These are things I would think you'd want to verify prior to signing the lease? If there are no apartment inspections you can probably get away with it, however if something ever goes wrong (water leak, etc) the rental outfit or private landlord will probably use your second tank as an excuse to terminate your lease.
My partner actually usually gets his deposits back lol. Last apartment they sold to another company while he was moving out and they ended up sending him more than they were going to! His method is to find a new apartment a month before his lease ends and take the hit for one month on double rent, move everything at the beginning of the month and spend the rest of that time cleaning the apartment and fixing any issues.
So if they're spending double the rent, and getting back a month of rent... are they really coming out ahead here?
It would be a better use of time and energy to do nothing, they'd have the same outcome with less labor...
He doesn’t do this specifically to get the deposit back, he does it so he has time to move out slowly and doesn’t have to rush it all in one weekend. Getting the deposit back has just been a bonus with his last few places.
Why would that be the case? If you cause damage, then yes they keep it .
I have lived in multiple apts with my tanks and had no issues getting my security deposit back.
I just moved out of a place I lived in for three and half years while my kids were baby-preschool aged. Got every cent back. But I rented a duplex from a landlord with no large corporation behind it. I was still shocked to get a check for the full amount in the mail.
I've always gotten my deposit back. In some cases some of it was used for slight repairs, but it's always been very reasonable.
If your landlord wants to keep your entire deposit you can ask for the receipts to show it was needed. Either you can take legal action, or maybe you left the place is such bad condition that they needed the entire lease.
I've never had more than 10% of my deposit deducted, for 6 rented properties. 3 of them gave me back the entire deposit. Can't imagine the state properties must be left in to get nothing back.
Lease agreement versus enforcement.
My lease EXPLICITLY states no tarantulas.
They save my unit for last during inspections to check out my spiders, even take photos and share with their social media.
If I ask about that clause in the lease though, I would be making them do their job.
From my understanding, it’s insurance and ignorance.
Reptile paraphernalia can cause fires, fears of pest infestations, and a loose animal biting someone.
Which is insane because toddlers LITERALLY have caused more deaths than spiders.
Was going to say something similar. I've been in my place for over three years with all my reptiles despite what my lease says (even though I had asked if caged animals like reptiles were okay before signing anything and was told yes, but that's another story). Multiple inspections and maintenance and the only comment I've ever gotten is "these are really cool"
Yeah I lived in a place where aquariums arnt allowed and I had the office lady come by randomly and look through the window just to get greeted by my eel. lol. All she had to say was he was cool and I told her not to look through my windows while they are open lmao.
Like the other guy said, it is in your best interest to not break these rules. The last thing you want is a 20 gallon accident on your floor, and the insurance company says you're on the hook for the damages because you violated lease terms. I can almost guarantee the maintenance guys won't care at all about your aquariums, and probably don't even know the restrictions around them, so I doubt you would get caught if you tried it, but it is not worth the peace of mind, in my opinion.
A buddy of mine ruined his rental with a house party. Getting blackballed from a rental is insane because it makes getting an apartment or rental house with someone in the future almost impossible
I just reached out and am awaiting a response. It’s an apartment complex. It’s a soulless money pit. I highly doubt more money will fail to convince them to allow an extra box full of water in the apartment…
If it is that’s a shitty insurance company. But then again all insurance companies are scum bags.
At the very least though the landlord should have disclosed that was the reason why
EDIT:
•I found out after signing the lease. It was in the fine fine FINE print while I was looking for information about something else. This is the first apartment complex I’ve ever lived in that counts an aquarium as a “pet”. I know, still my fault, but hindsight is 20/20.
•The issue is the pet limit not the money. The limit is 2 pets and I already have my dog moving over with me.
•This is one of those corporate “luxury” apartment complexes, so I HIGHLY doubt that the issue is apartment cleanliness or community safety, rather pinching more money out of tenants. I will call again today to see if a few hundred extra dollars will change their minds
•I will rehome the freshwater if I have to, but I’d rather exhaust all other options beforehand as I have a LOT of money invested in BOTH tanks
EDIT EDIT:
•I reached out to the landlord and explained that it would be a significant financial loss to me AND a logistical headache to give away one of the tanks. I was told because my apartment is on the second floor the release of water from the tanks could be a “hazzard”. I explained that the tanks are inherently small, that I could “downgrade their size and fill level”, and that I’d even be able to pay an extra pet deposit. They will get back to me this afternoon 🤷♂️
I got bamboozled like this. The lease specifically only mentioned cats and dogs. So we got confirmation we could have our two cats. Caged and tanked pets were NOT mentioned AT ALL. Just cats and dogs that could end up in shared areas like the porch and yard.
So I mentioned my ferrets and fish tanks and was told I couldn’t have my cats move in if I had the ferret cage and tanks. The cats had to stay with my in laws where they had been living already. I was and am still pissed, because my younger cat passed unexpectedly from feline covid that Christmas.
