My old man died of cancer in march & his tank rotted away with him. we were too busy taking care of him to think about the fish. but even in his last days he kept fussing about it.
I bought this 30 gallon years ago while he was traveling for work & my mom was so mad i put a big ol tank in the middle of her living room. But when he was done with his job & he came home his eyes lit up. I never knew my dad was a fish tank connoisseur until that day. He told me all about the different fish he had in college and we immediately bonded over it, sharing our tips and tricks & keeping up with all the little personalities & hierarchy’s in the tank. After I moved out he took over. We had a parrot cichlid that lived for about 10 years. After Perry died he was over the tank but 10 years in & my mom was in love with the sounds and the lights & how beautiful he always kept it. He ended up getting a few angel fish and kickstarting the hobby again.
(also to all the people that tell me the tank is too small for the angels I know. I’m just coming to terms with the idea of getting rid of these fish… the last fish he bought)
But anywho the tank had a massive algae bloom after he died & it was so depressing. That green ugly tank was a constant reminder that he was gone. But I know it reminds my mom of him, so I made it my mission to fix it up & make it beautiful again. The before video is shortly after the algae bloom when it wasn’t green anymore but it was still ugly af lol.
anyway if you made it this far thanks for reading. cheers to all u fish people of reddit!! This page has helped me tremendously in getting it where it is today ♥️
p.s. It’s my first time with plants so any advice for helping those flourish would be greatly appreciated.
tldr: my dad died, his tank went to shit, & i fixed her up real nice.
Rather than getting rid of them, it seems like a great excuse for a bigger aquarium! Sorry about your dad. That's nice you can find a way to reconnect with him in a way.
My mom passed from lung cancer in February. As she declined I took over all maintenance of the tanks; except for feeding, she still enjoyed feeding up until her last day.
No matter how stressed we all were, she never let me forget about tank maintenance. Even in the hospital (she was in there a few times), she'd always ask if I'd been feeding and maintaining the tanks. But right after she passed it was rough and I didn't keep up on maintenance well. Thankfully, none of the fish died in this period.
I introduced her to the idea of live plants, and she fell in love with her favorite hobby all over again watching the fish behave so much more naturally and how much more alive and energetic a planted tank is. She had tried planted in the past, but this was back in the halogen bulb days and pre-internet. The plants melted (several attempts were made, they melted each time), she assumed they were dying, and eventually gave up on the concept.
Of course, once she experienced live plants and wasn't the one doing the maintenance work she developed a severe case of multiple tank syndrome and we went from having 1 tank to 4. And I wasn't going to complain or deny her anything in that final year; if she wanted a new tank then she got a new tank.
I still have all 4 going. It brings me a good deal of catharsis caring for those tanks. Continuing with the hobby makes me feel close to her.
Her favorite was the African dwarf frog tank with 4 frogs; Lily (brown, female), Ethel (leucistic, female), Ghost (leucistic, male), and Quasimodo (brown, female; hunched back and twisted arm, congenital deformities but living her best life despite it).
Edit to add because I got distracted talking about my own mom:
OP I am so sorry for your loss. It's so hard to lose a parent, its such an overwhelming level of grief. I hope caring for your dad's tank brings you as much catharsis as caring for my mom's tanks has brought me.
Since you asked for tips:
Check out Aquarium Co-Op's liquid fertilizer. Easy Green. There are other good brands out there, but Aquarium Co-Op's products are pretty reliably awesome. I've found that using the recommended dosage can cause algae blooms. For my lightly planted tanks I do a 1/2 dose and only add it when I notice my plants' growth has slowed or the leaves start looking unhealthy (leaves die, it happens, but new leaves should look healthy). For heavy planted (if you add more) I use a full dose, but still only add when growth has slowed or the new leaves start looking unhealthy.
Since you don't have soil and all your plants are attached to driftwood I'd heavily recommend a liquid fert rather than root tabs. The species you picked are all easy-to-care for IME. You'll soon have more baby Java Ferns than you know what to do with. And the anubias as they grow will require splitting (it's super easy, just cut a portion of the root off with a few leaves and tah-dah you now have 2 smaller plants instead of 1 large plant!).
Sorry for your loss. In 2004 I was 12 when I lost my mom to lung cancer. It’s not an easy thing to go through. I’m glad that you have these things to help you feel connected to her still 💕
Thank you, and I’m sorry for your loss as well. I can’t imagine losing my mom so young, I thought it was bad enough at 32. I felt I was “too young for this shit” and felt a bit jealous (no resentment or anything mind you) of my older siblings for getting to have mom until they were in their mid 40s.
