What kind of fish should I get for my daughter?

Question

We had a beta that died last year. She wants another one. I don't know much about the different kinds of fish. Something that is known to live awhile would be good.

We bought the Beta at a flea market. I don't think it was very healthy to begin with.

This time I'm going to a pet shop.

I am getting a tank.

Answer 1

Hi,
You might want to try a few smaller colorful fish. Neon's and guppies are very pretty and hearty. Neon tetras tend to school and are blue and reddish in color. I have a small tank (5 gallon) that I set up for my niece. She loves to watch them and it gives her a bit of responsibility when she visits to feed them. If you daughter is small she might be more interested in the fun colors of neon's or guppies. Guppies are live breeders so you tend to never run out of them. However when the babies are born at times you don't even know it and they become food for the others. This is natural and prevents over crowding. I did add a Beta to the tank and have had great success. As long as it has enough food it leaves the others alone. Adds a pretty effect.
On the other hand if you want a few fish that can grow to be large you may want to try a parrot fish or two. They are fun and in my experience live quite a long time. Currently the oldest one I have is about 7 yrs. They need a bit more room and can be gregarious. Good luck!

Answer 2

Depending on the age of your daughter but if she's young 10-under a couple of goldfish would be fine. Betta only live about two years if taken good care of. But here's some material on all types of fish and their lifespans.

Good Luck

Few reference books include one of the most common questions asked by fish owners. How long should my fish live? The answer varies greatly depending on the species of fish. However, in general smaller fish have a shorter lifespan than larger fish, and fish that lay eggs live longer than those that give birth to live young. The two most popular species of fish, Bettas and Goldfish are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Bettas live little more than two years, while Goldfish live for decades. Here is a reference with the expected lifespan of popular aquarium fish. These figures are estimates, with good care fish may live much longer. If you can’t find your fish listed here, check the Fish Library.
Adolfos Cory - 5 years
Angelfish - 10+ years
Apistogramma - 3 to 5 years
Archer Fish - 5 years
Armored Catfish - 7 to 15 years
Bala Shark - 10 years
Bandit Cory - 5 years
Banjo Cat - 7 to 15 years
Banjo Catfish - 5 to 8 years
Black Neon Tetra - 5 years
Black Phantom Tetra - 5 years
Black Shark - 4 to 10 years
Black Tetra - 5 years
Black Widow Tetra - 5 years
Blackfin Cory - 5+ years
Bleeding Heart Tetra - 5 years
Blindcave Fish - 5+ years
Bloodfin Tetra - 10+ years
Blue Gourami - 4 years
Boesman Rainbow - 5 years
Bronze Cory - 5 years
Bumble Bee Catfish - 5 to 8 years
Cardinal Tetra - 4 years
Cherry Barb - 5 to 7 years
Chocolate Gourami - 4 years
Clown Loach - 15+ years
Columbian Tetra - 5 years
Congo Tetra - 5 years
Convict - 10 to 18 years
Diamond Tetra - 5 years
Discus - 10 to 18 years
Dojo Loach - 10 years
Dwarf Gourami - 4 years
Emperor Tetra - 6 years
Festivum - 10+ years
Figure 8 Puffer - 5 years
Firemouth - 10 to 15 years
Frontosa - 8 to 15 years
Giant Danio - 5 to 7 years
Glass Catfish - 8 years
Glassfish - 8 years
Glowlight Tetra - 5 years
Goldfish - 10 to 30 years
Guppy - 3 to 5 years
Harlequin - 6 years
Hatchetfish - 5 years
Hog Nose Brochis - 10 years
Honey Gourami - 4 years
Jack Dempsey - 10 to 18 years
Jordan's Catfish - 10+ years
Killifish - 1 to 2 years
Kissing Gourami - 5 years
Lemon Tetra - 5 years
Leopard Danio - 5 to 7 years
Leporinus - 5+ years
Livingstoni - 10+ years
Midas Cichlid - 15+ years
Mollie - 4 years
Moonlight Gourami - 4 years
Neon Rainbow - 3 to 4 years
Neon Tetra - 5 to 10 years
Oscar - 10 to 18 years
Otocinclus - 5 years
Pacu - 10 years
Pearl Danio - 5 years
Pearl Gourami - 4 years
Pictus Catfish - 8 years
Piranha - 10 years
Platy - 3 to 5 years
Pleco - 7 to 15 years
Rafael Catfish - 7 to 15 years
Rainbow Shark - 4 to 10 years
Rams - 4 years
Rasboras - 5 to 10 years
Red Eye Tetra - 5 years
Red Rainbow - 5 years
Red Tailed Catfish - 15 years
Redtail Shark - 8 years
Rosy Barb - 5 years
Royal Pleco - 10+ years
Rummy Nose Tetra - 5 to 10 years
Rumy Nose Tetra - 5 years
Severum - 10 to 18 years
Silver Dollar - 10+ years
Silvertip Tetra - 5 years
Swordtails - 3 to 5 years
Texas Cichlid - 10+ years
Tiger Barb - 6 years
Tigerfish - 5 years
Tinfoild Barb - 10 years
Upside Down Catfish - 5 years
Weather Loach - 10 years
Whiptail - 10+ years
White Cloud Mountain Minnow - 5 to 7 years
Zebra Cichlid - 10+ years
Zebra Danio - 5 years