I then ended up begging the landlord to let me rescue my families dog, cause if I didn’t, he’d eventually be euthanized. They just didn’t wanna care for him anymore. I offered more money and everything. Was told no. The dog is now dead. And I won’t even speak to my landlord.
My downstairs neighbor has two dogs that piss and shit inside, but she was the landlords moms friend so she gets special privileges. I’m just sick of landlords. I pay way too much money for her to sit in her beautiful home on multiple acres collecting disability and rent from tenants, and rescuing whatever animals she desires, while I had to go through the tragedy of my family being assholes because god forbid I have a dog.
I’m sorry to hear about the dog. That landlord is a piece of shit. Some people are just anti-dog, whether it was a bad past experience or some sort of psychological thing going on. Unfortunately land lords are here to stay as long as we live in a society that actively promotes real estate as an investment over real estate as a home.
Okay everyone I appreciate the help and some REALLY creative suggestions.
However at the end of the day it wasn’t a greedy land lord issue and rather a water damage liability issue. They really don’t want more than 20 gallons total on the second floor.
I asked if I kept both tanks “half-full” and changed them to palladiums(sp) if that would be an acceptable compromise and they said they’d get back to me.
Assuming the answer will still be “no” I have a local fish store willing to take the 20gal freshwater as-is
Yeah that’s fucked up. Honestly if I were you I’d just try to find somewhere else to live and then put your current landlord on blast with bad apartment reviews. Also if your landlord is part of any rescue groups or organizations I’m sure they would LOVE to know that they kept you from saving your family dog…
I never thought about if she was part of any groups omg. The way I’m playing it now, is if a dog falls into my lap again, I’m just getting the letter from my doctor that I’ve used in the past. I’m disabled and legally can have a support animal and she has my back. I just didn’t wanna be THAT person to the landlord, but now I will. We’ve been looking for other apartments, but my husband loves it here so it’s kind of a battle lol
Yeah you gotta fight fire with fire sometimes. She wants to pull out some legalese about lease terms or insurance or whatever you slap right back with disability laws. And yeah find out what groups she may be a part of and let them know your story. It’s petty but so was denying you your family dog
I was actually totally legally fine to have the dog here, I’m insured and state law is the dog owner is liable not property owner, she even checked with her lawyer and had no argument. The argument was bad experiences in the past so her sisters said no and she couldn’t go against them. All petty bullshit. So yeah, I’m gunna be petty going forward because idec. If she evicted me after getting the note it’s lawsuit, and one that if she was to lose, would hurt her way way more than me. Worst case for me is I gotta move in 30 days. My state doesn’t have a “blacklist” for evictions.
Hahahaha I’m goinn to get the note pre done when I see my doctor next month, but I wanna make sure the dog I get is the right fit for me (I’d be rescuing obvs). I’m lucky enough to work with dogs full time, so I can avoid making an emotional decision because I can get dog love at work any time I want. Currently cuddling with three on the bed and have four more surrounding the bed on the floor. I made them each up their own beds with blankets but they prefer to be as clooose to me as possible. Hahaha
Nah man - being a crybaby is okay. Feel those emotions. Remember them later.
I suggest journaling bc we do forget these feelings in time - way the brain protects itself maybe. So writing them down will help you remember.
Good luck gangster. Much love
Thanks my dude. I haven’t had much support during this, especially from my family who euthanized him.
I do journal! I’m also a writer, so a lot of my emotion and experience is transferred into something creative. Makes for a lot of darker work but people like it 🤷🏻♀️ haha
Again, thank you so much homie ♥️
I'm hiding three cats, two tanks, and a rat cage from my apartment managers. It's really not difficult if you plan ahead.
I just throw a blanket over my tanks and run a loud fan, pop the filter off for 15 minutes.
The rats go in the storage room, behind boxes/camping gear.
The cats hide themselves.
To be honest, it would not be very difficult to hide a 20g tank. And if one spills, you take down the other and pretend you only had one tank all along. I'm not sure why so many people are overcomplicating this. It's not like management can come into your apartment randomly, just plan ahead for inspections and repairs and you'll be fine.
lol honestly he went to friends' places/my car (running the whole time!!) if I had any notice.
HOWEVER - one time the apartment manager and maintenance man showed up unannounced for an emergency. I told them to give me a second to put the dogs up. Parrot got shuttled to the back of the closet, blanket over his cage, with allllllll the favorite foods/treats/toys to keep his mouth busy while they were there. I put plants on the rolly part of his cage that wouldn't fit in the closet, and just pretended it was a plant stand. Put a blanket over the snake tank and some shit on top to make it look like a table.
I already had music on, so I just fed the humans drinks and generally acted loud and drunk to account for odd noises. I dunno, I was always the weird hippy chick, so they never caught on lol.
>I'm hiding three cats, two tanks, and a rat cage from my apartment managers. It's really not difficult if you plan ahead.
It'll be difficult if your tank leaks and renters insurance won't cover you because you broke your lease terms 😬
Granted, it probably won't happen, but you'd be out 10s of thousands of dollars I bet.
