by Megan Moore

Created on: June 23, 2009

Before anyone considers a goldfish, or tropical fish, as a pet for their children (I would not suggest saltwater fish, they are extremely high maintenance) they should consider what they are willing to contribute. Many people assume that all they need to get them started is a fish, a bowl or tank, food, some gravel and maybe decorations; but this is very untrue. You would also need at the very least water conditioner and, if you have a filter, filter cartridges. You may be able to get by with this but it is extremely likely that your tank will get dirty fast and require frequent cleanings. I'm sure younger children would be unwilling to do this for an extended period of time, which is why fish have a reputation of dying fast.

It is easy to find ways to make your tank much easier to maintain and it can be a very enjoyable hobby, but it can also be expensive. In my personal experience the most expensive part is setting up, depending on your tank this can cost anywhere from $50 for a small tank to $500 and up (these tanks are much bigger, but in most cases easier to maintain) after this initial cost the only thing you must buy regularly is food and water conditioner, both of these should last quite a while unless your tank is huge. So this brings the cost down to much less than a dog or cat when considering the yearly cost.

If you have the right equipment all you need to do is regularly change about of the water and clean if too much algae builds up in the tank. Even for an algae problem you may have, a simple solution may be to get an algae eater fish; on a side note be careful buying an algae eater, some fish sold as algae eaters do not eat algae but are bottom feeders. So for younger children, unless you are going to do everything for them I would not suggest them as pets, but for older children who understand the responsibilities involved the make awesome pets. They are very fun to watch and a well kept tank makes the perfect addition to any home. As a warning, keep in mind that this article does not contain everything you need to know about buying a fish, if you are serious you need to do much more research into what you are considering.

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