Aquarium for Kids

[ByMyBeard]

Looking for some help on this one. I'm considering an aquarium for my youngest daughter (7). I'm essentially an aquarium dummy, so looking for some solid sources to research what I'm looking for. She has seen and loves the "glofish" at our local pet store, but not sure that really fits what we want as a starter (though if it does - great!). Some specific items for consideration:

• LOW Maintenance - Outside of feeding, if it requires daily anything, probably out.
• Relatively small tank. 10 gallon MAX, but preferably smaller
• 3-4 colorful fish
• 1-2 "aquarium toys"
• Fairly quiet. Plan is to put it in a reading/study area

If you have any specific thoughts, I certainly appreciate those. Mostly looking for a good source to read up on options.
Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[Slock]

I wouldn’t go smaller than a 10 gallon. The bigger the tank the easier it is to keep the water quality in good condition. I would consider a 20 gallon the foot print isn’t that much bigger.
Smaller tanks can experience a dramatic swing in water quality. Aquariums are really an exercise in maintaining water quality. I haven’t kept any glowfish I think they are genetically modified tetras which are easy to keep.

 

[GoodShave]

I used to run several freshwater aquariums and salt water aquariums over the the years and it can be a fun hobby.

I did a quick Google search for 'aquarium setup' and found several links with different degrees of information but each one seemed to miss a few things.

Here is one page I found that covers the basics but you would probably want to keep reading other sites as well.

The number of fish you can have in a tank depends on the size of the tank and/or how well you filter the water. The better the filtration, the more fish you can have in a smaller tank. The smaller the tank, the less forgiving it is for poor water quality and bio load. Ten gallons is a good size starter tank. Many times you can find people giving away their tanks and equipment when they lose interest in the hobby or are moving.

Keep in mind that the water alone to fill the tank is 8 pounds per gallon for fresh water (and 8.5 pounds per gallon for salt water) if I remember correctly. That does not include the weight of the tank, the stand, the heater, the filter, the gravel, lights, toys or fish, so make sure where ever you put the tank that the floor can handle the weight.

You will read about 'cycling' a tank. That is getting the good bacteria growing in a large enough quantity to support the bio load for the fish you want to have in your tank. There are some 'starter' materials that you can add to the tank to jump start the process or you could start with an ammonia tolerant fish like a gold fish in the tank for a few weeks to help get the good bacteria colonies going . If you skip cycling the tank, you will have dead fish. Several of the sites I was reading failed to mention this important step.

Also, you want to add dechorinator to the water that you put in the tank to get rid of the chlorine from your tap water or your fish will die. You should periodically do a water change to the aquarium but don't change more than 10 percent of the water at a time (if I recall correctly). Often I would do this when I notice the water level getting a little low from evaporation.

Choosing fish that are compatible with each other is important. If you are going for all the same type of fish, this may not be an issue.
The type of fish will dictate how warm the water will need to be as well.

Don't over feed the fish. Extra food in the tank will add to the bio load as it breaks down.

I don't want to overload you with too much information so feel free to ask questions.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

What you are wanting is a very basic setup. Nothing fancy and nothing much to learn about. A standard freshwater tank of 10 gallons will do you just fine. The issues will start when you feed too much. The ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels start going wacky and the water becomes improper for the fish. So a water test kit is needed also. They are not expensive. Sticking with just a few fish as you say is fine. But an Algy Eater is a good thing to toss in the tank. It helps keep things clean.

I bet you can find a "Fishtanks For Dummies book" if you looked. Buy equipment like the tank and filter system from Walmart and save a few bucks. A spill-type filter that hangs on the back of the tank is all you need. Filters will need to be replaced now and then but can be rinsed too to save a few bucks. Buy fish at a pet store or fish store. Not Walmart. And ask about how you add the fish to the tank. Just dumping them in can cause stress and shock. It's not hard, it just takes a little effort.

I have had huge (60 gal, 250 gal, 350 gal) saltwater and freshwater tanks in the past. But no more! When I was having to spend 2 to 3 hours a week cleaning and 6 to 7 hours once a month cleaning I had enough. Get the dummy book. Don't overfeed, and don't overcrowed your tank and you will be fine. A small tank is the easiest way to have pets. BTW, If you find the air pump (yes you need to add air to the water) is too loud, put the pump on the floor behind a cabinet or something. They make them pretty quiet nowadays.

Good luck. And don't think about going with salt water unless you are willing to put in a lot of time, effort, and money into it!

 

[RayClem]

I have kept aquariums for over 60 years. I got my first proper 10 gallon aquarium when I was 10 and have always had at least one since then. I will send you a PM with some information on what I believe is one of the best sources of information on aquariums available.

