"Baby-proofing" your tank for your TODDLER?!
- Thread starter Nathan
- Start date
corals b 4 bills
New member
The first thing I did is put mail box locks on the cabinet doors, put my CO2 tank behind the tank next will be tank side fence (damm those sneeky 1 year olds!). I grounded my tank and installed GCFI's incase I forgot to lock the cabinets, and built a canopy because baby likes to look at the pretty lights.
jvetter
New member
I put a child lock on my cabinet doors. The child lock I used has two zip tie like straps that go around the knobs on the cabinet handles. In order to lock the cabinet you just tighten the straps so that there is no slack. It takes two buttons pushed simultaneously to loosen the straps and open the door. HD sells these for not much money.
The tank is an open top tank, but my son who is now two cannot come close to reaching his hand in there even when standing on a stool.
Anyway, this has worked fine for the past two years.
The tank is an open top tank, but my son who is now two cannot come close to reaching his hand in there even when standing on a stool.
Anyway, this has worked fine for the past two years.
cdangel0
New member
I just scream insanely whenever the kids get close to the tank. 
Kidding of course.
Cabinet locks on stand doors - tank is too tall for even the 5 year old to get to the top.
Learned the hard way though - daughter (at 3 or 4) comes in one day and tells me she fed my FW fish for me - she dumped every container of food I had in the tank
Took 6 hours to get the fish out, completely drain the water, scoop out all the gravel, scrub the tank, and re-set everything. :mad2:
Kidding of course.
Cabinet locks on stand doors - tank is too tall for even the 5 year old to get to the top.
Learned the hard way though - daughter (at 3 or 4) comes in one day and tells me she fed my FW fish for me - she dumped every container of food I had in the tank
Took 6 hours to get the fish out, completely drain the water, scoop out all the gravel, scrub the tank, and re-set everything. :mad2:
LargeAngels
Premium Member
Something to consider is that they may get a stool or something and grab on to try and climb up. Depending on the size of the tank they may tip it over, just like a dresser. Most of the new dressers come with a strap that is bolted to the wall. May want to consider something like that.
Another thing to consider is tanks made out of glass. Many kids like to bang on the aquarium and they may use objects when doing this. When I was 7 I ran and tripped into one of my dad's tanks head first. Cracked the glass. Water and fish everywhere. Luckily I didn't cut my head.
I have a fish room in which the main tank is built into the wall. Rest of them are in the room. Lock on the door takes care of that.
Another thing to consider is tanks made out of glass. Many kids like to bang on the aquarium and they may use objects when doing this. When I was 7 I ran and tripped into one of my dad's tanks head first. Cracked the glass. Water and fish everywhere. Luckily I didn't cut my head.
I have a fish room in which the main tank is built into the wall. Rest of them are in the room. Lock on the door takes care of that.
Poorcollegereef
Future Doc
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9201052#post9201052 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by davocean
You got a 180.
Just put some waterwings on the kid and toss him in!
May want to upgrade skimmer though, they make for a heavy bioload!
hahaha, I want to do that myself! Although I do need to girlfriend proof my tanks... eeeep!
MattRise: Did you build the tank into the wall or the kid???
Seriously, this might be a great excuse to build a lockable fishroom and have your equipment in there and only the tank visible from the main living area. Also put a sheet of acrylic or glass as a shield if it is in-wall.
If all else fails, get a dog maybe a retired one from the police or fire dept. this is trained to gentally drag child away from the tank. You could also train a puppy too. Finally, if all else fails, the movie Jaws does a great job keeping kids away from the water....
A hollow-top canopy taller than the kid will be until he is 6 and understands the words "Papa will hunt you down---". And remove all moveable chairs from the room: no footstools, canetops, small tables, etc that can be repositioned. Kids not allowed to play at the foot of the tank. A strict rule about food in that room: none. A burglar alarm that sounds a siren if someone touches the cabinet doors: that will necessitate a spare stock of diapers, but might keep fingers off the doors.
A burglar alarm that sounds a siren if someone touches the cabinet doors: that will necessitate a spare stock of diapers, but might keep fingers off the doors.
Nathan
Premium Member
You guys/gals are waaay too funny! Thanks for all the advice. In the next week or two I'll try some of your suggestions.
Yeah it's a 180g tank. It's 6ft long and VERY heavy, so no problem with tipping it over, I don't think I could even tip it over.
Keep the suggestions coming if you've got any more
Yeah it's a 180g tank. It's 6ft long and VERY heavy, so no problem with tipping it over, I don't think I could even tip it over.
Keep the suggestions coming if you've got any more
fish like me
In Memoriam
Birth control pills surely would've made your tank child proof as well as condoms etc.
trilinearmipmap
New member
I bought magnetic locks for two of my tanks and they have kept kids out of my tanks both at home and at work.
