Planting a Five-Gallon Aquarium
Sunday, 17 Feb, 2008 - My daughter has been wanting us to get a pet of some kind that would be “hers.” She’s six. So “no” is an easy answer. But we don’t really like denying the kids when we don’t have to. And also, we used to keep aquaria — like 800 gallons at my peak. So after opting out of a hamster, we agreed to fish. We spent half an hour unpacking and picking through the many boxes of equipment that I’ve had set aside for years and years since I was active — getting filters and heaters and lights and such out. We got rid of all our tanks with our last move so we decided to buy one — a barely used five-gallon tank for ten bucks. Small tanks are sweet.
We took Kivi through the whole fresh-water selection at the fish store and selected a dozen gold tetras and an ottocinclus. But for Cathy and I the important part were the plants. We just got a broad selection of shortish plants for $30 to stock the tank. We’ll see what thrives. The thing is, it’s really pretty. Even the cast acrylic ruins that Kivi wanted — the likes of which have never been seen in a tank of *mine*, is nice. It took an hour or so to arrange and plant the tank but it was so worth it to create a lasting and interactive source of pleasure.
Last 5 posts by Christopher Weeks
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