by Matt Gadfield

Created on: May 22, 2008

The question you really ought to be asking is "Would fish make good pets for me?". Let's look at the pros and cons of fishkeeping.

If you are an active individual seeking a pet who will be able to join you on walks or while jogging then fish are obviously not suitable for you. However, if you are by nature or necessity a more relaxed person then fish will make a lot more sense than a dog, for example. Fish do not need exercising, and looking after them usually entails cleaning the tank, changing filters every so often, and obviously feeding them. You are unlikely to run up huge bills with a vet, as to be quite honest fish are not readily suitable for surgery and the vast majority of curable illnesses can be treated by use of an over the counter remedy administered by the fishkeeper.

That said, you should not expect fish to be cheap. A proper sized fish tank, with the filter, heater (if needed), lighting, gravel, and other requirements will not be inexpensive and cutting corners here will lead to cramped, unhappy fish that will not live as long or look as attractive, to say nothing of their quality of life. Keeping goldfish in a plain glass bowl is now recognised as cruel, as apart from the lack of space the fish do not have anything to hide amongst when scared and there is evidence that the curved walls affect the fishes perception. You should therefore buy the largest tank you can afford or accommodate and then seek advice regarding how many fish said tank can comfortably house.

Some fish species are far more interesting than others. For example, many Catfish will do little beyond sitting on the bottom of the tank and eating. While they are useful for keeping food debris under control and some more ornate species are available they will not, by themselves, make for an eye-catching display. However, they will generally share a tank with more lively and brightly-coloured species such as Guppies. For obvious reasons you will need to check whether your fish are compatible, as it is rather disheartening to find the sole occupant of the tank to be one rather large fish.

To sum up, if you find fish interesting and have the space and funds to keep them properly, they will make excellent pets. For someone who seeks an animal they can play fetch with or take for long walks, they are not such a good idea. The biggest danger is that people will become bored with the fish and start to let the cleaning routine slip, which will do the fish no favours and turn the tank into a dark, weed-infested hole where the occasional fish gasps for breath. However, if you feel determined that this will not be the case then your next stop should be some of the excellent websites giving advice on fishkeeping, followed by your local aquarium supplies shop.

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