Personally I wouldn't go down the fish route if MIL is wanting a pet, you don't get much affection or companionship from a fish if you're feeling lonely.
I did set up a tank a few years ago though, it was a 21L plastic tank from The Range and I bought gravel, a small fake plant and an ornament. I bought a cheap Supafish filter and after priming the tank put 4 danios in. They were all different markings so we could tell them apart. It worked very well but we gave it away when we moved as we no longer had room. A good cheap way to try out if fish keeping is for you though.
------------- Pally
The pen is mightier than the sword - but only if the sword is very small and the pen is very sharp...
What about a moving photo frame with fish on it? Would she spot the difference? You could put marine fish on it which are far better visually than any tropical tank. And, she saves on food. Everyones a winner. Especially the fish that wont be dying.
She's definately set on having a fish tank with colourful fish on her sideboard and has no interest in flat packed budgies or other pets for company.
Googled 'self cleaning fish tanks' and came across this website called nocleanaquariums.com (sorry can't get it up as a link) unusual tank, but a bit too small, would be ideal for MIL if it was slightly larger.
(The ideal F.Tank for MIL hasn't been designed yet.)
Another 'self cleaning' F.Tank I came across, though can't remember the name of, grew plants in the top without soil, the fish's food and waste nourished and fed the plants which in turn kept the water and tank clean. It was just the right size for MIL, but don't think it's on sale yet.
I had a look at the no clean aquariums and in my opinion its a bit of a con, they are only for siamese fighting fish which are able to breathe air although they do really need a filter to maintain water quality. The jar has an undergravel area that you flush through which is an interesting idea but I think you would be flushing your good bacteria that assist to maintain the tank away.
I think by the sound of it you are probably going to have to bite the bullet and get an ordinary tank and do a monthly partial change for her. It is possible to do it with light weight small buckets its what I have to do.
You can get away with a monthly partial water change with a well planted tank that has been allowed to mature. The whole maintainance takes me approximately 30 minutes a month on a 90 litre tank and I struggle due to physical problems.
If MiL wants a big tank some shops will do the maintainence for you for a fee but I think it would be quite expensive.
I use these to test my water simple, easy and effective.
If you get it set up right with a good few plants and not too many fish, the maintenance will be minimal. Its putting too many fish in and over-feeding that buggers it up usually. A shoal of Neons (sparkly fish), a 'bottom feeder'/catfish to hoover up the crap, and a specimen fish or two for effect,(gouramis?) should keep her happy and the tank relatively clean for a good while.
Have taken it all onboard hopefully, (keeping there is more difficult ) everyone's input together has provided us with a good insight into a previously unknow topic, will pass it onto MIL.
We're still not interested in being lumbered with cleaning out duties as we have enough duties for 'others' lined up for us each week, but will let you all know the eventual outcome.
Sorry, I've read this for a while and feel I have to say something.
Fish are not ornaments, they are pets that require responsibility and commitment.
I appreciate that you have researched how tricky they are by asking the question on here, however, despite numerous people advsing you they they are not easy pets to keep and maintain, you still intend to purchase them, and are now looking at 'self-cleaning' tanks as an easy (lazy) way round this.
How sad for any future fish you may own.
Fish crap and pee in their water. Nothing, upon nothing can or will clean this up for you. No filters, no bottom feeders, nothing. There is no such thing as a self cleaning tank.
You may see the by products by eye, but ammonia, nitrites and nitrates will build up in the tank, and will kill your fish. Not sure about you, but I wouldn't want to spend a miserable existence floating around breathing in a noxious cloud of my own excrement just because I looked pretty to somebody. Only to die and be replaced because 'that's what fish do'.
I suggest you google 'cycling' a fish tank, so you know and understand the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate process.
It sounds confusing, but is quite simple.
Fish poo & pee = ammonia. Bacteria introduced to a new tank change ammonia to nitrite. Bacteria then change that to nitrate which is the safest chemical for fish to live in. Howver weekly 10% (no more than this) water changes should be done to maintain healthy levels of nitrates. In excess these can be damaging to the fish.
Without cycling a tank before you add fish they are likely to die. There is no point leaving a tank to sit for 5, 7 or 30 days before you put fish in. Without adding bacteria to start cycling then it will achieve nothing.
I know this comes across as harsh, but I truly believe that the vast majority of fish in this country have a very rough deal and are not researched well and not looked after correctly once bought.
Like I said, they are living, breathing things and desreve to be seen as more than ornaments.
------------- August 2012 Nicholaston Farm, The Gower
I think it will be a mistake to allow MIL to have a tank as well....My mum had a small plastic tank bought her with 2 tiny goldfish--they grew so quickly---the one poor thing was so big there was no room to turn round hardly and certainly couldnt swim forward only a a few inches..kept telling her it was cruel but she wouldnt have it--said they were happy enough--kept over feeding them as well, so tank got dirty very quickly..In the end I bought her a bigger set up with proper filter etc..she does love it but is still over feeding them and getting it dirty--she says they look hungry every time she goes near..me and hubby have to go and clean filters out and do water change..the big fish has now outgrown this tank as well---mainly due to the amount of food hes having--so am going to persuade her to put him in my pond this year...it does make her happy to see the fish but if you are not prepared to help out and look after them properly please dont buy her one.
We have a large Tropical fish tank with about seven or eight different species, they do have to be looked after quite carefully with water changes and regular tank maintenance etc, so I would think that the Electronic version would be ideal for MIL
------------- Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow
We used to have a large tropical fish tank. Personally, I wouldnt recommend a fish as a pet. Unless of course you are willing to become VERY interested in fish.
Its VERY expensive too, the tank could cost a fortune, then filters and lighting and heaters, the additives to make the water safe, then the fish can get diseases or fungal infections, then there are the treatments for these fungal infections etc, all this costs money, If you dont know what you are doing with fish, then you could be wasting a lot of cash, and the fish will suffer anyway.
I used to love watching the fish move, but we had lots and lots of problems with ph levels, nitrate levels etc.
We lost over £200 worth of fish because of a mistake! we bought some fish and didnt check them properly, one of them had white spot, this infected the rest of the fish while we were on our holidays. The neighbour who was looking after our fish, kept fishing out the dead ones each day, because he didnt know what he was doing. He didnt treat the problem and didnt contact us to ask what we wanted him to do.
On our return we had to clean out the whole aquarium and start all over again, years of hard work down the toilet (literally!!)
We eventually gave up with fish and sold all the stuff to someone starting up.
Also dont forget, that not all types of fish get along. And no two fishtanks are the same, fish are individuals and whilst some have gouramis and they get along with neons etc, we had guoramis which attacked everything in the tank. But at the same time we had catfish which didnt eat the other fish.
If you are dead set on getting an aquarium, do your homework first and plan exactly what you want, then stick to the plan. And sort out a cleaning schedule.
Good luck
------------- Never look down at anybody....
.....unless to offer a hand, to help them up
Thank you for all your recent replies, all input taken on board
As said before, we're not interested in tank cleaning duties ourselves and have never been interested in keeping fish, though they do look good on someone elses sideboard.
All pets should be well looked after by their owners. (No pet is an ornament)
MIL can have her Fish in a Fish Tank if she is fully prepared and is capeable to care for them and can cope on her own.
Not knowing anything about the subject before, we are doing a little 'Fishing' around (some homework) to weigh up how easy/not easy it is to look after fish.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Fish and Fishtanks
Everyones a winner. Especially the fish that wont be dying.
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