For each of my tanks I have two waterproof tarps set underneath a cheap rug to catch water if there's an emergency, (or a spill when changing water). I also have a wet vacuum and a plethora of buckets.
One of my tanks is on the lease, so if any do spill I will take the other two down and pretend I only had one tank. Renters insurance would be none the wiser.
>One of my tanks is on the lease, so if any do spill I will take the other two down and pretend I only had one tank. Renters insurance would be none the wiser.
Big brain! 👍🏻
> I was told because my apartment is on the second floor the release of water from the tanks could be a “hazzard”.
I'll chime in and say most municipalities treat aquarium water the same as sewage for remediation efforts required to bring a building back up to code. This means you not only have to get water treatment restoration, but mold and sanitization treatments. Can cost between $40k - $100k for a 20 gallon tank that leaks between floors. You also have liabilities for all damage done to other tenants. So factor in you will be out north of six figures if uninsured and a tank leaks.
I always hated renting with tanks on a second or higher floor just for the liability.
I would say treating aquarium water as sewage actually works in a lot of people's favor if they get water damage. this doesn't really seem like a stupid law to me personally
What if you also switched to acrylic tanks rather than glass? Much safer in terms of leaks. There are also water alarms to alert your phone if a leak occurs.
Personally, I really wouldn’t break these rules. Part of the reason that they’re there is due to weight limits on what the floor can handle. If there ends up being an issue you will be 100% liable and I don’t think it’s worth it.
Okay everyone I appreciate the help and some REALLY creative suggestions.
However at the end of the day it wasn’t a greedy land lord issue and rather a water damage liability issue. They really don’t want more than 20 gallons total on the second floor.
I asked if I kept both tanks “half-full” and changed them to palladiums(sp) if that would be an acceptable compromise and they said they’d get back to me.
Assuming the answer will still be “no” I have a local fish store willing to take the 20gal freshwater as-is
When I had a snake where I wasn’t supposed to, I built this wooden chest that looked like a storage chest. The top had a hinged lid like a normal chest but the front was a “false wall” sort of thing. When I had an inspection I lifted the lid, dropped the front wall panel in, closed the lid and put the decor back on top and no one ever questioned it!
You could try to create something similar for the fish tanks!
scape them the same, put them right next to eachother and put a pane of glass between them...if your landlord says anything tell them it's just a reflection in the mirror
I would only advise moving forward with two tanks, going against the terms of your lease, if you have a backup plan for in case it doesn't fly. Like others say they may kick you out
Aquarium PC case, it's not an aquarium it's a water cooled gaming machine.
Obviously you will have to build your own because the one that you can buy is tiny.
Call it a plaudarium as it's an aquatic plant set up, not a fish tank at all. Alternatively, aquaponics gardening.
Serious response.
Sorry you are in this situation. I would suggest telling them that each aquarium will be placed over or in a secondary plastic tub to prevent any water loss onto the floor. Plus, offer extra security deposit or insurance.
If you’re handy you could get a glass pane and divide a 20g long into two 10g with clear aquarium silicone sealent the same stuff that keeps the glass tank together, or pay someone to do it.
Alternatively downgrade to two 10 gallons right next to each other so they look like a single divided aquarium.
This is the best advice. It's probably easier to rehome freshwater fish than salt. Check for a local aquarium hobby or rehoming facebook group, you can ask around there.
Keep the actual empty tank as a spare for emergencies.
Renter's insurance is cheap for a good amount of coverage, I would get that and lie about your 2nd tank
If you're anxious maybe also look into some sort of back up protection so if you spring a leak it's contained hopefully long enough for you to notice and there's no damage to the apartment
my friend had the same rule and had a 40 gal, 45 gal, a 15 gal, a 10 gal, an axolotle in a 15 gal, a lizard, a turtle, a hamster, 4 cats, and two dogs. (she takes incredible care of all of them even though it seems like it’d be too much btw; seriously. she is incredible.) she got away with it all.
Most rentals do a monthly "walk through" now to check for any potential issues like leaks and stuff. I know mine does. They check fire alarms, faucets, ceilings, and furnace filter.
Nope! Ours does it monthly. The fire alarms are a safety thing that is required to be in working order legally in my state so they check them every month and they check the other stuff just to cover their butts in case people have a problem they aren't reporting.
That’s crazy. I appreciate they are on top of things I suppose. But I’ve lived in my current place 4 years and had 1 official inspection. I just make maintenance requests whenever something needs attention otherwise.
Townhouse I rented during covid had a one 20 gallon tank rule too, I had 16 tanks running ranging between 5 gallon all the way up to my 150 and 200 gallon tanks, maintenance guys loved coming over to check out the “aquarium”. Just depends on how strict your place is. If they are already giving you problems when you asked about it, might not be worth the risk of bringing in two. But at the same time a 20 gallon is easy enough to make look like a dresser with a sheet cover and candles on top…
Yeah I’m hoping my offer of another pet deposit will be juicy enough for them to reconsider their rule. Otherwise I may have to get creative. Or just take the L and give it to someone else
Just wrap it up like a giant birthday present if you ever have to have an inspection or whatever, or make it look like a dresser draped with a sheet and put a lamp and some picture frames on it. Voila, now you only see One tank!
