tank for a child

[Dahlia]

My 6 year old has been really interested in fish keeping thus far, and she has shown a lot of responsibility towards the animals we have. I am thinking about getting her a tank for her room. If I do, I think it will be at least a 55 gallon, but most likely a 75-120. Why waste good wall space on a small tank!

One of the reasons I want to do this for her is she never gets to choose the "tacky" gravel, plants, and fish for my tanks when we go to the LFS. I figure if she has her own tank we'll go ahead and get all the silly toys to put in it like the bubbling castles and the diver with the big bubble helmet. I'll also let her pick the brightly colored fish I usually skim over, and a decent variety of them since I usually don't like to clutter too many flashy species in one tank. Kids of course love that (though I'll make sure to keep reasonable schools).

Aside from neons, guppies, and corydoras, I haven't really kept many of the typical community fish. From the list below I have also kept gouramis and plecos. I'm not a big fan of how mollies and platys look, but if she wants some I'll consider it. I don't want to get fish that are fin nippers, either. This is the list of "maybe" fish I came up with earlier. Does anyone have more suggestions or comments on these? I am hoping for brightly colored or unique fish mostly, but I'll take any recommendations. I'm looking for easy to keep as well as inexpensive, just in case...

Dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia)
Danios (long fin ones maybe?)
Corydoras (maybe panda, adolfoi or albino)
Apple snails
Small pleco (recommendations on type?)
Swordtails (high-fin maybe)
Rainbowfish (Praecox?)
Tetras (rummynose, cardinals, neons?)
Rasboras
Killifish (lyretails?)

Also, are neons a weaker fish? I had okay luck with mine but I read of people having a lot of problems with them.

Thanks!

[ChilDawg]

If you've had good luck with Neons, by all means, continue to buy them from that source. There are a lot of problems with CB Neons but there are good sources (as you've found).

[ChilDawg]

Will you please adopt me? I'd love it if my parents would buy me a 55+ tank! :)

[demon_surfer]

Dahlia it might be an idea if you take your daughter on a window shopping trip to the local pet stores, and let her say which ones she fancies. and then write us up a list of all the ones she picked and we can tell you the pros and cons.

how does that sound? :)


oh and kids like wierd stuff like fiddler crabs and ghost shrimp...

heres a little article...i know its kinda basic but you might find it handy (http://www.*****************/information/fish_for_children.htm#top2)

[Dahlia]

Hmm that article recommends getting them a tiny little filter/heaterless bowl instead of a tank. But I did like the suggestion for looking at the amount of food to feed in the cap before tossing it in.

Childawg if I adopted you would take over all of my tanks!!!

Plus people would think I started really early, hehe.

I'll post again after I can take her in the store to look around. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do it on a Sunday though... pet stores are insane on weekends. Incidentally, can any of the "oddity" animals like crabs, shrimp, crawfish, and frogs be put with tetras and other small fish? I'm pretty sure she will want a cornucopia of the brightest fish, so I plan to make them the focus and not the unusual extras. Does anyone have apple snails with the above fish? Do the fish leave the snails alone or do they try and eat their tentacles?

[ChilDawg]

Most of those oddities will eat fish if they can catch them. :)

And, yes, I would probably wind up taking over tanks...that's how I got my 20g high at home...:)

[tricksterpup]

Hey, don't discount live bearers, most kids love watching the fry. Its also a great learning experience for them to. Since they breed so easy, they can watch them grow. :)

jim

[demon_surfer]

a couple of ghost shrimp would give her something intresting to watch, and the snails should be fine with tetras.

[Dahlia]

Well, I put swordtails on the above list (incidentally, we went to the fish store and she seemed attracted to pretty much exactly what I listed at the top). Also, we have a 20 gallon tank of guppies too (and breeding cichlids in the large tank) which produce quite a few babies she likes to watch. I'd get her mollies/platys if she liked them, but she didn't seem too intrigued by them anyway.

I'm not saying mollies and platys aren't cool fish, I can see why they would appeal to people, but they don't appeal to me personally. I think it is their chunky bodies and how opaque/matte they are. So, unless my daughter develops an adoration for them I probably will encourage her to get things I like too.

