Husband wants to keep fish now - What did I do?

I have been keeping fish now for around a year and a half. I don't know everything, but I do have a good knowledge base. I have a 45 gallon community, a 10 soon to be 29 gallon community, a 15 gallon with 3 separate betta tanks, and 2 2.5 gallon betta tanks.

And then the unthinkable happened.

It was a day like any other day. The sun was shining and it was chilly, but warm for a Wisconsin winter day. There was a nice hint of spring in the air. We had just finished with a rousing dinner with my husband's family. It went like it always does. I sat in a corner and had a rainbow margarita in one hand and a Spotted Cow in the other, for that is the only way to survive a day with his family.

As the night came to a close and we made our mad dash out to our car, I looked at my husband and said "You need to take me to pet store so I can buy some stuff." To that he asked what I wanted to buy and I responded that we needed dog food and some "fish stuff".

As we wound our way thru the maze of the city we live in where the streets are all 1 way and there are 2 roads for every 1 road name I got the first surprise. My husband ADMITTED that he liked my fish and wanted his very own. Shock, but also a little "mwa ha ha ha I have converted you, young grasshopper."

We enter the store and as my husband peruses the betta selection, I grab the monster xxxl size bag of dog food we need for the next 2 weeks. My husband proceeds to pick out his little fish and then a tank and then the gravel and then the decorations and then the heater...etc you get the picture.

Upon our return home we set up the tank, which was a piece of , and place the new addition into his home. My husband then looks at me and says "how many bettas can I put in a big tank?" Oh my.....I set him straight.

A week later as we looked upon the crapola tank with the little betta, a gigantic thunder clap and lightning bolt phenomenon happened. Dear husband stated that he wanted a bigger tank with lots of fish. Shock. And. Awe.

When we got to the pet store, husband was intent on a 10 gallon setup. That's a nice, moderate size for a first community tank. We went as far as putting the tank and stand in the cart before he asked me what he could put in the tank. I made a few suggestions, none of which he liked. He wanted a goldfish. I quickly put a kibosh to that idea. As I quickly poo-pooed many of his ideas for the 10 gallon he looks at me and asks if it would be a better idea to get a 20 gallon.

Oh no, now I've done it. I tell him that yes, it would be a better idea. He would have a lot more options with a larger tank. So then he asks me "if it were you, would you go with the 10 or 20 gallon?"

I've created a monster. Obviously, I told him I would do a 20 gallon.

We left the store with a new 20 gallon tank, a stand, gravel, decorations, background, and of course, some fish. Now let me stop you, I have seeded sponges in my other tanks plus I got him some TSS to help seeding his filter cartridge.

So now to recap, over the course of 2 weeks dear husband went from 0 tanks, to a 2.5 gallon betta tank, to a 20 gallon community tank. And now, he's talking about "the big tank we're gonna get when we finish our basement...or maybe a fish room in the basement!!!!!" Oh no, what have I done??????





Excellent.....(said in the Monty Burns voice from The Simpsons)

 

Once the monster is created it is hard to quash. My husband comes in "the fish room" trying to look disinterested but with a definite glint in his eye. He looks at the fish and sits in our "fish room" on the computer.... I caught him. Looking for cheap aquariums on Craig's List. I said I was looking for 100 gallons. He asked me disinterestly, is that big enough for what you want? He is showing the signs of breaking. Although, I have to admit.... he has not actually said he LIKED fish yet.

 

He admitted to me last night that he had been researching fish to put in his tank before we went out and bought one. He kept telling me to be quiet and that I DID NOT convert him. It was just a nice addition to his office and he wanted something different that what I had. I will say though, that my husband LOVES feeding the fish and that's what took him over the edge, lol.

 

Haha, what a great story

I have always said that my future wife has to be someone that I share my love of animals with, including fish. Lol

 

It is funny that when we first started dating in college we didn't have any animals. Our parents did, but not us. Before I graduated, we ended up with 2 Alaskan Malamutes. After we got married we got 2 cats. Now we have fish. I wonder what's next???

 

What animals do you have James95??

 

Meeps83, Being old hat at this marriage thing (a lot of wonderful years), we started of with 3 big pit bulls, now we have 5 dogs, 6 cats, geckos, turtles (the desert kind), three aquariums, rabbits, guinea pigs... and 4 kids. Oh my God it is a Zoo. I hope a clean freak never walks in my house. I used to be one of the clean freaks myself until I almost had a nervous breakdown keeping everything "perfect". It is impossible with a crew like I have. So I settle for a clean mess..... saves my sanity.