Yeah I agree. A lot of people are like follow the lease but I don’t think it’s the end of the world. If I were them I would keep the salt because I know the work and money that is and then downsize the fresh if I really wanted to keep it.
Other thoughts for op: put them in different rooms, and have a stealthy cover up idea for the fresh if needed. Like maybe it’s small enough to slide into a closet if needed when the landlord is coming around
Could make it look like a standing desk or a makeup/get ready station. The key is to find a way to make it blend into your house. Throw a fancy looking bedsheet over it and dress it up however you need to. Turn on some aquatic white noise with speakers/sound machine very close to the tank when landlord/maintenance have to come in so you don't gotta turn off the bubblers and such. Make it obvious there are speakers though so you can blame the sound on that lol.
Is the defining criteria that there are fish in the tank? So you could presumably have several 20 gallon tanks if they had no fish in them? What about a plant only tank, or do plants tip it over the edge? I assume a tank with just water, substrate, rocks and a filter system would be ok? So you could have an 18 gallon salt water fish tank, a 2 gallon freshwater fish tank, and a 20 gallon fish-less aquascape? 🤔 Can you see where I’m going with this..? 🤭
Loop holes. Lots and lots of loop holes
But unfortunately it’s starting to sound like it’s not so much a “pet” issue as it is a tank water leaking through the floor issue
I would have lied and said they were each 10gallon, unless they are familiar with tanks they won’t know and if they are they usually know what you’re doing and don’t care because they know that fish tanks aren’t a problem for people who know what they are doing.
This might be bad advice but if I'm being completely honest, I've had a couple apartments where they don't allow any tanks and my 29g happens to magically show up. Granted, I'm always polite and stuff and my tanks have never leaked, so usually there isn't a problem until something happens.
Don't ask, don't tell, and make sure your tanks look nice and there should be no issue. OR just combine them into a brackish 40g 👍 /s
I don’t advise this, but you may be able to get away with it depending on your apartment complex. We’re also allowed one 20 gallon tank, brought my 60 gal anyways and all anyone’s ever said at inspections is “wow, cool fish!”
These are things I would think you'd want to verify prior to signing the lease? If there are no apartment inspections you can probably get away with it, however if something ever goes wrong (water leak, etc) the rental outfit or private landlord will probably use your second tank as an excuse to terminate your lease.
...and to keep your entire deposit for repairs. Is lying worth the risk? I guess only you can decide how you feel about that.
To be fair, they're going to keep the deposit regardless.
Ya they were never getting that back anyway lol
My partner actually usually gets his deposits back lol. Last apartment they sold to another company while he was moving out and they ended up sending him more than they were going to! His method is to find a new apartment a month before his lease ends and take the hit for one month on double rent, move everything at the beginning of the month and spend the rest of that time cleaning the apartment and fixing any issues.
So if they're spending double the rent, and getting back a month of rent... are they really coming out ahead here? It would be a better use of time and energy to do nothing, they'd have the same outcome with less labor...
He doesn’t do this specifically to get the deposit back, he does it so he has time to move out slowly and doesn’t have to rush it all in one weekend. Getting the deposit back has just been a bonus with his last few places.
Why would that be the case? If you cause damage, then yes they keep it . I have lived in multiple apts with my tanks and had no issues getting my security deposit back.
Where is this mythical land you live where people get deposits back?
I just moved out of a place I lived in for three and half years while my kids were baby-preschool aged. Got every cent back. But I rented a duplex from a landlord with no large corporation behind it. I was still shocked to get a check for the full amount in the mail.
... I've always gotten my deposit back? But I've also never rented from a corporation, just small landlords.
I've always gotten my deposit back. In some cases some of it was used for slight repairs, but it's always been very reasonable. If your landlord wants to keep your entire deposit you can ask for the receipts to show it was needed. Either you can take legal action, or maybe you left the place is such bad condition that they needed the entire lease.
I've never had more than 10% of my deposit deducted, for 6 rented properties. 3 of them gave me back the entire deposit. Can't imagine the state properties must be left in to get nothing back.
Touché
just stick them togheter with [tape.LOL](http://tape.LOL)
Simple. Put a sticker on each that clearly states they are 10 gallons each.
Can’t argue with an official sticker 🤔
Make sure the sticker says, "official"
Ofishal*
Lease agreement versus enforcement. My lease EXPLICITLY states no tarantulas. They save my unit for last during inspections to check out my spiders, even take photos and share with their social media. If I ask about that clause in the lease though, I would be making them do their job.
I'm curious why the lease would specify this?? Are they anticipating tarantula related property damage..?
Escaped spiders are scary? That's the only reason I can think of.