Now that I said that she'll most likely fall in love with them next time we go to the store.

I think for any schools she gets of small fish (tetras) I'll try to do 9-15 fish and for larger fish (corydoras) probably 5-7. I'm strongly considering a 48 inch 120 gallon now for her.

I'm about to go look up kribs and apistogrammas to see how well they do in community tanks. I don't know much about them yet. I'll probably end up finding out they won't do well but falling in love and planning a new setup just for them anyway... sheesh!

[stoopid]

Let me put it this way -- at 28 years of age I started the hobby with a 10g and a single, rugged Calvus.

Now, if she's an experienced fish keeper, then the tank will be fine as she will be able to take good care of it (with some guidance from Mom of course :) ). Problem is, if she becomes bored, you will be retaining responsibility for its up-keep, and if she grows tired of it or the gurgling sounds it makes, then you'll need to find it a new wall (or worse, new home).

The fish you selected looked okay in my limited experieince... and Mollies are matte, and boring. I'm not afraid to say it... but I'm going to be getting a few for free soon, and we'll see how entertaining they become in my 30g with 3 cichlids :p.

If you get Danios, my Zebra Danios school nicely and seem pretty hearty (been through some pretty drastic water issues I've had in the past month).

[OrionGirl]

For a pleco, I suggest either the clowns or the bristlenose, but they are not to be added without a need unless you're willing to feed them veggies regularly. In many tanks, there is not enough algae to support them and they starve.

For rainbows, the praecox are lovely little fish that school nicely. Also, look at some of the larger ones--turquoise are a favorite of mine.

Make sure that she understands she will need to protect her tank from friends. Most kids do not understand tanks, and a playmate could inadvertantly hurt the fish if she isn't supervising them. While this goes for pretty much all tanks, anywhere in the house, it is very important for a tank in the child's room.

[tricksterpup]

Originally posted by Dahlia
Does anyone have apple snails with the above fish? Do the fish leave the snails alone or do they try and eat their tentacles?
Ok, i just realized I didn't answer this question, these guys should be ok with what you listed. The only time I have had problems with snails have been with Africans. If you get one remember to feed them shrimp pellets and alage wafers. But they are a great addition to any tank. :)

As for apistogrammas I would stay away from them for her tank for the time being. I would probably experiment with them in a different tank in the house before putting them in hers. I find them to be a bit touchy..

Other critters you could keep in there that would be fantastic are Amano shrimp.. I find them to be a hardy shrimp and live longer than ghost. I have had a pair for over 3 years now and doing fantastic. Ghost shrimp last about 6 months to a year.

Since you are getting a large tank, the you should be able to go with a pleco, i just find them to be to big for most tanks and just not a big fan of them.


jim

[demon_surfer]

did you really mean 120 gallon tank???

i think that may be a little large for a beginner tank...

however if that is the right tank size that you meant then have you considered getting her a couple of oscars??

in 120 you could put 2 or 3 easily and they are the most amazingly owner responsive fish I have ever seen. They seem to spend all their time sittin gat the front of the glass waiting for someone to come buy so they can beg for food.

that might be somethign to look into if you are serious about getting her a tank that big, plus a fish that responds to her might keep her attention better than the smaller not so responsive fish.

[SnakeIce]

are you trying to get a tank for you(since a tank that big would be a major undertaking for a small child)?
I hear six foot tall people complaining about cleaning tanks that are over two feet deep, how big is this tank going to be comparatively to this six year old?

by all means get her the biggest tank she can work in but don't exclude her from some of the upkeep because of the size of the tank

take her to the store and see what size she is interested in(while you explain what can be kept in a tank that size of course)

while it would be my dream come true to have a tank that big, I also have vary specific ideas of what I want to do in that amount of space :D

[Dahlia]

Okay responding to all of the above:

