Kid wants a fish. Is there an easy set up that's still kind to the fish?
December 9, 2021 8:49 AM
We want this to be the child's responsibility (they're 6) as much as possible. I assume a goldfish in a bowl is not a great set up for the fish, but a big, expensive, high maintenance tank situation is probably more than we can take on. Is there any version of this that would make sense for us, our kid, and the fish? We're open to any type of fish (a betta maybe?)
I came in to say what Lyn Never did and to add that the cleaning/keeping the water and microbiome intact is probably beyond the responsibility level of a 6 year old. The 6 year old might be able to manage the daily feeding, but it's the cleaning that will be really important in order to keep the fish healthy.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:01 AM on December 9, 2021
posted by warriorqueen at 9:01 AM on December 9, 2021
Our 6 year old has a tank that is maintained by her dad and pays it very little attention beyond feeding the fish. I would not entrust all the care of the fish to her. Kids are different, yes, but I think 6 is a bit early. Also, keeping a betta in the small bowls you see at the pet store is not ideal for them, they need more space than that.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:13 AM on December 9, 2021
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:13 AM on December 9, 2021
There are many web sites and apps, including Aqua Advisor, that can tell you how big a tank you need for a certain fish (and how compatible they are with other fish, etc.).
posted by Melismata at 9:28 AM on December 9, 2021
posted by Melismata at 9:28 AM on December 9, 2021
Fish are social creatures - it’s much kinder to get a group of them rather than only one.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 9:47 AM on December 9, 2021
posted by sevensnowflakes at 9:47 AM on December 9, 2021
I had one of those small $35 fish tank with cheapie filter and my goldfish lasted 2+ years on that thing. Just need a filter and weekly / biweekly clean. Doesn’t have to be fancy.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:47 AM on December 9, 2021
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:47 AM on December 9, 2021
.I had one of those small $35 fish tank with cheapie filter and my goldfish lasted 2+ years on that thing. Just need a filter and weekly / biweekly clean. Doesn’t have to be fancy.
I mean, a healthy goldfish can live 10-15 years on average, some even up to 30. Goldfish really do need a BIG tank for a good life, for all their reputation. Do not get a goldfish unless you can get a big tank second hand. (That said, I have generally found it pretty easy to get pretty big tanks second hand, YMMV).
The important thing is to get the tank "cycled" before you add the fish, so the filter has the right bacteria growing in it, but that's pretty easy with a little research. I think the water changes, including adding the correct amount of water treatment, are probably beyond a 6 year old, at least without close supervision.
If you're willing to get a heater, a few neon tetras are fun to watch but can make do in a pretty small tank. I agree that really small tanks are actually a lot more maintenance than medium sized ones, because you have to change the water more often.
posted by stillnocturnal at 10:15 AM on December 9, 2021
I mean, a healthy goldfish can live 10-15 years on average, some even up to 30. Goldfish really do need a BIG tank for a good life, for all their reputation. Do not get a goldfish unless you can get a big tank second hand. (That said, I have generally found it pretty easy to get pretty big tanks second hand, YMMV).
The important thing is to get the tank "cycled" before you add the fish, so the filter has the right bacteria growing in it, but that's pretty easy with a little research. I think the water changes, including adding the correct amount of water treatment, are probably beyond a 6 year old, at least without close supervision.
If you're willing to get a heater, a few neon tetras are fun to watch but can make do in a pretty small tank. I agree that really small tanks are actually a lot more maintenance than medium sized ones, because you have to change the water more often.
posted by stillnocturnal at 10:15 AM on December 9, 2021
I had an aquarium at this age that I loved, but my dad did all the work. I do not know if he thought I would take responsibility, but if so, this was a lesson in parenting for him.
I am now a grown adult who knows I am too lazy for fishies and I have an aquarium membership - about once a month I go gaze at professionally cared for fish and it is very soothing.
