# Fish tank in the nursery?



## YesandNo (Mar 16, 2008)

I'd love to put a 10 gallon tank in the nursery. The noise is so soothing, and I'd love for DD to always have memories of a peaceful tank in her room.

I'm concerned because she is just starting to crawl and climb. Does anyone else have a tank in the baby room? How do you tether it to the wall? Or -for anyone who has tried this - does it weigh so much that it'd be nearly impossible to topple over? Right now I'm envisioning just using a traditional tank stand (like this one.)

Just looking for some thoughts/advice. Thanks!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Those stands are very tippy. I would be so scared to have that around my 18 month old, and especially when he was learning to stand. If you push on them very gently, they rock pretty easily. A 10 gallon tank will weight easily 80 pounds, plus rocks, decorations, tank cover, etc. If it were to tip over onto your little one, it could be very dangerous. I am thinking of getting a tank for my kitchen counter so that it is absolutely impossible to tip over, but I would not dare to have one on a stand.


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## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

Maybe you could get DH or a handy person to build you a fish alcove that way it's "built in" and unclimbable.
ps I had fish when I was about 4 and ate a few.


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## ShwarmaQueen (Mar 28, 2008)

IMHO, it sounds like an accident waiting to happen!


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kriket* 
ps I had fish when I was about 4 and ate a few.









LOL

I agree with the other posters, those fish tank stands do not seem safe with toddlers.


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## Thursday Girl (Mar 26, 2004)

we have a 10 gallon in the girls room. It is on top of their dresser. They have oe of the tall dressers. We haven't had problems. Well sometimes they drag the stool in to stand on so they can see the fish...but they leave the "feeding" the fish for the tanks in the living room that are lower to the floor. I have no problem with it. Someday when the new baby moves into their room with them, they will all three have that fish tank in their room. It is also nice b/c my DH set the lights up to go on in the evening so it is their night light, it stays onuntil about 4 am, so if they wake up at night to head to the restroom they have a light to see by.

I would definetly NOT do a stand though!!


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## PuppyFluffer (Mar 18, 2002)

All pieces of furniture should be tethered to the wall. It's so easy for a child to pull out dresser drawers and climb them, a huge tipping hazard.

If I had a dresser properly tethered to the wall and it was strong enough to hold the weight of a 10 gallon tank, I think it would be fine.

There are some nice acrylic 5 gallon tanks available that may be a better idea for use around children.

Please read up on cycling a fish tank if you decide to set up an aquarium. Cycling is the process of establishing the proper biological bacteria for the survival of the inhabitants. I have recently gotten into the aquarium hobby and have done a great deal of research and would love to share it if anyone is interested. There is nothing more discouraging than setting up a tank and having all the fish die. Please go to the Pet forum and ask questions or PM me for more info!


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## YesandNo (Mar 16, 2008)

Good thoughts all, thanks. I still want to do the tank but I'll DEFINITELY avoid the stand. I think I knew it was a bad idea, that's why I posted it here, but sometime I just need to hear someone else say it too LOL.


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## Thursday Girl (Mar 26, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PuppyFluffer* 
All pieces of furniture should be tethered to the wall. It's so easy for a child to pull out dresser drawers and climb them, a huge tipping hazard.

If I had a dresser properly tethered to the wall and it was strong enough to hold the weight of a 10 gallon tank, I think it would be fine.

There are some nice acrylic 5 gallon tanks available that may be a better idea for use around children.

Please read up on cycling a fish tank if you decide to set up an aquarium. Cycling is the process of establishing the proper biological bacteria for the survival of the inhabitants. I have recently gotten into the aquarium hobby and have done a great deal of research and would love to share it if anyone is interested. There is nothing more discouraging than setting up a tank and having all the fish die. Please go to the Pet forum and ask questions or PM me for more info!


this is what my husband does. You CAN use drops to fix everythingin a tank, or you can get into more natural remedies and balances of their little fishy ecosystem.


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## chirp (Feb 9, 2008)

we have a snail tank on top of E's dresser which is tethered. it seems very sturdy.

i also have one of those iron stands...it seems sturdy but ours is holding a 120 gallon tank which weighs a ton (literally). I don't know how sturdy it would be with just a ten gallon.

ps...many fish need more than 5 gallons to survive...it's a pressure thing...helps them swim right, etc. even guppies do best in a 10-120 gallon. only betas and a couple of others will do okay in 5 gallons.


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## goodygumdrops (Jan 25, 2007)

I just had to laugh when I read this...I mean goodness, we can't even put a fish tank in our kids rooms without worry







My son has a 5 gallon fish tank in his bedroom that sits on his dresser. His dresser is not tethered to the wall. He is 18 months. We got him the aquarium for his 1 year birthday.


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## BugMacGee (Aug 18, 2006)

My DD ended up in hers (10 gallon) when she was 17 months old. We found her sitting in it, giggling, scooping up the rocks and throwing them on the floor. We get the following responses when we tell that story a)That's hilarious, hope you got a picture! b) OMG, how scary, she could've drowned!