Answer 3

We have had luck with Betas (buy them from a pet store that specializes in fish). They are fresh water fish, so they are pretty easy to take care of. We change the water weekly & put the de-chlorinating drops in & feed them the beta fish food (3-4 teensy tiney little balls). Plus, you only need one. With a saltwater tank, you can get more interesting/tropical fish (any of the "Nemo" fish are fun) and maybe add in a little saltwater frog as well. Don't know too much about tanks & their requirements. We just got another beta & talked to the store about tanks, but they sounded like more work than I was willing to do! Talk to a good fish/petstore.

Answer 4

A Beta or Goldfish will survive longer if you have an aerated tank. We had a small, cylindrical one-gallon one that we purchased for about $10 - $20 and the fish lived for over 2 years. You need to clean the tank less often and the fish is much happier and obviously healthier. In my mind, if you're going to have a pet you really need to provide a healthful environment. I know that they will survive, but it just seems so cruel to keep the Betas in those tiny tanks with no aeration, even if you add a plant.

I'm not certain about the frog but if you have reptiles that you handle, like the small turtles and possibly frogs, you have a greater risk transmitting salmonella bacteria. You would need to judge whether your daughter is mature enough to understand and take the precautions to prevent this.

A fish is a nice, low-maintenance pet for kids, (and Moms).

Answer 5

well if u want a fish that lives long its called a bala shark now dont let the name fool u it is a shark yes but u feed it flakes i work for a fish store do not gewt gold fish they are for fish that eat other fish: food or if u dont get a bala shark go for like some mollys fan tail guppies and if u like an eel like one that will last a while might not find it but a bichir ive had one for two years its still swimming around now down to the tank normally u can get a tank cheap no problm but here is the expensive part the filter gravel and stand i suggest pets mart they are the best they wont cheat u or anything i no im the manager at petsmart in sunset hills do not get a gold fish tho and the ideal size for a tank would be a 20 gallon

Answer 6

I had a beta when I was young and the only thing it could eat was live worms we had to keep in the refridgerator but now I've heard that they have dried food. My 2 gold fish lasted over 2 years and I didnt clean there tank to often. My friend got gold fish the same time and changed there water often and hers died in less than a year

Answer 7

If, this just a Fish Bowl without an air pump you are limited to about 3 fish.
1. Betta (Can be aggressive toward fish that look Betta)
2. Goldfish (Ask about a small Oranda as they get big they pretty {easy going but feed small amount throughout the day, I feed mine small amounts 3-5 times a day as I walk by})
3. Gourami (Kissing Fish mentioned above, Gold, Blue, Jeweled a variety of colors {Aggressive sometimes})

Answer 8

Yes water frogs are great. They don't need much care and they live for ever. I've had 4 for well over a year and they are so good. Mine are African Clawed Frogs. The only thing is is that if you don't want them anymore you can't set them free in the wild, unless you happen to live in Africa. They will dominate our eco-system. A teacher let hers loose in California, and they can't get rid of them.

If you have your heart set on fish, goldfish really are best. Betas are a close second, I had 2 that lived over two years. Unfortunately, fish in captivity rarely live a full life. If you have the time, (and money of course) you might want to consider a koi pond. Koi are magnificent fish. Here's a site for you:
< http://www.watergarden.com/pages/build_wg.html >

Good luck!

Answer 9

I would go for another Beta fish....easy to take care of...no big tank to mess with and they are nice to look at. You can get one of the little divider tanks pretty cheap at Wal*Mart and get a girl to put on the other side. Wal*Mart also has the water lillies right now in most stores that have the male beta in the vase. Good thing betas can go for 5 weeks without food!!

Answer 10

It depends on what kind of tank you're getting.

If your getting a small tank that does not require a filter or air pump your only choices are a betta or a goldfish. Bettas come in diffrent color and type. Like the crown betta.

If you are getting a bigger tank then you can get her guppys. They ave very colorfull and easy to take care of. They don't require a big tank, a 20gal is good and they look pretty. Also they are very easy to breed, I'm pretty sure your daughter will be exited to see that. Well, just make sure you don't let them eat their fry, that will be bad experience. Enjoy