tank. I had room on the bottom of my 29g stand, so it wouldn't take up any more room. After that I got a python and she warmed up to the aquariums even more because I wasn't making a mess anymore.

Now we're in a house. I have five tanks set up, one in the kitchen and four in the basement. I can make all the mess I want in the basement and she doesn't really care as long as I clean up. I started selling guppies because I had to and plants and shrimp because I could and now my wife wants me to set up more tanks to breed fish. She loves baby fish and wants more now that I've shown I have a way to get rid of them and make a little money in the process.

 

[Shetland James]

Get a job and just buy it. What's she gonna do, break it?