I am interested in plecos in their own right... smaller ones than the "common" pleco. I feed the bristlenose I have now plenty of veggies. My daughter loves to watch it suck on the glass and the way it swims so I figured she would be interested in one. I don't keep any animal just as an addition to other animals (for instance I don't keep things just as an "algae eater". I make sure that anything I have is getting it's own diet so it is as healthy as possible. Which includes snails... even the little pest ones. :)

We already have some smaller tanks in the house, and she has been helping me clean the 20 gallon and the betta's tank. She "points the hose" for the 90 into the bucket and finds that a very fun job, and she helps with various other smaller tasks. I understand a 120 will require "help from Mom" and am okay with this, I want it as something we can do together. Also, kids like a large variety of fish so in a larger tank she won't crowd them, and I think she will get more educational experiences out of it (she can actually see schooling and breeding and such). I also think it's harder to make mistakes water-quality wise with a larger tank, which may be helpful for a kid. Really, I'd consider all the tanks in the house "our" tanks, and this will just be the one located in her room. There is also the fact that when she is older, she'll already have a great tank to start off with if she chooses to stay in the hobby, and if not I'll have a great tank to keep. Judging from how much she loves fish and how much she has already learned about them (she DEVOURS knowledge of fish), I'd say that she is a die-hard aquarist already.

I also like that a taller tank is harder for her (and friends) to "play in", she will need to ask assistance until she is old and tall enough to know better and really understand what her fish need. She seems very disciplined in this area, though. She didn't take after her mom in that she doesn't "get into" things if she is told she is not allowed. There is also the fact you can pretty much tell what anyone is doing in our house, as it is not very large.

So amano shrimp and ghost shrimp won't eat the small fish in the tank?

Thanks for the other species info and suggestions, if anyone has any more I am interested.

I think at this age she is more into trying lots of different things and would probably get bored with a species only tank (oscars for example). Also she is soft-hearted and I doubt she'd be into feeding a fish other fish.

Currently one of her favorite things to do is sit in front of the 90 gallon and make up stories about what all the fish in the tank are doing and name them all (the names change frequently). She can do this for 2 hours without seeming bored. She likes to pretend they are going certain places or make up conversations they are having. This is another reason I think a variety would make her happy.

[stoopid]

Cute.

But I think mom wants a new toy ;). [ie -- you aint fooling stoopid! :p ]

[Dahlia]

Well like I said, why waste good wall space on a small tank! I'm kind of excited at the idea of getting the "starter" fish I usually don't bother with.

Also, I'm planning new tanks for me, too. Hehe.

[Dahlia]

Also, I must admit I have never really wanted a tank with crazy plants and little aerated animated ornaments for myself, but the idea of watching them in HER tank is appealing. Don't tell anyone!

[demon_surfer]

oscars dont need feeders! :)

[Dahlia]

Yeah, but she couldn't put a huge variety of fish with them or they'd BECOME feeders... :p

[somefinnfishy]

first The coment about owner responsive fish is the number one thing to keep her interest.
tank size a 125 on a custom stand around 12" would work nice tank depth is key 18" or less the 55 to deep.

Goldfish would be the right choise very owner responsive hearty and dont require a heater.
Also long lived dont need nemo kicking off in two months.

[wayne]

I'd see what she like, but for a tank that big I'd for a couple of largish cichlids that are going to hang around and grow up with her for some years.
Small colourful fish are alright, but they don't hold my sons attention for long

[demon_surfer]

thats what im sayin! :D

[Dahlia]

When we go to the store, the fish she always migrates to are the ones listed in the post. I don't want to tell her "no you can't have the ones you really want because I think you'll get tired of it". I already dissuade her from getting fish for the other tanks in the house that aren't owner responsive. We already have cichlids (though I want more) and we plan to have goldfish in a tank in my hallway. I'm sure she will have the tank long enough that she will get to change her mind later, but she really likes small things and detail and color. I don't think she'll get bored with it quite as quickly as you think. This is a child who can play with a handful of marbles or rubber bugs for hours on end because of all the stories she makes up about them. The main thing though is that she gets to be involved in what she chooses to get, and to learn for herself what she does and doesn't like.