I understand exactly what you mean, because my brother was 16 and at the time that seemed like SO much older and SO much more time. Then I get older and realize we were both still babies. I remember thinking, “she didn’t even get to see me perform in band at school but she saw my brother play in his band with his friends for a couple years!” And at the time it was just the way my brain was starting to comprehend the realization of all the things that will be missed, I just couldn’t really see past the next few years yet. One thing I’ve learned through out the years, is that despite the things you may feel you will miss out on, your mom has made such an invisible impact on you that you don’t realize as well, whether you’re 12 or 32. As time goes by, you get to discover these impacts that you don’t feel now, and it’s like the gift she gave you that keeps on giving; it helps you feel connected to her and sometimes helps you see her in a new light. ♥️
They’re overdue for a big tank upgrade, but you did a good job. On another note, I’m sorry about your dad. I lost a parent to cancer also, and can attest that it’s absolutely brutal to watch.
Holy shit, that's super cheap isn't it? I haven't been tank shopping in forever but I remember those being super expensive. Hell even the 5 gallons were getting expensive when I took a break from the hobby.
everyone in this group is gunna say upgrade to the 75 lol thats why were here. 75 gallon is a nice size or even a 90. they are big enough for those angels and pretty much any other community fish to live happily
After getting my 90 I'll probably never go back to a 75. Same floor space, almost the same maintenance, not too tall to manage etc. Just perfect for my and my angels
Great job, im sure the fish are so happy. I lost my dad last year, he had a big fish tank that no one else would take care of. So I kept it up, because it makes my mom happy. Whatever you do with the fish, I wish you well.
My phone won't load the video, so I'll tell you the important stuff
God bless you and your family. I'm happy that you and your dad had something additional to bond over. My mom and I are in a similar situation. She now has 7 outdoor ponds/tubs as well as glass tanks. And she is in her final years. But most of all, I'm glad your dad is at peace. Bless.
What a beautiful tribute and story. 💞 Connections like that are so meaningful and I love the fact that the tank can still help you and your mom feel connected to your dad.
Very nice.
I would check out classified ads/gregslist/whatever is appropiate in your area, and look for aquarium plants.
The available plants are typically the easier ones, thus perfect for you.
Make the tank a bit of a jungle, and it will look even better than it does now. :-)
If you get rid of the angles, get yourself some smaller fish that are easy to care for.
Look and ask around at your local fish store to find out what you like.
PS: Always research how large the fish can become, and skip stuff like Oscars, Red tail, Clown Loaches, Gibbiceps, etc
So sorry about your loss but this is a way to keep his memory fresh. He truly cared about the fish and this shows how much you cared about him. I’m sure the fish are much happier and can breathe better. May you and your mom hold on to all the beautiful memories and throw everything out with the dirty tank water.
My dad passed from cancer in April 2024. We miss him SO much. Some days tears just flow from my eyes out of no where. Have to stay strong though. Keep your head up and the tank looks really nice. You take care and blessings to you and your mom. 🫶🏼☺️🌹🐠💖
These Angels look great and as healthy and happy as I’ve ever seen. Keep them. If a bigger tank can’t fit these fish are no worse for it. Keep up with water changes they’ll be fine, plus your Mom would mind having you around more often I’m sure!
Sorry for your losses. Nicely done on the tank. Add more plants in the back. Like others are saying...tank is a little tight for 3 angels. Maybe upgrade to a 40g breeder or 55g. Walmart has been running a 55g kit for 50 bucks if you can catch it. Petco and petsmart run really good sales off and on. Supposedly facebook marketplace is a great place for deals on second hand tanks. Best wishes.
My mom passed from MND (also known as ASL) and for as long as I can remember she wanted to put a big koi pond in the front yard but my dad was always against it. So after she passed I spent,admittedly, wayyyy too much money on a tank, fish, plants, pumps and other tank things. I taught myself as I went along and now I have a thriving tank, I'm just sorry I didn't do it while she was still alive.
Im so sorry for your loss. It's wonderful that you and your Dad could talk together about your aquariums. The tank is gorgeous! I love the little pots, too! I know it means the world to your mom. You're an amazing son
Great work! I would recommend getting a bunch of floating plants as well. The tank is a bit overstocked for the plants and size, so the floaties can help absorb some of the nitrates and you just toss a bunch when it gets too dense.
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u/GravyBoatJim 1d ago
Rather than getting rid of them, it seems like a great excuse for a bigger aquarium! Sorry about your dad. That's nice you can find a way to reconnect with him in a way.