I need fish help!?

Question

My daughter has been wanting a pet. I am actually considering getting a dog but i want to get my daughter something small first so that she can learn about taking care of something on a daily basis. I am wanting to get her a small fish but i have recently been reading that it is not good to keep fish in bowls. I am willing to get the fish what he needs but i was wondering what the cheapest but healthiest options were. I am not really wanting to get a tank, especially because i am only getting her one fish. anyways what's the easiest thing that i can do while still being decent to the fish?

Answer 1

Get her a betta they I have a small tank like 6 inches long it is only around 2 dollars at petsmart.

Answer 2

My advice - don't get a fish!! You're not supposed to put them in bowls. They p**p like crazy and you can never keep the tank clean enough. They over eat, then breathe in their own p**p and die. They're boring as ever. Pretty, sometimes, but they die very easily. For the really cool ones, you have to pay a LOT of money. Skip the fish and get a dog. You'll be glad you did. That way, your daughter won't be crying about her goldfish that died 2 weeks after you got him.

Answer 3

well you have to get alot of things and its true to never keep fishes in a bowl such as goldfishes. a good rule of thumb is an inch per fish is one gallon. so you have to get alot of stuff such as gravel fish aquarium filter airpump gravel vacuum test kit heater decor. if your going to get a goldfish get a ten gallon tank. its not going to be easy though. also resarch what fish your going to get before buying. happy fish hunting =D

Answer 4

You can get a cheap 1 gallon set up at the pet stores. I know Petsmart carries them. They are perfect for those bug-eyed goldfish with the big flowy tails. I'd stick with 1 fish under an inch for that tank. It comes with everything you need to start it up. Good luck!

Edit: Are you sure you're talking about the same "bug-eyed goldfish" I am? The ones I'm talking about stay at pretty much an inch. Unless Petco and all their buyers are lying to the general population.

Answer 5

Get her a 5-10 gallon aquarium. Get some guppies cause they are really quite hardy and even though they dont need a heater they do so much better with one. I wouldn't recommend goldfish because they produce alot of waste and some can live for a very long time and get really big. Guppies are nice looking, small fish that don't produce much waste and will breed quite easily (if you want to). I suggest getting a couple of males because they are smaller and have bright, colourful tails and in my opinion are much nicer to look at than goldfish. Then add a few fake or real plants, some nice gravel and a few decorations and you should be set. Its good to get a filter but if you do regular water changes then you won't need one so much and an airstone helps to oxegenate the water. Hope this helps

Answer 6

For about $25, you should be able to get a good 2.5-5 gallon kit (with filter and heater) which would be perfect for a Betta and some freshwater shrimp.  They are very easy to take care of, and it's a MUCH better start than a bowl where you'd be replacing fish on a weekly basis.  Goldfish aren't a good choice due to the amount of waste they produce and the space they need (at about a foot long, you can imagine they'd need more than a bowl).  Bettas are VERY colorful, and come in many shapes, so letting your daughter pick out her favorite would also be a good way to include her.  Make sure the one you choose is fairly responsive, even in such a small cup.  If the fins look intact and there are no signs of diseases (spots, redness, deteriorating fins, swelling, etc.), put your finger near the cup-- the fish should show interest and may even flare (push out its gills to look bigger)-- this is a good sign that it's healthy.

It should be fed daily and have its tank cleaned once a week (probably a job best not left to your daughter if unsupervised, depending on age).  Using a turkey baster is probably most effective for such a small tank, as it will allow you to target debris, but make sure you swirl around the gravel, as trapped waste will rot, leading to trouble down the road (ammonia>nitrite>nitrate).

EDIT: "Those bug eyed Goldfish" will get about 6-8" long and require a 20 gallon tank if you want any hope of them to survive (when teaching your daughter responsibility, it's best not to set her up for failure).  Also, the "inch of fish per gallon of water" "rule" is terrible.  With that logic, you could keep a 30 inch fish in a 30 gallon tank-- 30 gallon tanks aren't even 30 inches long!!!  It is a bad idea to try following any equation for stocking a tank.

Answer 7

Hmm....my fish is in a bowl and he shows no sign of anything! I say you should get a bowl but not a big bowl.I don't know what to say or do because i didnt know about the "bowl"thing so... i hoped i could help!