If you have a nearby aquarium, get a membership! Do not get your 6 year old a fish with the expectation that he will be responsible.
posted by the primroses were over at 10:54 AM on December 9, 2021
I am now a grown adult who knows I am too lazy for fishies and I have an aquarium membership - about once a month I go gaze at professionally cared for fish and it is very soothing.
If you have a nearby aquarium, get a membership! Do not get your 6 year old a fish with the expectation that he will be responsible.
posted by the primroses were over at 10:54 AM on December 9, 2021
About this time last year I asked a similar question, though I was looking for a solution for a 51 year-old man. It's me. I'm the man.
Through that thread and through my own research I found that, no, there really is no low/no effort solution that also results in healthy, happy (happy for a fish), fish. Sure, your local pet store has a shelf full of Betas swimming around in Dixie cups but they don't really look like they're living their best life, ya know?
So I ended up with a 29 gallon tank with a very expensive filter, light, and heater. There are cheaper options but I figured getting a slightly bigger/better filter would mean fewer problems. Almost a year later the tank is thriving, the original fish made a lot of little fish. But there's work. There's expense. There was one minor disaster when I didn't close the filter properly and water started pouring out all over the floor. There's not a ton of work or expense beyond the startup stage but you do have to vacuum the rocks and change the water out on a semi-regular basis which I am finding I am putting off more and more.
So, no, there's no real good way to do this so a six year old can do it themselves. If you're willing to help them out then i would suggest looking into an actual tank setup like I did, though you can probably do it for a bit less than I did. If there's a free group on your local Facebook you can ask there because a lot of people seem to have old, no-longer-used tank setups in their basement.
But man, I do love having a tank full of fish to look at.
posted by bondcliff at 11:19 AM on December 9, 2021
Through that thread and through my own research I found that, no, there really is no low/no effort solution that also results in healthy, happy (happy for a fish), fish. Sure, your local pet store has a shelf full of Betas swimming around in Dixie cups but they don't really look like they're living their best life, ya know?
So I ended up with a 29 gallon tank with a very expensive filter, light, and heater. There are cheaper options but I figured getting a slightly bigger/better filter would mean fewer problems. Almost a year later the tank is thriving, the original fish made a lot of little fish. But there's work. There's expense. There was one minor disaster when I didn't close the filter properly and water started pouring out all over the floor. There's not a ton of work or expense beyond the startup stage but you do have to vacuum the rocks and change the water out on a semi-regular basis which I am finding I am putting off more and more.
So, no, there's no real good way to do this so a six year old can do it themselves. If you're willing to help them out then i would suggest looking into an actual tank setup like I did, though you can probably do it for a bit less than I did. If there's a free group on your local Facebook you can ask there because a lot of people seem to have old, no-longer-used tank setups in their basement.
But man, I do love having a tank full of fish to look at.
posted by bondcliff at 11:19 AM on December 9, 2021
I have a 5 gallon Fluval Spec aquarium on my desk at work. I've kept aquariums since I was about 8, but this is by far the easiest, cleanest, best looking and most enjoyable aquarium I've ever owned. I set it up two years ago, let it run for about six weeks with no fish, and I've never had to do much more than light housekeeping, and add water lost to evaporation.
I started with five male guppies, and four of them are still alive, which I find amazing. One or two snails hitchhiked in on a plant, and they do a good job with keeping the glass clean.
The filter packs are easy to change, and the design of the filtration system keeps the water so clear I can hardly believe it. Replacement filters and charcoal bags are less than $10 every six months or so.
I got the SPEC kit on sale for about $89, and gravel, plants and rocks were about $20, so I don't know that you can get started with anything for much less than that.
Sorry if this sounds like a Fluval ad, but I swear it is the best/least labor intensive aquarium I've ever owned, and I think it would be great starter aquarium for a kid.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 12:43 PM on December 9, 2021
I started with five male guppies, and four of them are still alive, which I find amazing. One or two snails hitchhiked in on a plant, and they do a good job with keeping the glass clean.
