My 6 year old son wants a fish

[arivecchi]

and I have no idea what to say about it.

Can I hear from those of you who have BTDT?

[SnuggleBuggles]

and I have no idea what to say about it.

Can I hear from those of you who have BTDT?

That's how old ds1 was when he got his fish. I highly recommend a beta (just 1) and a 1 gallon tank with filter. Super duper easy care needed. eta- our tank: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4056279&lmdn=Fish+Aquariums+%26amp%3B+Bowls&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo

[twowhat?]

My opinion is that with fish, the level of maintenance:return in pleasure ratio is way too high. LOL.

eta: and you will almost certainly deal with death if you aren't careful...I grew up with fish and to me they're just not quite like "pets". They are nice to look at and that's about it...But I agree with PP that a beta is a good compromise, and can offer some mild entertainment when you hold a mirror up to the tank... I am definitely drawn more to furry things, though:)

[lalasmama]

Sam, our beta fish, has been swimming around our house for 3(!!) years now. Not much of a hassle--feed, change water every few weeks. DD chats with Sam, and refers to him just like he's a cat or dog. She adores him :) ... Fish are pretty easy, really, and there isn't too much commitment--they are usually in fishy heaven in a year or two!

[PunkyBoo]

Do you want fish? Punkin has always wanted a dog or cat (or hamstrr or...) but I'm allergic to anything furry so we got fish. We got a nice big tank and a guy who maintains it comes twice a month. We love our aquarium and enjoy picking out new fish and other freshwater critters (we currently have a newt and snails in the tank but we've also had little water crabs and other fun stuff).

[rlu]

One small fish, small tank. Don't do what we did and get several goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, and then a 30 gallon tank through freecycle when the first tank leaks. Goldfish grow to the size of the tank. The remaining two look like mini-koi. These will have to be buried/tossed in the trash when they die as they are way too big to flush.

When DH & I were first married we had a sucession of beta in a decent sized bowl (not sure what size) and after the first two died almost right off the bat the third lasted for years and years. I don't honestly remember if we had a filter in it or not. This is what our bowl looked like, but if the kid is taking care of the fish, I'd go with one that sits flat on the table. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3441531&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo

[wellyes]

We're in the same boat. DD has asked for fish for her 5th birthday.

We've had fish in the past. It's not too bad. A 10 gallon tank, filter, heater and light is maybe $150ish (if I remember right).

Fish options:
- betas: very heart and pretty and can live in itty bitty tanks alone, but, I always feel kind of bad for them.
- goldfish: just keep GROWING
- tropical freshwater fish: relatively easy
- tropical saltwater fish: a serious amount of work to set up and maintain, but super pretty

We've always had tropic freshwater fish. Mollies, swordtails, tetras. 1 inch of fish per gallon of tank, so we always had 8-10. Clean tank every couple of weeks. Cleaning a tank is a job for a grownup, for sure.

[codex57]

My kids wanted one. We have one. Major PITA.

If he really wants one, what I'd suggest is one beta in a TINY tank with no frills. No gravel, no decorations, no filter. They'll do fine. That's what me and my roommate had in college and the fish lasted 2 years. One committed suicide but I forget what happened to the other one.

We went with a 5 gallon tank with filter, gravel, and decorations to give the fish room to move and cleaner water to live in. As my thai rommate pointed out, in the wild, they live in polluted puddles. A tiny tank that's clean is already a major step up for them. However, my family wanted pretty so now I spend a ton of time about once a month cleaning the stupid thing. Think it takes me like 3 hours or so. Getting the algae off the plants/decorations, gravel, and equipment (filter, heater, etc) is what takes the most time.

[hillview]

we had one, our babysitter got us one without asking. I didn't like it, had to change the water which was a pain (I love our dog).

[arivecchi]

My opinion is that with fish, the level of maintenance:return in pleasure ratio is way too high. LOL.

:rotflmao:

Sounds like it!

[Philly Mom]

I won one at a fair around that age. My parents made me care for it on my own, was given a bowl and fish food. Of course, I did not change the water enough and fishy died. It was a good lesson and I never asked for another pet.

[janine]

I wasn't allowed pets growing up as we moved frequently, but did have a fish which I also won. It was in a basic, no frills bowl with some stones and a real plant and that's it. I took care of it, changed the water and bought it a friend (I think I was 13 so older than your DC so you might end up doing what I did). It lasted years.

Honestly I think it's fine - it's low maintenance, fun for them to feed each day and care for (but don't feed it too much or else you will hae the other talk sooner than you want!).

[Ceepa]

IMO, too much investment for not enough return when it comes down to it. You'll end up taking care of it or nagging DS to take care of it and then it will die anyways after a short time. DH and I had a great fish before the kids were born and he lived for two and a half years. We haven't had a fish since.

[Green_Tea]

We have three betas (in separate little tanks so they won't kill each other) - they're easy as pie. Our previous beta lived for at least a year. If you feed them the appropriate amount (like, almost nothing - 2-3 little pellets daily) the water stays quite clean. Overfeeding causes yucky/cloudy water.

