Quote Originally Posted by skydnay View Post
Oh my goodness, it is so much. We've started stacking tanks, so I have those small wire storage racks with like three layers of terrestrial tanks, and then aquariums on whatever sturdy surface can hold them. It is very lively in the apartment, that is for sure! I'll be soooo glad to move, plus, we'll be adding a cat to our menagerie!

Four ferrets!! That's got to be exciting. I'm currently house/babysitting some ferrets for some friends, and they are very full of energy and poop. My husband likes to point out the smell and tell me that we don't need to own our own when I can visit them. Which is true, I suppose... But they're so fun.

Oh my god, I'm sure! Our pleco is about 6 or 7 inches right now, and he is quick and powerful and does not like to be messed with, so I can only imagine the kind of mess you had to deal with! And I don't know about your plecos, but ours sure does like to poop absolutely everywhere, especially when he's upset. My husband redid the community tank this weekend only to find the sand covered in poop within hours, and then moved around as per the pleco's linking in the morning. He's got a big personality, that one.

Also, that's exciting to hear about oscars!! I really love interactive/personable pets, so that is neat! We were definitely planning on going nearly bare for larger tanks, as some of the kinds of fish my husband wants to own are not exactly known for being gentle in any way.
The ferrets are a TON of fun, but yeah, they are poop machines. They have an extremely fast metabolism so they eat a lot and poop a lot. I turned a 4x6x6 closet into their enclosure. It has ramps and tunnels and a storage tote built in. I rotate between balls, pinto beans, empty plastic soda/Gatorade type bottles in the tub. They love to play in it, but get bored with it if I don't change up what's in it, hahahaha. I have to climb into their enclose about every day to spot clean it. I do a thorough cleaning weekly. Keeping their enclose and blankets clean really keeps the smell in check.

The pleco poop was the main reason we got rid of them they just make too much mess, especially when they're big.

If you do go with a cichlid tank and get an Oscar, the best companion fish I ever had for them were Jack Dempseys. They're gorgeous and do really well with Oscars. Green terrors and venustus cichlids do well with Oscars too.