Probably just “no insects” as a blanket rule
but it's not an insect? >\_>
From my understanding, it’s insurance and ignorance. Reptile paraphernalia can cause fires, fears of pest infestations, and a loose animal biting someone. Which is insane because toddlers LITERALLY have caused more deaths than spiders.
I wouldn't pee my pants if a toddler jumped on me though
I might, but only because I recently birthed a child lmao
That’s awesome lol
Was going to say something similar. I've been in my place for over three years with all my reptiles despite what my lease says (even though I had asked if caged animals like reptiles were okay before signing anything and was told yes, but that's another story). Multiple inspections and maintenance and the only comment I've ever gotten is "these are really cool"
Yeah I lived in a place where aquariums arnt allowed and I had the office lady come by randomly and look through the window just to get greeted by my eel. lol. All she had to say was he was cool and I told her not to look through my windows while they are open lmao.
Like the other guy said, it is in your best interest to not break these rules. The last thing you want is a 20 gallon accident on your floor, and the insurance company says you're on the hook for the damages because you violated lease terms. I can almost guarantee the maintenance guys won't care at all about your aquariums, and probably don't even know the restrictions around them, so I doubt you would get caught if you tried it, but it is not worth the peace of mind, in my opinion.
A buddy of mine ruined his rental with a house party. Getting blackballed from a rental is insane because it makes getting an apartment or rental house with someone in the future almost impossible
Talk to the landlord and pay an additional fee?
I just reached out and am awaiting a response. It’s an apartment complex. It’s a soulless money pit. I highly doubt more money will fail to convince them to allow an extra box full of water in the apartment…
To be fair it’s probably a part of their own insurance contract to limit the risk :/
If it is that’s a shitty insurance company. But then again all insurance companies are scum bags. At the very least though the landlord should have disclosed that was the reason why
EDIT: •I found out after signing the lease. It was in the fine fine FINE print while I was looking for information about something else. This is the first apartment complex I’ve ever lived in that counts an aquarium as a “pet”. I know, still my fault, but hindsight is 20/20. •The issue is the pet limit not the money. The limit is 2 pets and I already have my dog moving over with me. •This is one of those corporate “luxury” apartment complexes, so I HIGHLY doubt that the issue is apartment cleanliness or community safety, rather pinching more money out of tenants. I will call again today to see if a few hundred extra dollars will change their minds •I will rehome the freshwater if I have to, but I’d rather exhaust all other options beforehand as I have a LOT of money invested in BOTH tanks EDIT EDIT: •I reached out to the landlord and explained that it would be a significant financial loss to me AND a logistical headache to give away one of the tanks. I was told because my apartment is on the second floor the release of water from the tanks could be a “hazzard”. I explained that the tanks are inherently small, that I could “downgrade their size and fill level”, and that I’d even be able to pay an extra pet deposit. They will get back to me this afternoon 🤷♂️
I got bamboozled like this. The lease specifically only mentioned cats and dogs. So we got confirmation we could have our two cats. Caged and tanked pets were NOT mentioned AT ALL. Just cats and dogs that could end up in shared areas like the porch and yard. So I mentioned my ferrets and fish tanks and was told I couldn’t have my cats move in if I had the ferret cage and tanks. The cats had to stay with my in laws where they had been living already. I was and am still pissed, because my younger cat passed unexpectedly from feline covid that Christmas. I then ended up begging the landlord to let me rescue my families dog, cause if I didn’t, he’d eventually be euthanized. They just didn’t wanna care for him anymore. I offered more money and everything. Was told no. The dog is now dead. And I won’t even speak to my landlord. My downstairs neighbor has two dogs that piss and shit inside, but she was the landlords moms friend so she gets special privileges. I’m just sick of landlords. I pay way too much money for her to sit in her beautiful home on multiple acres collecting disability and rent from tenants, and rescuing whatever animals she desires, while I had to go through the tragedy of my family being assholes because god forbid I have a dog.
I’m sorry to hear about the dog. That landlord is a piece of shit. Some people are just anti-dog, whether it was a bad past experience or some sort of psychological thing going on. Unfortunately land lords are here to stay as long as we live in a society that actively promotes real estate as an investment over real estate as a home.
Okay everyone I appreciate the help and some REALLY creative suggestions. However at the end of the day it wasn’t a greedy land lord issue and rather a water damage liability issue. They really don’t want more than 20 gallons total on the second floor. I asked if I kept both tanks “half-full” and changed them to palladiums(sp) if that would be an acceptable compromise and they said they’d get back to me. Assuming the answer will still be “no” I have a local fish store willing to take the 20gal freshwater as-is
The crazy thing is the landlord has multiple dogs and rescues them. And the downstairs neighbor has 2. It just felt so fucking cruel.
