Goldfish and Betta Fish Make Great First Pets For Children

Goldfish and Betta Fish are fish that can live in a fishbowl or an aquarium. They are a lot of fun without a lot of work.

Children can learn caring and compassion for others by having an animal to care for and develop an understanding of responsibility. Parents and adults are the ultimate caregivers though, and should not turn a child of any age loose with the full responsibility for any animal. Always supervise, setting and enforcing boundaries and rules. Fish should not be touched with a persons hands as their skin can be damaged very easily. Make it clear to your child that the fish is a living thing with needs both like and unlike his/her own.

The simplest way to keep a fish is to have one that requires only a bowl without the filter and pump setup of an aquarium. Not all fish can live in a bowl. There are two good candidates: Goldfish and Bettas. They can live in a bowl because they naturally gulp air at the surface. Most fish don't do this.

First thing, decide which kind of fish you want and how many. Then get supplies together to house your fish. Your local pet store is well equipped to help you do this and there is generally someone knowledgeable available to work with you. Ask questions. These people usually know a lot and are happy to help.

Goldfish are an excellent choice to start with. I believe they are the best of the two choices. There are many different types of goldfish. The basic goldfish, or Comet, is the least expensive. They may be available in gold or gold with some white markings. There are specialty goldfish with fan tails, calico coloring, bubble eyes, lions head, and others. All are beautiful, hardy, easy to care for and fun to watch. All can grow fairly large and live long lives. Make sure the bowl you choose is large enough that your fish has some room to swim around and room to grow. A gallon of water is O.K. for two small fish but, remember, they will grow! Take that into consideration.

Goldfish can learn to interact with you, coming to the surface for food, taking a bit of a treat from your fingers, nibbling your fingers, and other things. Goldfish food can be found in flake form in the pet store. Do not over feed your goldfish. Just a small pinch of food twice a day is plenty-as much as they can consume in about two minutes. Some goldfish will eat other things as well, but only for treats and only sometimes. It won't hurt them to have a couple of bread crumbs (no more!) from time to time, or a bit of lettuce.

Bettas, or Siamese Fighting Fish come in several colors with draping fins and tails. You have probably seen them in your local pet store alone in small bowls or even plastic cups. To house them long term they should really have more space than that. Usually these are male fish, but sometimes you will see females also.

Do not try to keep more than one Betta in a bowl, and never put them with other types of fish. They must be kept singly. They are called fighting fish because they are very aggressive and will kill one another. The females are less aggressive and probably won't try to kill other fish unless they are much smaller. A single Betta fish keeps very quiet and still most of the time. Pet stores often sell setups for Bettas, complete with bowl, decorations, food-everything you need to get started with a Betta fish. Betta food is in pellet form and will float on the surface of the water. Usually Bettas need just one or two pellets a day as they are not active fish.

Goldfish and Bettas need to have their bowl kept clean or they will get sick. Remember that they live, breathe and eat in the same environment in which they poop. Not a pleasant thought. You should clean your fishbowl about once a week.

To remove your fish from the bowl, use a net gently and carefully catch it and place it carefully into another bowl with some of its water. Cover the top so your fish won't jump out. Dump out the old water from the fishbowl. If you have gravel, plants or other decorations in the bowl, rinse them well with hot water. Rinse out the bowl with hot water and wipe out the inside with a paper towel or clean cloth. Algae can grow on the inside of the bowl and cause a green slime on the surface of the glass. Never use cleaners of any kind. They are poison to fish in any amount. Refill the bowl using bottled spring water. It is pure, contains beneficial minerals, and requires no chemicals to make it safe for your fish. Never, ever use distilled water or plain tap water. If you must use tap water then make sure you have a de-chlorinating additive to make it safe for your fish.

Goldfish and Betta Fish make great first pets for children. They require a little care and attention but are not an overwhelming responsibility. They are not terribly expensive to purchase or to maintain and are lots of fun to watch.