 

LOL! Love it. I think I might have to move to the country though......I would kinda like a horse some day

 

This is why my hubby is a member too, and why we have 13tanks sitting about the house.

 

I tried to clear out 3 tanks when I did my 15 gallon divided for the bettas. But now with the addition of my husband's 2 tanks it's about where I was before. Well....I'll be doing less water changes and he'll be doing more so I guess it works out!

 

Wendy,
We have 3 fish tanks, 1 boxer, and 2 chinese dwarf hamsters. We used to have 3 parakeets and a peach faced loved bird too.

We have a light load right now

 

When I decided to get a 125 gallon tank for our home and set it up in the living room my wife was my wife was a bit skeptical but once I had it set up the wild thing came out in her. She told me that the only thing I could put into the tank was Angelfish and she wanted Platinum, Koi, Marbles and a couple of Black Vails. I am not sure at what moment it became her tank but I agreed to her requests.

Well to make a long story short once the tank was set up and the living room had been painted and was redecorated with new furniture the total cost of my new tank was well over $5000. Granted it is a beautiful set up and our living room looks better than it ever has I still wasn’t quite prepared for her getting involved to that extent.

I can sympathies with the “I created a monster idea.” At least your monster is willing to do his own cleaning and water changes because mine still insists that is my job.

 

You are so lucky! My husband has no interest in fishkeeping and won't let me get another dog either! Dont know what he's thinking, I had 3 dogs when I met him...lol. To his credit he does stay up past his bedtime to carry the buckets on water change night (have to wait until our 2 year old goes to bed), and I have never asked him to do that. I've also heard him bragging about what a good job I do with it when people compliment the tank. He also tells our daughter that mommy takes really good care of her fish, that's why they are so pretty. But when I talk about my goals for the tank sometimes he rolls his eyes...lol.

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Lol Abalisa, that's because men can't ACTUALLY admit that they like it. His way of saying it's kinda cool is by the eye roll.

Bowcrazy at this point I'd like a 75 gallon. Mostly because we live in town and more water than that would get really expensive. When my husband brought up the idea of a fish room it was to have a room about 20x20 with nothing but tanks. I thought that was on the verge of obsessive. But redecorating the room around a fish tank.......well at least she's into it and not griping about you spending 5000 on a fish tank

 

Lol Abalisa, that's because men can't ACTUALLY admit that they like it. His way of saying it's kinda cool is by the eye roll.

I find it interesting that you said that. After all, it is primarily a male dominated hobby

 

I find it interesting that you said that. After all, it is primarily a male dominated hobby

I find that a bit sexist ... of course that is coming from a woman that had a career in a male dominated field. I was brought up by my father who set no boundaries for me (just told me to watch out for men's upper body strength). This is horrible to admit, but I go by the saying forgivness is easier than permission. I am lucky enough to have a husband who forgives all my quirks... like the fifth dog I brought home without asking him!!!

 

Oh I'm not trying to be sexist by any
means, simply speaking the truth.

I was referring to the OP saying men don't like fish keeping, when in all reality there are more men than women aquarists.

 

Lucky, my wifes response to my getting fish was to get rodents. After the money spent on fish and tank I didn't really have a leg to stand on in trying to get out of it.

They're cute I suppose......in a beady eyed vermin sort of way.

 

The tank was the cheep part of the living room over haul. The tank was less than $2000 but her new furniture and decorations was well over $3000. As far as carrying the buckets I got a Red Rider Wagon for Christmas, it is the first one I have ever owned and I had to wait until I was almost 60 to get it. LOL

 

Lol I didn't mean that the men in this hobby couldn't admit they liked it. I meant the ones who's WIVES were in the hobby couldn't admit that they liked it. Hmm, red wagon is a great idea. Too bad I have carpeting.

 

Lol I didn't mean that the men in this hobby couldn't admit they liked it. I meant the ones who's WIVES were in the hobby couldn't admit that they liked it. Hmm, red wagon is a great idea. Too bad I have carpeting.

I used to do the water changes and bucket hualing until my carpal tunnel got real bad and I had surgery, then chris took over, and after about 2 weks of him complaining that he hurt his back hualing buckets we go a water changer/gravel vac that hooks up to the sink. Saves a lot of time when you have multiple tanks.

 

Lol I didn't mean that the men in this hobby couldn't admit they liked it. I meant the ones who's WIVES were in the hobby couldn't admit that they liked it. Hmm, red wagon is a great idea. Too bad I have carpeting.

I have carpeting too and it still works ok, I due wish the wheels were wider.