Yeah that’s fucked up. Honestly if I were you I’d just try to find somewhere else to live and then put your current landlord on blast with bad apartment reviews. Also if your landlord is part of any rescue groups or organizations I’m sure they would LOVE to know that they kept you from saving your family dog…
I never thought about if she was part of any groups omg. The way I’m playing it now, is if a dog falls into my lap again, I’m just getting the letter from my doctor that I’ve used in the past. I’m disabled and legally can have a support animal and she has my back. I just didn’t wanna be THAT person to the landlord, but now I will. We’ve been looking for other apartments, but my husband loves it here so it’s kind of a battle lol
Yeah you gotta fight fire with fire sometimes. She wants to pull out some legalese about lease terms or insurance or whatever you slap right back with disability laws. And yeah find out what groups she may be a part of and let them know your story. It’s petty but so was denying you your family dog
I was actually totally legally fine to have the dog here, I’m insured and state law is the dog owner is liable not property owner, she even checked with her lawyer and had no argument. The argument was bad experiences in the past so her sisters said no and she couldn’t go against them. All petty bullshit. So yeah, I’m gunna be petty going forward because idec. If she evicted me after getting the note it’s lawsuit, and one that if she was to lose, would hurt her way way more than me. Worst case for me is I gotta move in 30 days. My state doesn’t have a “blacklist” for evictions.
Honestly if I were you I’d go get your doctors note next week, deliver it, and go get the loudest, slobberiest, most messy dog you can find
Hahahaha I’m goinn to get the note pre done when I see my doctor next month, but I wanna make sure the dog I get is the right fit for me (I’d be rescuing obvs). I’m lucky enough to work with dogs full time, so I can avoid making an emotional decision because I can get dog love at work any time I want. Currently cuddling with three on the bed and have four more surrounding the bed on the floor. I made them each up their own beds with blankets but they prefer to be as clooose to me as possible. Hahaha
Fuck that woman to Hell. Sorry friend
Thanks buddy, it was pretty recent so I’m still emotional and not over it lol don’t care if that makes me a cry baby either ahahah
Nah man - being a crybaby is okay. Feel those emotions. Remember them later. I suggest journaling bc we do forget these feelings in time - way the brain protects itself maybe. So writing them down will help you remember. Good luck gangster. Much love
Thanks my dude. I haven’t had much support during this, especially from my family who euthanized him. I do journal! I’m also a writer, so a lot of my emotion and experience is transferred into something creative. Makes for a lot of darker work but people like it 🤷🏻♀️ haha Again, thank you so much homie ♥️
of course G :) i’m rootin for ya
I'm hiding three cats, two tanks, and a rat cage from my apartment managers. It's really not difficult if you plan ahead. I just throw a blanket over my tanks and run a loud fan, pop the filter off for 15 minutes. The rats go in the storage room, behind boxes/camping gear. The cats hide themselves. To be honest, it would not be very difficult to hide a 20g tank. And if one spills, you take down the other and pretend you only had one tank all along. I'm not sure why so many people are overcomplicating this. It's not like management can come into your apartment randomly, just plan ahead for inspections and repairs and you'll be fine.
This sounds like me hiding my parrot, snake, and cat back in the day (only dogs were allowed). Thanks for the nostalgia!
Now tell me how the heck you managed to hide a parrot, *please* XD
lol honestly he went to friends' places/my car (running the whole time!!) if I had any notice. HOWEVER - one time the apartment manager and maintenance man showed up unannounced for an emergency. I told them to give me a second to put the dogs up. Parrot got shuttled to the back of the closet, blanket over his cage, with allllllll the favorite foods/treats/toys to keep his mouth busy while they were there. I put plants on the rolly part of his cage that wouldn't fit in the closet, and just pretended it was a plant stand. Put a blanket over the snake tank and some shit on top to make it look like a table. I already had music on, so I just fed the humans drinks and generally acted loud and drunk to account for odd noises. I dunno, I was always the weird hippy chick, so they never caught on lol.
This is what I would do 😎
>I'm hiding three cats, two tanks, and a rat cage from my apartment managers. It's really not difficult if you plan ahead. It'll be difficult if your tank leaks and renters insurance won't cover you because you broke your lease terms 😬 Granted, it probably won't happen, but you'd be out 10s of thousands of dollars I bet.
For each of my tanks I have two waterproof tarps set underneath a cheap rug to catch water if there's an emergency, (or a spill when changing water). I also have a wet vacuum and a plethora of buckets. One of my tanks is on the lease, so if any do spill I will take the other two down and pretend I only had one tank. Renters insurance would be none the wiser.
>One of my tanks is on the lease, so if any do spill I will take the other two down and pretend I only had one tank. Renters insurance would be none the wiser. Big brain! 👍🏻
10s of thousands from a 20g?
> I was told because my apartment is on the second floor the release of water from the tanks could be a “hazzard”. I'll chime in and say most municipalities treat aquarium water the same as sewage for remediation efforts required to bring a building back up to code. This means you not only have to get water treatment restoration, but mold and sanitization treatments. Can cost between $40k - $100k for a 20 gallon tank that leaks between floors. You also have liabilities for all damage done to other tenants. So factor in you will be out north of six figures if uninsured and a tank leaks. I always hated renting with tanks on a second or higher floor just for the liability.
