Who is in the wrong?

[DuBois]

I'd make him watch the Nom for a full day, with the fish tank set up, with absolutely NO help from you or anyone else.  It might just drive the point home, rather than him dismissing your frustration at how difficult this situation is.

This riiiight here.

[Larrabee]

Okay, I will take the opposite stance:
It seems to me that a toddler and a fishtank do not need to be a danger to eachother. You can safely put the tank on a stance tall enough so the Nom can not reach.

But a fishtank falling from height is possibly even more dangerous than one you can fall into, OP would still have to watch like hawk so he doesn't bump into or shake the base/legs.

[Steve]

There are stances that can not tople over, that can be bolted to the wall.... really... the tank will not assault the toddler if you install it correctly

[Larrabee]

There are stances that can not tople over, that can be bolted to the wall.... really... the tank will not assault the toddler if you install it correctly

Ok, I didn't think it was an OTT point deserving of sarcasm...

[Steve]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

[RingTailedLemur]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

[DuBois]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

1) I'm not sure that fish can be classed as 'pets'.
2) Children need to come before pets anyway.

[RingTailedLemur]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

1) I'm not sure that fish can be classed as 'pets'.
2) Children need to come before pets anyway.

I couldn't disagree more.

[Larrabee]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

I wouldn't either, If it were me I'd try to find space in the bedroom, against a wall or not if at all possible, but the OP's situation does sound tricky and lets face it fish don't bond to their people like other animals do and don't generally suffer for being rehomed. 

[DuBois]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

I wouldn't either, If it were me I'd try to find space in the bedroom, against a wall or not if at all possible, but the OP's situation does sound tricky and lets face it fish don't bond to their people like other animals do and don't generally suffer for being rehomed.

Exactly, you've worded more precisely what I was getting at. I think that once people have children, they sometimes need to make these choices. I think that pet/kid conflicts are a big thing, and I say this as someone who would far rather have animals than children. But that is my choice.

[RingTailedLemur]

Honestly, I don't understand.

There was outrage here when Hollanda's MIL told her to get rid of her cats because of the baby, but somehow it's okay to "get rid of" fish?  I don't get the attitude I come across so often that fish are "not real animals".

OP I agree with PPs who suggest a fence or a heavy stand that Nom cannot pull over, such as this:

[DuBois]

Honestly, I don't understand.

There was outrage here when Hollanda's MIL told her to get rid of her cats because of the baby, but somehow it's okay to "get rid of" fish?  I don't get the attitude I come across so often that fish are "not real animals".

OP I agree with PPs who suggest a fence or a heavy stand that Nom cannot pull over, such as this:

Well, I think it is an 'agree to disagree' thing. I think that there is a vast, huge difference between cats and fish. Also, the OP is not her husband's mother. She is his co-parent. Apples and oranges.

[SiotehCat]

I am not being sarcastic Larabee, really: fish tanks can be mounted as safely as kitchen kabinets and nobody gets rid of those when they get kids.

There does not have to be any bumping or pulling or falling danger, at all. There are technical solutions to this. I just do not see the need to get rid of a fishtank, just because there is a small child in the house.

Me too.  I'd be devastated if someone insisted I get rid of my pets.  Honestly, I wouldn't do it.

I also couldn't do it.

There are a number of things that the Op and her DH can do to keep the tank secure. For me, getting rid of the fish would never be an option. So I can totally understand where her DH is coming from.

[Steve]

Well, my point is: there does not have to be a kid/pet conflict here.

For the catlovers among us: it sounds to me like: getting rid of the cat for having to keep the kid out of the litterbox.

[P-p-p-penguin]

IIRC the outrage in Hollanda's case was mostly because her mother had threatened to have the cats taken away by the RSPCA, but really her situation is different from this one in many ways and I don't think the two are really comparable.

Jinjur - Obviously you and your husband both feel very strongly about this.  You mention another bedroom which it could fit in but wouldn't leave much room; could it not go there temporarily until your little one is out of the 'ooooo swirly fishies' stage?