he wants fish as a pet.....?

Question

My 4 yr old son want to keep a fish as a pet ,pls could any one tell me which fishes can live in bowls and need less maintainence???

Answer 1

A betta might be ok, if you're willing to get a tank that is at least 2.5 gal in size (A 5 gal would be much better), along with substrate, silk or live plants, a hidey-hole with smooth edges, a heater (set somewhere between 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit), a thermometer, water conditioner, and a variety of food. Yes, bettas can survive in somewhat smaller spaces and without a filter, but that doesn't mean you can stick it in a bitty 1/2 gal bowl without a heater and forget about it. That's just torture.

ALL fish need some sort of maintenance, bettas included. In fact, if you want to do less work, a filtered tank would be much better. That way, you never have to do full 100% water changes, just 25-50% water changes once a week. If you got a small, unfiltered bowl, you'd end up having to change all of the water 1 or 2 times a week. I suggest looking into getting a Mini-Bow 5 kit. It's small (relatively), has a filter, and the perfect size for a betta. Which, if they are taken care of properly, can be beautiful, intelligent, and fun fish.

Answer 2

Dear Mrs. A,
You are looking for a fish that can be put in a bowl and that is low maintenance. This brings 3 fish to mind. Betta fish, Paradis fish, or Flame Honey gourami. These fish need to have at least 1 gallon per fish with the exception of the betta fish which can be placed in a smaller bowl and must be kept alone for they will kill another.. You can change the water once a week in any of the situations.. If he wants to keep several fish i would recommend at least a 10 gallon aquarium and believe it or not will be just about as much work as a fish bowl. The larger the aquarium the easier it is to care for it.. For an aquarium i would recommend Freshwater tropicals they don't give off as much wast as goldfish.
I hope this helps you out, if you have any more questions please email me at [e-mail]

Answer 3

A Betta is the only real option for a bowl (though like any fish they'll always do best in a proper aquarium), mainly because they're hardy and don't grow much bigger then when you buy them. They are low maintenance as far as fish go.

Goldfish are only good in bowls if you don't mind that it causes stunted growth and life.

While tanks are always better then bowls, I wouldn't get into it unless you have a personal interest in doing so. A bowl will work just fine to make your son happy, which, by the sounds of it, is the whole point of this venture.

Answer 4

i prefer tank kits -- tanks have mostly the benefit of having a light in them and even inadequate filtataion is better than none. i have dvided 2 1/2 gallon tanks with bettas and a 5 gallon with 3 goldfish. tanks require a lot less care and since you will still be doing the care i would recommend a tank. doing a water change in a bowl every couple of days is a pain. thats why i switched to tanks. even with my 3 goldfish its 50% water change every 5 days. bettas are a lot less dirty. you could keep a few -- like 5? female bettas in a tank together. it would need a lot of plants -- fake or real -- your choice.

you can get a very good 5 gallon tank at walmart for $40.00 it has a top of the line filtration system and is great for a couple goldfish or some female bettas.

i have 2 bamboo shrimp in with my goldfish and they are just as interesting as the goldfish.

i think for what you want i would go with a 5 gallon tank with 5 female bettas and some ghost shrimp. the biggest part of the tank budget would be plants. -- be ready to dump a bunch of money at the start -- between water conditoners (get a dechlorinator, stuff called stress-zyme, and melafix used at 1/4 strength, a bottle of maroxy -- its a good general cure all) -- hikari food pellets are like 3 dollars -- and plants -- buy at least 6 medium-large plants. i put little asian cups in my bettas -- they are territorial and some of them like little places they can make home -- some couldn't care less about them.

Answer 5

All of these answers sound great, but here is the thing that they are not telling you. With Bettas, you have to remember that they can live in crap water for longer than most fish. Also, they are prone to what they call ICK. It is a slime build up that they get if they are not having to "FAN" out, which is just a term they use like a Male Peacock. They strut when they see another male, persuming that you get a male as they are the most colorful. DO NOT PUT 2 MALES IN THE SAME TANK. They are Chinese fighting fish and will hurt and/or kill each other. You can, however, get a double tank and put one in each so that they will be able to see each other and Fan Out. Or, a cheaper way would be to put it in front of a mirror as he will see himself and think that it is another male. With Goldfish, they are easier, with less maintenance, and you can get more than 1 in a tank, just watch out for babies. Also, make sure that he never feeds them until he is older so that you can properly teach him how to do it.

Answer 6

All fish needs maintenance. I think a beta in a bowl would be the best bet.

All you need to get is a bowl, the fish, meds to take chlorine out of the water he will be living in and whatever gravel/plants you want.

Answer 7

a great starter fish may be a betta. you may basically save one till you have a bigger tank then you certainly are able to maintain some females jointly. Any sturdy setup will run you from 40-one hundred funds. to maintain fish healthful isn't decrease priced. :( Goldfish at the instant are not sturdy starter fish. they are able to strengthen great and are illsuited to the 'bowl'. Fishbowls at the instant are not for fish, they lack the basics a fish desires. in spite of you come back to a determination you may learn. you may comprehend the thank you to cycle a tank (it is relatively substantial) as properly as what length of tank and fish you may decide to get. like each puppy you may comprehend what you're entering into. Fish die genuinely and may be costly if inproperly dealt with. :(

Answer 8

A betta ( you know the little fish they have in plastic bowls at the fish store ) is really not that hard to keep and you can keep it in something as small as a vase, about the size of a gallon or half. Well I hope this helps. Bye.

Answer 9

Goldfish, Betas, all good ideas. But before you do anything get yourself a book that covers the care of the fish. There are beginner aquarium books as well as books on the individual fish that you are looking at buying. Read the book or do some extensive online research before making your decision.

Answer 10

based on my experiance, goldfish is not suitable for kids. they are pretty picky about the cleaness of water..etc.

i suggest guppy, suitable for kids and beginner cause its easy to keep, decorative and interesting to look at(including mating...)you can try swordtail fish or moon fish......these are the fish that do not required air filtered and can be kept in bowls

btw, gold fish may jump out of the bowls!