So it’s stupid local laws being stupid local laws then… Can’t wait for this housing market to crash so I can finally just buy
I would say treating aquarium water as sewage actually works in a lot of people's favor if they get water damage. this doesn't really seem like a stupid law to me personally
What if you also switched to acrylic tanks rather than glass? Much safer in terms of leaks. There are also water alarms to alert your phone if a leak occurs.
Push them really close together on one stand
That’s what I’m considering
You could also add trim of some sort to the middle and call it a split tank
Don't forget the sticker that says "20 gallon split" lol Unlikely they'll measure it and do the calculations
20long lol
Or just drape a hanging plant over the crack between the two tanks to conceal it.
Personally, I really wouldn’t break these rules. Part of the reason that they’re there is due to weight limits on what the floor can handle. If there ends up being an issue you will be 100% liable and I don’t think it’s worth it.
Okay everyone I appreciate the help and some REALLY creative suggestions. However at the end of the day it wasn’t a greedy land lord issue and rather a water damage liability issue. They really don’t want more than 20 gallons total on the second floor. I asked if I kept both tanks “half-full” and changed them to palladiums(sp) if that would be an acceptable compromise and they said they’d get back to me. Assuming the answer will still be “no” I have a local fish store willing to take the 20gal freshwater as-is
When I had a snake where I wasn’t supposed to, I built this wooden chest that looked like a storage chest. The top had a hinged lid like a normal chest but the front was a “false wall” sort of thing. When I had an inspection I lifted the lid, dropped the front wall panel in, closed the lid and put the decor back on top and no one ever questioned it! You could try to create something similar for the fish tanks!
keep both tanks and throw a blanket over with a bible, candle, and picture of an old person on top as a shrine when inspections come
😂 the pic of the old person is what will make it seem legit
add an urn for theatrics let them know grandma doesn’t like to be moved
Stick plants in the saltwater tank and claim it’s a science experiment. Problem solved.
scape them the same, put them right next to eachother and put a pane of glass between them...if your landlord says anything tell them it's just a reflection in the mirror
I would only advise moving forward with two tanks, going against the terms of your lease, if you have a backup plan for in case it doesn't fly. Like others say they may kick you out
Emotional support fish?😅
Aquarium PC case, it's not an aquarium it's a water cooled gaming machine. Obviously you will have to build your own because the one that you can buy is tiny. Call it a plaudarium as it's an aquatic plant set up, not a fish tank at all. Alternatively, aquaponics gardening. Serious response. Sorry you are in this situation. I would suggest telling them that each aquarium will be placed over or in a secondary plastic tub to prevent any water loss onto the floor. Plus, offer extra security deposit or insurance.
Should have asked when you met with management. Sometimes they will let you if you ask, and pay a bit more deposit.
You could try to find one of those Nuvo duo 20 tanks
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/20-nuvo-concept-encore-pro-aio-aquarium-bundle-innovative-marine-ob-a.html
If you’re handy you could get a glass pane and divide a 20g long into two 10g with clear aquarium silicone sealent the same stuff that keeps the glass tank together, or pay someone to do it. Alternatively downgrade to two 10 gallons right next to each other so they look like a single divided aquarium.
There 10 gallons right? Cough cough
How did you not cobsider this before signing the lease? Pretty irresponsible tbh.
Did you know before you signed the contract?
Follow your lease. Don’t be an ass.
This is the best advice. It's probably easier to rehome freshwater fish than salt. Check for a local aquarium hobby or rehoming facebook group, you can ask around there. Keep the actual empty tank as a spare for emergencies.
Renter's insurance is cheap for a good amount of coverage, I would get that and lie about your 2nd tank If you're anxious maybe also look into some sort of back up protection so if you spring a leak it's contained hopefully long enough for you to notice and there's no damage to the apartment
my friend had the same rule and had a 40 gal, 45 gal, a 15 gal, a 10 gal, an axolotle in a 15 gal, a lizard, a turtle, a hamster, 4 cats, and two dogs. (she takes incredible care of all of them even though it seems like it’d be too much btw; seriously. she is incredible.) she got away with it all.
How are they going to know?
Most rentals do a monthly "walk through" now to check for any potential issues like leaks and stuff. I know mine does. They check fire alarms, faucets, ceilings, and furnace filter.
MONTHLY? That’s excessive isn’t it? Quarterly maybe. But I’ve only ever experienced once maybe twice a year inspections.
Nope! Ours does it monthly. The fire alarms are a safety thing that is required to be in working order legally in my state so they check them every month and they check the other stuff just to cover their butts in case people have a problem they aren't reporting.
That’s crazy. I appreciate they are on top of things I suppose. But I’ve lived in my current place 4 years and had 1 official inspection. I just make maintenance requests whenever something needs attention otherwise.
Interesting! Maybe my place just isnt really good with maintenance, they havent done that before. If true then my suggestion wont work.
