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Original poster

Fish bowl and fish

16 replies

strawberryblue · 17/04/2023 07:33

We have promised our DC a fish bowl and fish tell me everything I need to know! I'm hoping it's low maintenance. Please tell me everything totally lost!

OP posts:

piedbeauty · 17/04/2023 07:39

Well, a fish bowl is totally outdated - you need a proper tank, with a pump, heater, etc, depending on what fish you want to keep.

The water is the main thing you need to get right - you need to cycle it before any fish go in. (See eg www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/beginners-hub/getting-your-first-aquarium-fit-for-keeping-fish/)

I've suggest getting a good book about fish keeping and reading it with your dd so you know what you're doing and you don't kill all the fish! See eg www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/what-are-the-easiest-tropical-fish-for-beginners/

Xrays · 17/04/2023 07:41

Yep you can’t get a fish bowl. You need a proper tank, the largest you can afford, a filter, pump etc etc.

Fish are a lot more work than people think.

piedbeauty · 17/04/2023 07:41

There is some work involved - cleaning out the tank, testing the water, doing water changes etc. Once the water is good, though, the tank should be stable and just needs maintenance.

lunar1 · 17/04/2023 07:45

Don't put fish in a bowl. Don't get goldfish, it's almost certain you won't be buying a big enough system for them, and it's an absolute myth that fish grow to the size of the tank.

tattychicken · 17/04/2023 07:46

Why have you posted in Home Decoration?

Ollybob · 17/04/2023 07:49

You could just get a small cheap tank and dump a couple of goldfish in there, it'd be cruel and they'll die within weeks/months.
Or you could get a decent setup (always cheap on FB marketplace and the like) prepare the tank and then have some really beautiful and interesting fish/aquatic creatures in there.
I've currently got two tanks, one with 2 fancy goldfish in and the other with 4 dwarf puffers, the puffers are tiny but intelligent and curious, good fun for watching (though they are picky with food and struggling to find things they like atm!)
One piece of great advice is go to a proper aquatic store, they know so much more and almost always cheaper than pets at home.
Way more variety too.

Whaeanui · 17/04/2023 07:57

You might want to get this moved to the pets board

piedbeauty · 17/04/2023 08:01

Or you could go to a good fish shop and ask the staff for advice. Not Pets at Home.

Rookie93 · 17/04/2023 08:03

Please take fish keeping seriously. They really are beautiful creatures and deserve to be treated properly and looked after well. Preparing a tank and getting the water quality straight does take time but is necessary to keep them successfully. A proper aquatic store will certainly help you get off to a good start and there are some good books on basic fish keeping, often ebooks, such as 'the truth about goldfish'.

Original poster

strawberryblue · 17/04/2023 08:59

Sorry posted in the wrong place 🤦🏾‍♀️

Aah yes I do want to do this properly and not kill any fish so a tank seems the way to go! Not a HUGE tank though so I hope that's doable 🤔

OP posts:

MagicKittens · 17/04/2023 09:04

What do you mean by huge?

We have zebra danios (sometimes other fancier fish, over the years, but danios are easy!). They have a 60 litre tank, which I'd say is a minimum. You could possibly get away with a smaller tank for a Betta.

Bear in mind that 60 litres of water is 60 kilos of weight, before you include the tank itself and any gravel, so it needs to be on a sturdy surface.

medianewbie · 17/04/2023 09:18

LOTS of folk are getting rid of tanks due to heating costs. Look on FB marketplace. Cold-water is easier. Cycle the tank properly. Choose less fish than you'd like & get common ones (easier to substitute with kids if you have a loss). I've had fish for a decade. Accidentally knocked heater too high after recent clean, beautiful black shark I've had for while time died. Upsetting. Look after them, they are lovely.

Pootles34 · 17/04/2023 09:24

Your first step I would say is decide the size of tank you can fit, then work out from there what you would be able to keep in that size of tank. Bear in mind that if this is going in your son's room, they do make a bit of a noise with the pumps etc. - also they aren't maintenance free, cleaning them out is really gross.

Have a look online to see if there are any independent good fish shops that can advise you as well.

applepancakes · 17/04/2023 10:02

I'd really consider whether this is the pet you want. Someone bought fish for my daughter, in a bowl, and I've needed to spend a small fortune on a tank, heater, light, filter etc.

They are nearly 5 years old now!

But it's a lot of work - testing the water, cleaning the water etc.

The kids are barely interested in them. As far as pets go, unless you are an enthusiast or have a special interest in fish/tanks etc. they are not a pet that is particularly rewarding for the level of effort that goes into them.

Saz12 · 19/04/2023 17:41

I used to keep fish, did so for several years. Theyre pleasing to watch but arent exactly conpanionable pets! Would your dc go for a tank, ornaments, plants and no actual fish?

Precipitate · 19/04/2023 21:44

What about stick insects or giant African land snails. Lots easier to care for and you can get away with a smaller tank.

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