Being a 1st generation MFK is tough. My dad owns a 30 gallon aquarium and didn't know a thing about the nitrogen cycle. He also did not understand the purpose of filtration and did not plan on getting one. Fortunatey I have a spare canister filter and offered to set it up for him claiming it would keep the water clean, which is kind of true. He didn't know what bioballs and ceramic rings are used for so I just told him they trap out the debris in the tank. Nevertheless, he did agree for me to install the canister (bless the fishes). He scolded me for buying Seachem matrix, asking me why I was buying stones at such prices when he has so much in his flowerpots.
He also do not research on the fish he is keeping. He keeps a bunch of clown loaches, a black ghost knife fish and a common pleco. All of them are juveniles now but I know they won't be able to live in his 20 gallon for life. I advised him and he said they won't grow until there isn't space left for them to swim in. I quietly thought to myself "Of course they won't grow, they would already be dead." But nonetheless, i gave up trying to get him to exchange them for smaller fishes.
My mum and dad also didn't see the point of doing water change. To them as long as the water looks clear, there isn't a requirement for water changes. My dad did a waterchange like once every 2 month, and when he does, its a 100% waterchange. He also rinsed the gravel in boiling water to kill of any bacteria (beneficial bacteria) in the tank. I had to secretly do waterchanges for him when he is out at work and pour a cup of gravel from my tank into his each time he cleans the gravel to seed it, hopefully speeding up the cycle.
My mum's been complaining about my frequent water changes too, saying I got an expensive filter, an FX5, so why bother changing the water. She obviously did not know about ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and didn't look like she was interested so i promised her to change my water once a month. But i still changed it every week when she was working and skipped a day or two on bathing every week to ensures the water bill do not rise or she would get suspicious and start complaining again.
I wonder if any of you are 1st generation MFK keepers and experience similar problems as mine. I know that the majority of you have parents who are into fish keeping and do not have the problem I have. I hope in the future, to bring the hobby of fish keeping to my children and understand everything they do so that the whole family could truly enjoy fish keeping. The purpose of this thread is not to rant on my parents but to share my experience of being the first person in the family who really knows about fish keeping. I know that they ain't really into fishkeeping and I can't really blame them for not knowing something they don't care. It may be a tough road ahead of me, but i hope to get a 400 gallon when i move out.
He also do not research on the fish he is keeping. He keeps a bunch of clown loaches, a black ghost knife fish and a common pleco. All of them are juveniles now but I know they won't be able to live in his 20 gallon for life. I advised him and he said they won't grow until there isn't space left for them to swim in. I quietly thought to myself "Of course they won't grow, they would already be dead." But nonetheless, i gave up trying to get him to exchange them for smaller fishes.
My mum and dad also didn't see the point of doing water change. To them as long as the water looks clear, there isn't a requirement for water changes. My dad did a waterchange like once every 2 month, and when he does, its a 100% waterchange. He also rinsed the gravel in boiling water to kill of any bacteria (beneficial bacteria) in the tank. I had to secretly do waterchanges for him when he is out at work and pour a cup of gravel from my tank into his each time he cleans the gravel to seed it, hopefully speeding up the cycle.
My mum's been complaining about my frequent water changes too, saying I got an expensive filter, an FX5, so why bother changing the water. She obviously did not know about ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and didn't look like she was interested so i promised her to change my water once a month. But i still changed it every week when she was working and skipped a day or two on bathing every week to ensures the water bill do not rise or she would get suspicious and start complaining again.
I wonder if any of you are 1st generation MFK keepers and experience similar problems as mine. I know that the majority of you have parents who are into fish keeping and do not have the problem I have. I hope in the future, to bring the hobby of fish keeping to my children and understand everything they do so that the whole family could truly enjoy fish keeping. The purpose of this thread is not to rant on my parents but to share my experience of being the first person in the family who really knows about fish keeping. I know that they ain't really into fishkeeping and I can't really blame them for not knowing something they don't care. It may be a tough road ahead of me, but i hope to get a 400 gallon when i move out.
I am a first generation MFK but am on my own 
that he was mostly right about.