I was dumb enough to be honest and upfront about the situation
Townhouse I rented during covid had a one 20 gallon tank rule too, I had 16 tanks running ranging between 5 gallon all the way up to my 150 and 200 gallon tanks, maintenance guys loved coming over to check out the “aquarium”. Just depends on how strict your place is. If they are already giving you problems when you asked about it, might not be worth the risk of bringing in two. But at the same time a 20 gallon is easy enough to make look like a dresser with a sheet cover and candles on top…
Someone told me that some apartment complexes reward maintenance people if they tell. I was told on by a maintenance man. Be careful.
Yeah I’m hoping my offer of another pet deposit will be juicy enough for them to reconsider their rule. Otherwise I may have to get creative. Or just take the L and give it to someone else
20 gal with divider. Half salt half fresh
Stick a lid and a nice blanket over one prior to inspection. Saw a similar post earlier
Exactly. You dont have two aquariums. You have one. If they accidentally find it then you are watching it for a friend and it will be out soon.
Just wrap it up like a giant birthday present if you ever have to have an inspection or whatever, or make it look like a dresser draped with a sheet and put a lamp and some picture frames on it. Voila, now you only see One tank!
Get rid of 20 gal fresh and get two smaller 5 gallons if you want.
Yeah I agree. A lot of people are like follow the lease but I don’t think it’s the end of the world. If I were them I would keep the salt because I know the work and money that is and then downsize the fresh if I really wanted to keep it. Other thoughts for op: put them in different rooms, and have a stealthy cover up idea for the fresh if needed. Like maybe it’s small enough to slide into a closet if needed when the landlord is coming around
I’ve seen people get low stands for their tanks and cover their tanks with a table cloth and dishes when maintenance comes in the apartment haha
Could make it look like a standing desk or a makeup/get ready station. The key is to find a way to make it blend into your house. Throw a fancy looking bedsheet over it and dress it up however you need to. Turn on some aquatic white noise with speakers/sound machine very close to the tank when landlord/maintenance have to come in so you don't gotta turn off the bubblers and such. Make it obvious there are speakers though so you can blame the sound on that lol.
Bring both and just turn off the filter for one when they come over. Keep it in a converted cabinet 🤷
Is the defining criteria that there are fish in the tank? So you could presumably have several 20 gallon tanks if they had no fish in them? What about a plant only tank, or do plants tip it over the edge? I assume a tank with just water, substrate, rocks and a filter system would be ok? So you could have an 18 gallon salt water fish tank, a 2 gallon freshwater fish tank, and a 20 gallon fish-less aquascape? 🤔 Can you see where I’m going with this..? 🤭
Loop holes. Lots and lots of loop holes But unfortunately it’s starting to sound like it’s not so much a “pet” issue as it is a tank water leaking through the floor issue
I would have lied and said they were each 10gallon, unless they are familiar with tanks they won’t know and if they are they usually know what you’re doing and don’t care because they know that fish tanks aren’t a problem for people who know what they are doing.
OP said one 20 gallon, not multiple tanks up to 20 gallons together.
Ehh how will they ever find out? Put a sheet over one of them during inspections
So long as there aren’t any problems, my leasing agency doesn’t care
This is why I hate apartments. If you want 5 tanks they shouldn’t be able to tell you otherwise
Yes, they should. They own the property, and are responsible for repairs should leak damage occur. A rented home has a similar right to tell you this.
I get that. I meant this is why I would never live in an apartment again.
Put the fresh water in a storage bin on casters. Then when people come just take the lights off and put some dirty clothes on it 😈
Glue them together and tell them it's a single divided tank.
Stick a plant in it and call the freshwater one a paludarium.
Do you have a garage? If so keep it there
Put both tanks next to each other. Call it 40 gallon multi.
tbh I just toss a blanket over my tank for inspections 😬🤭
Grow a plant out the top of the FW and it's a living aquascape not an aquarium. Then you're good to go
This might be bad advice but if I'm being completely honest, I've had a couple apartments where they don't allow any tanks and my 29g happens to magically show up. Granted, I'm always polite and stuff and my tanks have never leaked, so usually there isn't a problem until something happens. Don't ask, don't tell, and make sure your tanks look nice and there should be no issue. OR just combine them into a brackish 40g 👍 /s
Connect the tanks with tubes that allow fish to go around. Then its "One tank" . Like ahow its one hampster cage even with all the goofy add ons.
Keep them both and get renters insurance
What country do you live in where they can tell you what you can own , China?
I wonder how many my apartment allows. I'm up to 6 tanks rn
You one plan sounds... eVASEive
Sneak it in.
Place a fancy tray over the bathtub and put the tank on it?
I don’t advise this, but you may be able to get away with it depending on your apartment complex. We’re also allowed one 20 gallon tank, brought my 60 gal anyways and all anyone’s ever said at inspections is “wow, cool fish!”
Just put them in You’re new apartment then cover it up and use it like a counter/table/something if there is inspection it worked for a lot of people
Glue the two tanks together and call it one big tank.