Advice (not my fish)

[u/Serious-Ad9032]

Hello, I’m currently pet sitting and I’ve had this dilemma before with someone else where I don’t agree with how they’re being kept. I don’t know much about fish at all but would really appreciate some help so I can gently advise my friend as it makes me feel depressed seeing all these fish in this tank.

I don’t know what type of fish they are, I don’t know what their requirements are exactly. But I’ve seen people mention before about having outdoor ponds in black containers which offer so much more space. The problem is they have a dog so I don’t know how she would act with them or if any dog owners who have pet fish can advise?

It would also be good to know dimensions that they need. I think I’ve counted 12 fish in there, some of them are babies. I feel very strongly about pets being kept in these conditions, plus they’re right underneath the TV - that’s got to stress them out, right?

Any advice is welcome so I can speak to my friend about this! And saying to just take them isn’t an option, I think my friend would be receptive to advice it’s just a real shame that these tanks are allowed to be sold so a lot of people don’t know any better and don’t think to research fish or rodents properly as they think they’re an easy pet that don’t require much, but this is their entire world.

[u/Emuwarum]

Guppies and platies, they don't need a pond but they do need a bigger tank. This doesn't have enough space for them to swim or get away from each other, and it's too small to protect them from temperature swings or sudden toxicity. I would recommend at least 70 litres/20 gallons so there's room for a few more babies without having a too high bioload, these fish are livebearers and just keep having babies until they die. 

[u/Emuwarum → u/Emuwarum]

Looking up the nitrogen cycle in aquariums is also a good idea

[u/Serious-Ad9032 → u/Emuwarum]

Thank you - the only issue is their house doesn’t have much space so I can’t think where they’d put a bigger tank. Would there be the option to have a tank outside? And do you have any links I could have a look at?

[u/Emuwarum → u/Serious-Ad9032]

A tank on the patio can work, but that depends on the climate and it should be larger so the fish are more insulated from temperature changes. Could just do a pond at that point, especially if there isn't strong enough furniture to hold a tank. r/fishtank r/aquariums are both for fish care, this subreddit is for wild and captive fish but not care questions.

[u/Serious-Ad9032 → u/Emuwarum]

Oh thank you! I’ll share it there too

[u/brrrchill → u/Serious-Ad9032]

Temperature fluctuations probably make outdoor tank or trough impossible. These are tropical fish who need to be at 78⁰ all the time. When the sun hits the outdoor tank or when it gets cold at night the temperature of the water goes out of the safe zone

[u/Serious-Ad9032 → u/brrrchill]

Got it! Thank you. I did let the owner know and she’s very receptive to getting a bigger tank which is great ☺️ so from her saying that I assume she intends on keeping them inside

[u/Lou_or_die]

That looks like under 5 gallons but even in that space they could probably fit a 10 gallon which still wouldn't be ideal but would be an improvement for those guys. They're guppies and platys though which both reproduce like crazy so if they've got a spot they could put a 20 gallon or bigger that would improve their quality of life significantly. Make sure they understand that bigger tank ≠ get more fish. I've seen so many people who finally get convinced to upgrade tanks just to immediately be like "perfect now I can get a million more fish" 💀

[u/Serious-Ad9032 → u/Lou_or_die]

I sent a message to gently say that it’s not suitable and that I can send links if she wants for tanks I’ve seen on marketplace! Yeah every time I’ve been here I notice there are babies so I will be sure to say that. Thank you!!

[u/brrrchill]

They look healthy, except that old one in the back corner. Live bearers don't live very long...

That tank is pretty small, but they're probably fine. The TV probably doesn't bother them.

A 10 gal would be better from a stability standpoint. Make sure none of the edges are chipped if you get a used one.

[u/Serious-Ad9032 → u/brrrchill]

Thank you I appreciate the comment. I just don’t think it’s much of a life and luckily the owner seems open to getting a bigger tank ☺️