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Original poster

all my dd1 wants for Christmas

30 replies

harpsiheraldangelssing · 07/12/2005 12:27

is a tank of tropical fish ("like on Nemo")
and I am ALMOST on the verge of buying it for her...
(she's 2.5 by the way)
yes?
no?

OP posts:
Enideepmidwinter · 07/12/2005 12:46

ooh lovely

yes

cranberryjampots · 07/12/2005 12:46

no get her a rabbit

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 07/12/2005 13:30

Why not?

(am now pondering why, exactly, not)

Would she stick her hands in? Be distraught when some die? Takes a lot of time to clean the tank, etc, expensive to set up. Do you think she has a slightly unrealistic idea of what it will be like, rather than realising she will only be able to look at them and not jump in and join them in the watery depths?

(killjoy attack over)

How did I find this thread, do you think?

NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 13:35

The fish on Nemo are salt water fish, so not for starters. (Helpfully, they're also generally harvested from coral reefs, as in the movie. The popularity of the movie has increased their chance of being "harvested"!)

Fish are a bit like hard work, but can be fun. I'd be inclined to not get them for a 2.5-year-old, but maybe when older?

We got our first tank when I was 8 or so. My mother claimed the tank was a gift for the children of a work colleague, but we were setting it up for them, so it would be a surprise for those children. So we were involved in the set up, selection, etc, and then had the surprise of the fishtank actually being ours! (Duh, as you can't really transport a tank full of fish to someone else's house!)

walkinginawinterBundleland · 07/12/2005 13:38

who would feed them when you're away? they are quite expensive, no? but they're v relaxing to look at, take the girls to the local petshop for a look sometimes..

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 07/12/2005 13:40

Get a tank of guppies instead. They have colourful tails (males) and breed incessantly so you have a constant supply At least that's what I remember from having a tank of them! They were constantly replenishing themselves. They also have the benefit of being cold freshwater fish.

Auntybrandybutter · 07/12/2005 13:41

get the light fish thing from Argos

NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 13:57

Guppies are certainly one of the easiest. But they're not cold freshwater, they're tropical freshwater - all the nicely coloured ones are. (If they're not saltwater, which is really hard work.)

Passionflowerinapeartree · 07/12/2005 14:14

Cleaning the tank is really yuck. Also agree with NCQ about harvested fish.

MrsMillsletoe · 07/12/2005 14:20

what about one of these?

MerlinsBeard · 07/12/2005 14:23

or a light with fish on?
am sure that somewher do virtual fsh tanks....just floating fish, no water

NotQuiteCockney · 07/12/2005 14:24

Oh, we have a lot of plastic Nemo fish that go in the bath. Much more durable, easier to maintain, and no extra care needed for holidays.

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 07/12/2005 15:13

I think I may have cracked it:

Fish - The Movie

Original poster
harpsiheraldangelssing · 07/12/2005 17:51

yes that's right franny cos my dd1 is dear think and will be absolutely fobbed off with fish on the tv.....

OP posts:
Original poster
harpsiheraldangelssing · 07/12/2005 18:09

I quite like your suggestion Mrs Mills
I think I am mainly put off by the cleaning aspect, because god knows I don't clean half of the things that I supposed to clean at the moment. a passing glance at my oven for example would sugegst that I shouldn't buy anything that involves any extra work, esp if living things have to live in it.
somehow seems so much better than yet another toy that she won't play with. we always feed our friend's fish when we go round there, she really seems to enjoy that and she loves to look at them in the pet shop and learn all their names...
[dithering emoticon]

OP posts:
Passionflowerinapeartree · 07/12/2005 18:16

Really think hard about this. I had tropical fish, the cleaning is VILE.

ISawFrannyandZooeyKissingSanta · 07/12/2005 19:01

Hah! I'm glad you agree, I thought you might have this deluded idea that the poor dim thing would spot the difference.

In complete seriousness, if you are not gifted at cleaning, it is a really low and scummy thing to do, to have an a pet and not look after it properly, including keeping it clean. Fish are a lot of work and get revolting very quickly.

CARoLsingersKickingatmydoor · 07/12/2005 20:59

whoa whoa woa there back up a bit you guys
keeping a large tropical tank involves changing 25-30% of the water every couple of weeks, whilst changing the water you 'vac' out the waste from the bottom. IMNHO not nearly as yucky or involving as keeping a rabbit.
Get a large tropical set up straight away? No way, Marine, Never.
Get a small tank, not a bowl,and a couple of ornamental coldwater fish (fancy goldfish), minimal cost, minimal work, minimal karmic backlash if it dont work out.
If it does great, work up to a small tropical tank and for her 18th if she is really good at it then the Marine.
Rule one DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR FISH
Rule two DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR FISH
rule three change some of the water every couple of weeks.

Sit back and enjoy

Original poster
harpsiheraldangelssing · 07/12/2005 21:00

cool Carlk
(actually we have a rabbit)

OP posts:
NewBethlehemGirlwithsparkles · 07/12/2005 21:07

Well put Carlk.

Tropical and marine fish are so so hard to look after. They require alot of work. Look good, of course but not practical.

My dd is 2.2 and obssessed with Nemo atm. I've bought her one of those sea monkey set ups (you know, the thing where you can see the little things hatch). It cost £7 and dd loves it. She asks to see the "baby fish" everyday!

I was considering getting her a small round tank and letting her pick 1 or 2 small goldfish. I saw a tank, a simple filter, 2 cartridges for it and the fish all for £10.

Auntybrandybutter · 08/12/2005 06:57

this

Auntybrandybutter · 08/12/2005 07:00

or this

Passionflowerinapeartree · 08/12/2005 22:25

Oh CarlK it is yucky. You have to get up to your elbows in fishpoo water and siphon it off to a bucket. You have to scrub algea off the sides of the tank then you have to clean out the filter. Gross.

morocco · 08/12/2005 22:30

we're getting freshwater fish - go on - be a devil! you could too.
It's a doddle, honest, compared to guinea pigs, hamsters etc. You can even go away on holiday and they won't notice so long as you leave one of those food blocks in. Minimal pet hassle.
But get standard easily replaceable goldfish then you can swop them if one dies.

GoodKingWestCountryLass · 08/12/2005 22:36

Yes!

I am not a fishy person but my SIL got her kids an aquarium and set it up andnthey love it! Mine do too when we visit.