First tank ideas for a little girl

I'd probably switch it to a twenty gal if possible. A ten gal is very limiting in terms of fish choices and a less stable, more difficult setup to maintain.
Then I'd consider these fish:
- corydoras
- bettas.
- a small pleco if with another fish, pleco alone would be boring. I really don't think a kid wants to look at only a single pleco hiding or only being active at night.
- The typical common livebearers
- Cherry barbs.
- Kuhli loaches, (though some people say they need a thirty gal tank)
 
i got my 8 year old a betta and she really liked him...he did not last long, because she poured like half a can of food in his tank when i wasn't looking, so be sure to hide the food...:) you could get her one in her favorite color....
 
If you get a betta, do consider a female betta. Most people choose males and the females have advantages of their own, such as being better community fish and more graceful swimmers.
 
i dont think bettas are as "hardy" as they're made out to be. they dont need oxygen in the water, but the ones i've seen have been pretty sensitive to other water conditions.

i'd go up to a 30gallon and get a fancy goldfish.
 
Perhaps you could give her a couple options and suggest that she go on the internet and read about them before deciding which she wanted. Get her in the habit of researching before she buys.

My choice: a pair of pearl gouramis is quite lovely.
 
I like the idea of the platys and a few cories roaming around chasing each other on the bottom. It will be colorful and fun to watch. Certainly not boring.

Marinemom
 
bacalao said:
Perhaps you could give her a couple options and suggest that she go on the internet and read about them before deciding which she wanted. Get her in the habit of researching before she buys.
Click to expand...

I'll gladly show her the fish on the net. While she is a smart girl and enjoys reading I also know she is a 3rd grader and has short attention span (for doing research that is). :D Keep in mind, she is 8. It'll be a good learning process for her, not to worry. ;)

To the larger tank suggestions: While we would love to be that generous and give a 20g, 30g, etc., its just not feasible for us now. Trust me, she will be thrilled with a 10g. True, there aren't as many options, but it'll be nice none the less. I leave the maintenance as mainly my responsibility. She will help, but I'll make sure it does get taken care of properly.

Thank you for all the suggestions! :hearts:

options so far:
1.) Betta

2.) Platty (number?)
[maybe with shrimp (will they bother shrimp?) or snails.]

3.) Fancy guppies, male
 
You are doing a really nice thing for her and her family. Please keep us posted on what you all decide to do and her progress toward becoming a fish keeper. Keep notes and take pictures. It might make a nice published story some time, if only for the child and her family. She could even use the experience for school projects.
 
You could go with some mickey mouse platys, we have some gorgeous white ones in the store now, always a big hit with kids because of the "mickey mouse head" design on the tail.
 
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