How Do I Convince My Mom To Let Me Get A 120g?

A friend of mine offered me a free 120g yesterday but I had to decline because my mom does not want such a large tank in my 10'x 11' room, (the tank is 5' long) I have a 29g and two 10g at the moment that take up a lot of space. I am not employed right now since I am still in school and I am to young to work at most places, therefore my mom is worried it would cost a lot to get supplies and things and she would end up paying for the equipment. She says however that I may be able to convince her if I put together a compelling argument that includes the budget and equipment needed for this tank, this will also be a sort of "school project" as well. Please offer some advice! thanks!

 

When first starting the conversation make sure you are prepared. Find a place for the tank. Don't seem to prepared though so that it becomes a presentation, prepare enough so that it is an actual discussion

 

And I had a difficult time convincing my wife to agree to a second 20 gallon tank! Good luck!

 

Be proactive. find jobs like mowing grass, walking dogs, anything that could possibly pay money while keeping your grades up to par at the same time. If your mother sees that you are making an effort she may let you have it. She is probably afraid that the financial burden of a tank will cost her.

 

Is there a cheap way to filter such a large tank? it is 60''Lx18'W'x26''H.

 

You could do a canister like an Eheim 2217. Nothing against Fluval, they are good, I just prefer eheim. Or you could try two AquaClear 70 filters. i like AquaClear.

 

How much GPH do I need for a 120?

 

nothing written in stone and the talking heads argue this point all the time, but I would say 3 to 4 times the tank capacity.

 

You cant really, I wanted a little 10g, she said no. so what did I do? snuck it in. but I heavily doubt you can sneak a 120 in your house...

 

But a 120 gallon is such a small tank.

 

As with any new pet, finding out how much it's going to cost is the responsible thing to do and something any parent will appreciate. Personally, if my child came up to me with a spreadsheet of all of the equipment with the prices (don't forget tax if there's going to be tax) and laid it all out I would be much more willing than my 9 year old who says he wants a hamster because "I want one and they're cute". Find out how far out into the room a 120 gal tank will take up, tape it out (use painter's tape so it doesn't stick too much to carpet or wood floors) to see if you will have space for your other tanks and your bed and any other furniture you might want to keep. If there's no space for your dresser, where will your clothes go? What about that expensive dresser? Where will that go? These are questions that your mom is going to ask. When your mom asks "What kind of fish are you going to put in there and why do you need more fish?" she's going to want a better answer than "I want them and they're cute".

 

DIY project such as filters are a good way to convince her that it doesn't have to be super expensive.

 

Now I like this idea!

 

SunSun is a very cheap and reliable brand.

I'd aim for a SunSun 304B atleast to have enough fitlration.
Trust me a canister filter that powerful for that cheap is unheard of.

Then you could supplement it with a HOB Filter

 

I just gave her a "presentation" complete with cost, time and measurements. She seemed pretty impressed and it looks like I will be asking for stocking suggestions fairly soon lol. The price for all the equipment, (tax not yet included) will be about $23.61 this accounts for the filter, lid, sand, and optional heater, some of which I already have.

 

very nice!
Now just ship one to texas for me next time you find a free 120G

 

Build your own filter. I built a simple aquaponics setup for my 55g for about $40, and it keeps my parameters at zero... Including nitrates. For just a few more dollars (for a larger powerhead and planting box), you could do the same. Check out King of DIY on YouTube for ideas... I based my filter off of his windowbox sump.

Building your own filter would also be a good "school project" element of it

 

Another thought, can you consolidate tanks? You gain some room space by doing that. And you could sell any you can close down to help pay for equipment.

 

You need 8-10x's tank volume for gph. So 960-1200. I was just researching for my own tank. So you will probably need 2 filters to reach that high of gph.

 

I am going to be using a three in one filter with relatively low flow but high amounts of biological filtration and a powerhead for circulation. You should look it up for your tank.