The filter packs are easy to change, and the design of the filtration system keeps the water so clear I can hardly believe it. Replacement filters and charcoal bags are less than $10 every six months or so.
I got the SPEC kit on sale for about $89, and gravel, plants and rocks were about $20, so I don't know that you can get started with anything for much less than that.
Sorry if this sounds like a Fluval ad, but I swear it is the best/least labor intensive aquarium I've ever owned, and I think it would be great starter aquarium for a kid.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 12:43 PM on December 9, 2021
Larger tanks are actually much, much easier to maintain. There are fewer swings in water quality, the waste doesn’t build up as fast, the temperature remains more consistent.
A betta should have at least a 5 gallon tank with a filter, a heater, and live or silk plants.
If you can get a 10 gallon, you’d be able to give your betta a couple of friends, like neon tetras or platies.
posted by Ostara at 6:28 PM on December 9, 2021
A betta should have at least a 5 gallon tank with a filter, a heater, and live or silk plants.
If you can get a 10 gallon, you’d be able to give your betta a couple of friends, like neon tetras or platies.
posted by Ostara at 6:28 PM on December 9, 2021
I think 6 is too young to be the primary caretaker of anything. And letting an animal be neglected to death is not an appropriate way to teach a child a lesson. If you choose to add a pet to your household, its health and happiness are ultimately your responsibility, regardless of what you tell yourself or your child.
posted by ananci at 6:29 AM on December 10, 2021
posted by ananci at 6:29 AM on December 10, 2021
If you do decide against getting a tank and live fish for your family, in addition to the suggestion from the primroses were over to get an aquarium membership, I've been finding the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Youtube channel to be an ongoing delight.
posted by kristi at 2:08 PM on December 12, 2021
posted by kristi at 2:08 PM on December 12, 2021
I dont't know if this is helpful to you, but for context
here are what I would consider the minimum steps for tank maintenance, once a week.
1) set up water for the water change. You'll want to let this come to room temperature rather than cold (especially for a heated tank!) and add the right amount of a water treatment, which removes chlorine and some heavy metals from the water. For my tank I use a massive saucepan that I have just for this purpose.
2) Remove an equivalent amount of water from the tank. You really want to do this with a siphon so you can effectively vacuum the bottom where all the poo and dropped food is.
3) Whilst you have a bucket of dirty tank water, remove one of the filter sponges and rinse it in the water. To maintain the bacterial population it's important to only wash one at a time, and wash it in tank water rather than tap water.
4) Add your new treated water back in.
You'll also need to occasionally wipe down the glass, and in an ideal world test the water for the build up of nitrates. I think, really, a 6 year old could only do the feeding.
posted by stillnocturnal at 4:49 AM on December 13, 2021
here are what I would consider the minimum steps for tank maintenance, once a week.
1) set up water for the water change. You'll want to let this come to room temperature rather than cold (especially for a heated tank!) and add the right amount of a water treatment, which removes chlorine and some heavy metals from the water. For my tank I use a massive saucepan that I have just for this purpose.
2) Remove an equivalent amount of water from the tank. You really want to do this with a siphon so you can effectively vacuum the bottom where all the poo and dropped food is.
3) Whilst you have a bucket of dirty tank water, remove one of the filter sponges and rinse it in the water. To maintain the bacterial population it's important to only wash one at a time, and wash it in tank water rather than tap water.
4) Add your new treated water back in.
You'll also need to occasionally wipe down the glass, and in an ideal world test the water for the build up of nitrates. I think, really, a 6 year old could only do the feeding.
posted by stillnocturnal at 4:49 AM on December 13, 2021
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It can be fairly cheap if you watch for the right sales. I can come back later with more details but my go-to starter recommendation is a 20-gallon tank with 6-8 harlequin rasboras, which basically every fish store has and they are pretty, sturdy, and lively. They enjoy swimming together in groups and they're not an especially poopy fish so the water stays cleaner.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:58 AM on December 9, 2021