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I need help finding a pet fish for my 6 year old daughter. We have never had fish before so we need something that is not going to die easily. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Like the names of the different kinds of fish and all that.

2007-06-18 09:42:39 · 16 answers · asked by Kristal E 6 in Pets Fish

16 answers

i would say get a gold fish one that looks very common that way just in case it happends to die, you can easily replace it....

2007-06-18 09:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by lovepixiek 4 · 2 2

Your best bet is to go to a reputable fish / pet store and explain what it is you want to do. Goldfish are relatively hearty but not long lived. The algae eater fish are also relatively maintenance free but do not move around much. Mollies do well as do Neon Tetras. The Neons are colorful and inexpensive.The better your tank equipment is, the better it is for your fish. Filters and aerators and possibly a heater are all important. I suggest getting some reading material either on line or at the library on starter aquariums. Even the best of aquarium keepers have our let downs. Don't go spending a lot of money on the first fish. Better ones will come with experience. It is a great hobby but, can take up time and money depending how far you want to take it. Most pet stores have starter aquarium set ups that are also not too expensive. Be sure to study up on all the paper work. Good luck.

2007-06-18 10:01:55 · answer #2 · answered by Horse 4 · 1 1

I would STRONGLY suggest doing a lot, a lot of research before buying any type of fish. And while asking questions here is a fair start, you must get much more information on your own by reading books and checking out fish keeping websites. Please don't listen to those who say get a goldfish. Contrary to popular belief, they are one of the most difficult fish to take care of (that is, if you want to do it properly so they don't die!). To keep goldies properly, they have very precise, demanding and extreme housing and maintenance requirements. Tropicals are easier, but as many of them need to school, as well as the fact you will probably want many to create a nice visual scene, you are going to need a larger tank than you may be willing to invest in. Keep in mind; however, that larger tanks are easier to clean and maintain than smaller tanks. Second, you will be extremely sorry if you choose live bearers, such as guppies. While, yes, they are a good, easy starter fish, you will find yourself overrun with them in no time. Third, never put any fish in a bowl. Bowls are much, much too small and cannot be properly filtered or heated. If you must have a small system, choose a minimum of a 2.5 gallon tank and this could only be used for a betta. the larger the aquarium for a betta, the more they flare, which is a beautiful sight. But, a betta is going to be your best bet as a starter fish. Bettas are happy being solitary, can tolerate the smallest quantity of water, although, as I said, no less than 2.5 gallons, and are very beautiful.

2007-06-18 10:01:45 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 2 1

NO FISH SHOULD BE KEPT IN A BOWL
ALL FISH NEED A FILTER

Goldfish are good to start with and are very hardy. Commets and common goldfish get around 6-12in not including fins, these are often sold as feeders and need a min 40g for the first and 20g for every additional one. If it is a fancy goldfish then it needs min of 20 for the first and 10 for each extra. Goldfish are coldwater and do not require a heater. They are very, very messy fish and need good filtration and proper tank size to live out their full lifespan. They are very social, I sugget gettting 2, that is not madatory though. The life span of a goldfish is about 30 years.

Bettas are also good fish to start with. The min tank size is 2g. All fish even bettas need a filter. I use a Whisper 3i filter on my tank. They are tropical and need a heater. I used to keep mine in a 2g then moved him to a 5g. He changed alot, he really thrives in the extra space.

With what ever fish you choose, you need to test for Ph, nitrites, and nitrates. Also you should perform 25% weekly water changes.

2007-06-18 12:56:54 · answer #4 · answered by vegan5589 1 · 1 0

Maybe she can start off with a betta. They need minimal care, and can be kept in a fish bowl. Just make sure the water is kept clean (do some research on that) and make sure she does not get too excited and overfeed the fish. I think a lot of kids kill their fish from overfeeding (dirtying the water, etc)

If you actually went all out and bought a 5 or 10 gallon aquarium with a starter kit, that would be excellent. You could start with the betta, and then speak to your local pet store in a few months about another fish that would be compatible with it.

2007-06-18 09:49:44 · answer #5 · answered by lei 5 · 4 1

the bigger the tank the easier it is to keep fish alive.

if you just want 1 fish you can get a betta and a 5 gallon aquarium from walmart for about 30-40 dollars.

2007-06-18 10:12:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2 0

Get a fishbowl put a nice plant in it and get a Bettas or Japanese/Siamese Fighting Fish a small pinch of food would be all you need and it is easy to clean because it is small and will be cheap some pet stores sell the Bettas with the plant you can't put two together because they will kill each other

2007-06-18 11:07:23 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1 1

I'd have to agrre with Venice, a betta will be your best bet, as long as you provide it with a suitable home. This means a "real" tank (a 2.5 gallon kit with light and filter) plus a heater. You can let your daughter pick out some gravel and decorations.

See these links for starting an aquarium and on keeping bettas:
http://www.fishlore.com/Beginners.htm
http://www.bettatalk.com/

2007-06-18 10:07:54 · answer #8 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2 0

I'd have to go with the goldfish.
You can find some fancy goldfish which look pretty and are flashy etc....
My kids used to be facinated by fish at the store so I setup a simple 10 gallon tank with bunch of 10 cent "feeder" fish from Walmart (or your local pet store).
With EXTREMELY little care to them they lasted FOUR years.
Goldfish are probably your heartiest fish out there and can withstand quite a bit of harsh times.
Those small "feeder fish" ende up being about 4-5 inches in length.

2007-06-18 10:00:27 · answer #9 · answered by Peter S 4 · 1 4

If you have a heated fresh water aquarium, guppies (fancy tailed are pretty) are a good starter fish. So are black mollies. If you don't have a heater, stick to cold water fish - like gold fish. Good luck!

2007-06-18 09:46:56 · answer #10 · answered by Kimber 3 · 2 0

Hi, the link below gives you loads of advice about good & bad beginners fish. Contrary to popular belief & just to pre-warn you, Goldfish are not happy in anything smaller than 20 gallon tanks & grow very large so please bear that in mind while deciding. Have fun!

2007-06-18 09:55:54 · answer #11 · answered by John 6 · 3 0

fedest.com, questions and answers