In reality, it would've been extreeeeeemely difficult for DD to have drowned in that tank though she could've knocked it over and made a bigger mess than she did. We weren't worried about it because until this incident, she'd never showed any interest AT ALL in the tank.


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## Kristine233 (Jul 15, 2003)

We had one in DDs room (oldest) and it was ona low table. We just made sure it had an unopenable lid. I wanted it nice and low so she could pull herself up to the table and watch the fish. She loved it and we never had tipping issues because we used a small wide sturdy table instead of a stand. Think coffee table-ish.


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## vbactivist (Oct 4, 2006)

I thought there was something about not having the tank in a room where someone is sleeping because of some sort of bacteria being released in the air?

I don't remember what it was exactly, though. That would be my bigger concern vs. the tipping, if it were on a dresser.


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## PassionateWriter (Feb 27, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gavin'smom* 
I just had to laugh when I read this...I mean goodness, we can't even put a fish tank in our kids rooms without worry







My son has a 5 gallon fish tank in his bedroom that sits on his dresser. His dresser is not tethered to the wall. He is 18 months. We got him the aquarium for his 1 year birthday.

as one pp stated, toddlers do get INSIDE. I worry about drowning w/ any amount of water. and 10 gallons is a lot of water.


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## PuppyFluffer (Mar 18, 2002)

A betta is a fine fish for a 5 gallon.

Also, freshwater shrimp are fascinating and very active animals. I hightly recommend them.


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## PuppyFluffer (Mar 18, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gavin'smom* 
I just had to laugh when I read this...I mean goodness, we can't even put a fish tank in our kids rooms without worry







My son has a 5 gallon fish tank in his bedroom that sits on his dresser. His dresser is not tethered to the wall. He is 18 months. We got him the aquarium for his 1 year birthday.

Many children are injured each year due to furniture falling over on them as they attempt to climb it. Top heavy things pose a particular risk - televisions on stands for instance.

A link to this info:
http://www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID...645/router.asp

A link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5004.pdf

Quote:

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 2005 at least 3,000 children younger than 5 were treated in US hospital emergency rooms because of injuries associated with TV tip overs. In additon, from 2000 through 2005, CPSC received reports of *36 TV tip over and 65 furniture tip over deaths.* More than 80% of all these deaths involve young children.
From the side bar of this website:
http://www.homefurnish.com/kidsroom/...ure/index.aspx

Quote:

Of all the injuries incurred by children younger than 12 months, around one in five involves kids furniture tipping or falling over. Make sure to secure tall or heavy kids furniture to the wall and supervise your young child at all times.
A dresser with a 5 or 10 gallon fish tank is certainly top heavy. Water weighs 8.34 lbs per gallon. Gravel or sand substrate is also very heavy and will add at least 10 lbs to a 10 gallon tank, probably more.

This risk can be essentially eliminated by the use of a tether strap properly installed.
We have used something similar to this:
http://www.amazon.com/KidCo-S142-Ant.../dp/B0009ET8CS


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## alysmommy2004 (Jun 23, 2006)

Also keep in mind that as a child gets older and more curious you may have to move the tank out of the room. I have to keep an eagle's eye on my DS in our family room because messes with our reef tanks. Last week he tossed something in the air that knocked the light loose and it came crashing down onto rock, smashing glass everywhere, with two fish suddenly dieing days later. He also climbs constantly and will try anything to splash the water and try to touch the fishes. He can also squeeze his hands into itty bitty place and unplug things.


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## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

Also make sure you have a way to clean the tank. I have no experience w/ 10gal tanks, ours was a 55gal and I can't imagine cleaning it in my kids' room! I suppose if their room was right across from the bathroom. A 10gal may be different since it's not as big. We had a huge stand for it obviously and there was no risk of it falling, no way they could've tipped it. I'm thinking of getting a beta for the kids, but DH says he wants something that actually does something, lol. I guess maybe frogs?


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## chio88 (Oct 16, 2008)

If you really want a fish tank inside the room. Maybe you should go for the most sturdy and stable ones


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## joybird (Feb 2, 2006)

I guess I wouldn't risk it . . . even if I felt okay about keeping wild creatures in a small cage for my own amusement, which I don't.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

We have one, but it lived in the living room on the end table attached to a bench until DD was 3. That was a great place for it, because the bench was tethered to the wall, she wasn't in the living room unsupervised, and the top is quite secure, so I can't imagine her being able to get INTO it. She could sit on the bench and watch the fish. Now the living room is set up differently and it's on top of her tall built in dresser. It works as a nightlight, and she loves to watch the fish, but they're up a little high for her to really sit and watch them. They're up too high for DS to see them without me holding him.

My parents had one on a stand like that when I was little, and it never seemed tippy to me, but that was with an enormous tank on top. I don't know if it was tethered or not. The top is crucial though, because we used to throw small toys in to see if they would sink or float. I wonder if something like the toilet-catches would work on the top to make sure kids can't get in?


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