Never turn your back on a 3 year old

[scott473]

Ok, so heres how this is going so far.

My daughter (the brain dead twit she is) Left my 3 year old grandson in the living room well she ran to the bathroom. Not really uncommon cause he usually sits and watches cartoons (Mind you the wife and I were out and about).

We get home before she gets done (doing her thing) and catch our grandson sitting on a stand next to my tank. Usually this would be a no big thing. Till I got a closer look at what he did. A weeks worth of mail (including two titles to two cars), 1/2 pot of coffee (I know cause the whole pot was in there), a pack of cigarettes (just opened) 3 lighters, a full container of sugar, a Thomas, Percy, and some other little train thing, and another hand full of toys, a few cd's, a cell phone, and last but not least a smokeless ashtray that had ashes and butts in it.

I freak out, my wife freaks out, my daughter comes running in the room to see what happened. I only had 5 gallons made up (was going to do a small water change tomorrow). I used to curse filter socks, today I love them. anything and everything that could make it in the overflow got caught in the socks.

I did my 5 gallon water change tonight, and I must say everything is looking pretty good the fish seem un affected, the corals (what few i have in there) look good and open. Gonna do another water change tomorrow for good measure and grab a HOB filter that works to run a little carbon for a couple days.


If things make it threw this I don't recommend dosing with half the stuff sitting on a kitchen counter. lol


Wish me luck

 

[pascal32]

Run some carbon if you can.

My 5 year old sprayed air freshner in the tank. She said they would like to smell nice, just like we do. Lots of carbon

 

[FishboyDave]

Man that sucks. Dont feel bad, when my son was three his friend had the idea that my fish in my nano reef needed a bath so they dumped 3/4 of a gallon of blowing bubbles solution into the tank and within 1 hour the whole tank was overflowing on the floor with bubbles and green. Completely destroyed. Just another joy of having kids.

 

[terry4505]

Not saying this to rub it in, but my 3 year old daughter is amazing about my tank and helping me wirth it.

 

[magdelan]

This is nothing compared to what your grandson did and I can only pray that my three year old NEVER does anything remotely close to that.

...however, this is my cat, Oliver. My son, Spencer, wanted to brush Oliver... with toothpaste!

This happened three days ago.

 

[Capt_Cully]

At that point you've got nothing to lose by throwing the kid in there.....

My son is due in about 6 weeks.....perhaps I didn't think this through.....

 

[terry4505]

I realize this could all change in a heartbeat given my daughter's imagination. But she is awesome about my tank. She helps me pick out which food to thaw out, she feeds the fish (with my help) Helps me with water changes by holding the siphon hose in the bucket... Helps me name the corals and fish... etc. My tank, which could be something that takes me away from her, has become something that brings us together.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

My three and six year olds have grown with my tanks, and run to help when I call. They both spend a lot of time studying and asking about things in it. The worst thing (KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK) that's happened was my youngest put a broken ph probe back in the sump where she knew it belonged. The tank was exposed to a little Mercury and Copper that killed my conchs but everything else I know of recovered. Both our kids are super smart and I know we have it pretty easy. They understand how delicate the system is and know how easily things could die if they do anything besides looking and touching the glass. Maybe their understanding that the tank is full of animals that we don't want to die just like any of the more advanced pets we have is a key to not needing guarding the tank from them.

 

[scott473]

Just about 24 hours now and things are looking good. the fish seem to still be on a sugar rush, but knock on wood all is going well.

The tank honestly looks better now. lol I'm wondering if there really is something to dosing with sugar. I did some reading and I guess from what i understand sugar reduces oxygen and in turn kills algae? If so it worked. But after I read that I threw a air stone in the sump and have been letting it blow bubbles.

 

[GMaquarium]

wow, this is crazy. We are baby proofing our house now as our little one is becoming very mobile and fast. Good thing I took my home aquarium down.