[gatorsmom]

Funny enough, my kids asked me for one on Monday. So we went to Petsmart and found out that the easiest one to care for is a beta. We brought home Sam the blue beta on Monday with a gallon bowl, conditioning agent and food all for $27. And he's guaranteed to live for the next 2 weeks. If not, I get a new fish. So far he hasn't pooped on the floor, chewed my shoes or bit anyone. All I have to do is feed him a couple grains of food each day and change his water each week. Easiest pet we ever had. :D

[Twoboos]

Timely thread - DD2 has been asking for a fish.

I asked how she would care for it. She said I could do it while she's at school. Ummmmm, nooooo.

If we can straighten out whose fish it really is, I might let her buy one.

[elbenn]

If you do get a fish, I recommend this book, which is a story about how a fish grows and grows when he is fed too much.

http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Out-Water-Helen-Palmer/dp/0394800230/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1362695993&sr=8-4&keywords=a+fish+too+big

[Mikey0709]

I'm now the proud grandmother of.....

22 guppies!

I think there were more but they ate each other. All started with 4 guppies and now we have 2 small tanks (thanks to yard sales!)

Very low maintenance for us...filter cartridge change, slight cleaning and food...that's about it!

[vonfirmath]

I had fish for a while growing up (High school) Had 2 10 gallon tanks with guppies and tetras, basically. Then i decide dto breed and ended up with a hang-in breeding tank and a third tank for the babies...

It was fun. I don't remember it being a lot of work at ALL. There was a filtration system to bubble the water and some snails or bottom feeders and such to eat the algae. The hardest part was keeping babies alive!

[hellokitty]

Yeah, I would just recommend a simple glass bowl and a beta fish. It is pretty low maint and he should be able to care for it and best of all, it's CHEAP. I would not do a full blown aquarium, even if it looks cool. We already made that mistake. The kids asked for one and dh who loves aquariums (has had them before in college), set up a small one and then the kids lost interest after a wk and dh didn't want to take care of it either and it was basically an aquarium of algea and was embarrassing. We gave the fish to his co-workers.

I still have the tank for when the kids are older and more responsible and want to re-visit having a fish again, but the bowl and fish method is easy. I had a goldfish that lived for several yrs in a bowl with some pretty glass stones and it was always easy to ask a friend to fish-sit it during breaks, and they didn't kill it. However, goldfish poop a lot, so it requires probably more cleaning than a beta. Just beware that kids often will over-feed fish, so do NOT give them access to the fish food, you be in charge of it and be in charge of watching them feed the fish. My brother killed an entire tank of fish when he dumped the entire container into it when he was about 4 yrs old.

[Kymberley]

Get some Sea Monkeys. The little kit is $5 at Walmart, and comes with everything you need. Granted, they are hard to keep alive (they need lots of warmth and a North facing window) but if you can meet those criteria, they're easy and fun.

[scrooks]

We got dd a small 5 gallon tank for Xmas. We have 3 guppies that have done ok. So far it hasn't been too much of a pain. We probably have $100 in it once you buy the tank kit, gravel , plants, heater etc.

[todzwife]

We won a $.13 goldfish at the school carnival 20 months ago. He started off tiny, in a non-filtered little plastic box that I changed the water in every few days. I didn't know what I was doing, and fully expected him to die, but he didn't. I got tired of cleaning the water so often, so I got him a 2 gallon tank with filter that he stayed in for about a year, but I noticed he lost most of his gold color. Apparently goldfish need a light or they lose color (like a tan?) and I felt bad, so I bought him a 5.5 gallon tank and he seems very happy in there. He's gotten HUGE though, about 3 inches not including his tail fin!

I really didn't expect him to live this long LOL!

[oneplustwo]

DD got her first Betta for her 5th birthday. I did a bunch of research on Bettas and we went with a tank that's maybe 1 or 2.5 gallons ~ small enough still to fit on DD's bedside table but big enough to give the fish proper space. It's still water, no filter or anything. The only chore I've had is changing the water every now and then. We had gravel in the beginning but it was hard to keep clean, so we got rid of it. DD took care of feeding the Betta (a few fish pellets at bedtime; super easy). The Betta lived for 4 years! When he died, DD got another Betta ~ after the burial and a proper mourning period, LOL. Betta #2 is closing in on three years old now.

I think a Betta fish is a great idea. Don't get an aquarium that's too small, make sure it closes on top, get a good Betta fish food, and you're pretty much good to go.

[MontrealMum]

I had fish for years when I was a kid. I'm allergic to just about everything else. They're not very cuddly, but they're fun to look at and it's a LOT of fun if they get pregnant and have babies. We're planning on getting DS something this summer. Probably a tank with filter and everything rather than just a bowl as I'd prefer not to have to clean the darned thing every few days. And yes, it will probably be more *your* fish than your DS' at this age, but compared to other pets they're pretty low maintenance and they're fairly cheap. I had a bird, too, and that was much more costly (vet visits) and needed to be cleaned regularly. I was older when I got it so it all fell on me and I well remember some of the hassles...like the heat lamp when it had the flu.