Here is a link to the locks:
http://www.amazon.com/DOREL-JUVENILE-SAFETY-1ST-71173/dp/B0000488W1
Here is a link to the locks:
http://www.amazon.com/DOREL-JUVENILE-SAFETY-1ST-71173/dp/B0000488W1
I have kept somewhere in the area of 500 gallons of FW tanks since my kids were both little and have never had a problem. Teach them that if they mess with it things will die, and make sure to tell them everything in there is theirs... once they figure out that their owns things are going away if the do anything they learn fast.
Not only will they like being able to tell everyone about their little ocean, you will also be starting another person into the hobby which is never a bad thing.
Keep the cabinets locked if you have them, and a hood would be a good idea I suppose too, but I never needed them.
Installing the fear of god and dad in them young never hurts either.
Not only will they like being able to tell everyone about their little ocean, you will also be starting another person into the hobby which is never a bad thing.
Keep the cabinets locked if you have them, and a hood would be a good idea I suppose too, but I never needed them.
Installing the fear of god and dad in them young never hurts either.
dippin61
New member
Honestly.. with my 2 year old, and 8 month old, we just stay on top of watching them, correct them gently that its not to play with, re-direct their attention, and voila.
My 2 year old now would never even think about going in the cabinet or behind the tank, except when its time to help daddy. Thats probably another thing that helps. Let them help a little when you do the minor stuff. And my 8 month old has now stopped opening the cabinet. But he loves to stand up against it and stare at the tanks.
My 2 year old now would never even think about going in the cabinet or behind the tank, except when its time to help daddy. Thats probably another thing that helps. Let them help a little when you do the minor stuff. And my 8 month old has now stopped opening the cabinet. But he loves to stand up against it and stare at the tanks.
victor_c3
Premium Member
my parents had two 20 gallon freshwater tanks when my brother and I were 4 and 5 years old. I don't remember learning ever the lessons not to or even trying to fidget with what was inside of the tanks.
One day, my brother and I were playing with stacking these plastic stackable milk crates on a chair next to the tank. I thought things were going pretty good and I was impressed with the tower I built until it fell over. It went straight into the bookcase where one of the tanks was located, broke it into pieces, and sent a flood of water and fish everywhere.
I'm definately going to keep this in mind if/when I have kids with my wife.
Other than that, I never remember there being an issue with my brother and I. We used to spend hours staring into the tank(s) and looking at books with fish and shellfish pictures. I used to love anything and everything ocean related (even though the aquariums my parents had were freshwater).
Keeping an aquarium definately could be risky for the wildlife in the tank, but your kids will really enjoy the tank and learn a lot from it - even if there is a disaster or two.
One day, my brother and I were playing with stacking these plastic stackable milk crates on a chair next to the tank. I thought things were going pretty good and I was impressed with the tower I built until it fell over. It went straight into the bookcase where one of the tanks was located, broke it into pieces, and sent a flood of water and fish everywhere.
I'm definately going to keep this in mind if/when I have kids with my wife.
Other than that, I never remember there being an issue with my brother and I. We used to spend hours staring into the tank(s) and looking at books with fish and shellfish pictures. I used to love anything and everything ocean related (even though the aquariums my parents had were freshwater).
Keeping an aquarium definately could be risky for the wildlife in the tank, but your kids will really enjoy the tank and learn a lot from it - even if there is a disaster or two.
zuzecawi
Member
I've got a two year old we call Airborne. Not just because I was in the 101st, but because he's absolutely deserving of the name... as well as Crash, and Godzilla. We have handle-less cabinets and just used those cabinent baby proofing kits from Home Depot. We also built a fake and ghettoish top, sort of, a open canopy that is just three sides of wood resting on the aquarium to keep the kid from being blinded by the pendant light. And I NEVER leave chairs near the aquarium. He's been told since he was born to not touch the aquarium or bump the stand, and whenever a ball or truck rolls into the stand, the whole house chimes in with UH-OH!!! and we send the offending toy off in a new direction. Twice I've put his TOYS on time out for hitting the fish stand. "Your mean old truck ran into the fish, that was BAD. The truck is going on TIME OUT. He has to stay there until the fish aren't afraid anymore."
End result... the fish are safe, but it takes a razor blade to scrape the tortilla chips and kid spit off the TV. Shows where OUR household's priorities lie.
Oh, and the kid already knows how to say HI Evil Blenny!
Good luck!
End result... the fish are safe, but it takes a razor blade to scrape the tortilla chips and kid spit off the TV. Shows where OUR household's priorities lie.
Oh, and the kid already knows how to say HI Evil Blenny!
Good luck!