 

[Rhody]

Hopefully you have an independent pet store In Your area. I had fresh and salt water tanks years ago. For kids we started with beta fish in the jar. And a glow fish tank set up that we got at a local store that had a complete set up. That was fun while it lasted but the suckers always seem to have a short life span. One glow fish completely disappeared. We ran the tank until there was one. And then let it go. No matter how easy they make it seem there is a fair amount of maintenance. But the glow fish are pretty cool I have to say.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Thanks for all the great responses so far! Luckily, none of you have scared me off of this plan, so it seems feasible. The only thing I'm really hearing is that perhaps my plan for a smaller tank is not ideal, and a 10 gallon is really the path to go. I'll search around for an actual local fish store in the area. I'm sure there has to be one fairly close.
I actually had a 10 gallon aquarium several decades ago. We also had a fish that disappeared once. It was found a few years ago when my parents finally decided to move, as it had jumped out of the tank and fallen behind a fairly heavy dresser. So I should probably ensure none of her fish are jumpers.

 

[oc_in_fw]

I wouldn’t go smaller than a 10 gallon. The bigger the tank the easier it is to keep the water quality in good condition. I would consider a 20 gallon the foot print isn’t that much bigger.
Smaller tanks can experience a dramatic swing in water quality. Aquariums are really an exercise in maintaining water quality. I haven’t kept any glowfish I think they are genetically modified tetras which are easy to keep.

I will we second that. I once replaced a 10 gallon with a 33- the bigger one was much easier to maintain- not just water quality, but fluxes in temperature, too.

 

[Rhody]

Keep us posted!

 

[Eben Stone]

Anything larger than about 10 gallons will probably require a dedicated aquarium stand. Regular furniture will not hold the weight.

No matter what you choose, you will have to do water changes. Approx 10% of the water should be changed per week. If you're lazy, then 20% every other week. There are no filters in existence that will alleviate you from this chore.

If you're not sure, a few trips to your local aquarium every year might be more convenient and more rewarding.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Thanks for all the great responses so far! Luckily, none of you have scared me off of this plan, so it seems feasible. The only thing I'm really hearing is that perhaps my plan for a smaller tank is not ideal, and a 10 gallon is really the path to go. I'll search around for an actual local fish store in the area. I'm sure there has to be one fairly close.
I actually had a 10 gallon aquarium several decades ago. We also had a fish that disappeared once. It was found a few years ago when my parents finally decided to move, as it had jumped out of the tank and fallen behind a fairly heavy dresser. So I should probably ensure none of her fish are jumpers.
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted. Daughter's birthday isn't until Christmas, so I have plenty of time to over research and then have all my plans upended by one of the SWMBOs (daughter and wife)...

 

[D.Gray]

Get a 20 gallon or bigger to make it easier to maintain water quality. Set up the tank and fill it, get the filters running. Then you have to get a nitrification cycle started. This can be done by putting some food in the tank and letting it biodegrade turning into Ammonia which turns into Nitrite, which turns into nitrate. You can also put in a few fish you don't really care about so that their waste and uneaten food will create your cycle. The third and most preferred way is to get filter media from a running aquarium that is fully cycled to jump start the cycle in your tank.

The beneficial bacteria that keep your water quality up to par live in the filter media, the substrate, but not actually in the water.

You will have to do water changes, and depending on your water quality from the tap you may have to have an aging barrel to keep water in that you will use to replace the 15 - 20% you remove.

Temperature is also critical as too hot the fish die, too cold the fish die.

Good luck, post photos of your tank

 

[njpaddy]

We had a 10 gal tank in our apartment back in the late 1980s for my youngest daughter. Without the internet back then, and my lack of time, maintaining it was a problem. If it wasn't a heater malfunction killing off the tank, it was ich. I'm sure my city tap water, which smelled like chlorine didn't help, although I did try to treat it with something. We usually kept some neon tetras and a couple of angel fish. Angel fish were cool, but aggressive, and hiding places for the other fish were necessary. We had it for about 2 years. When my daughter's "favorite" angel fish, who had survived all the issues, died she buried it outside and we got rid of the tank.

 

[ShaverAZ]

I've had 20 & 30 gallon tanks & the 30 gal is much easier to take care of.
Of course, if you want to see how long your daughter maintains interest, just get a gallon tank (NOT smaller) and a Betta (Siamese Fighting fish). All they need is fresh water every 2-3 days, and sparing food 3x per week. No filters, pumps or recirculating water, since they naturally live in stagnant water. I had one on my desk at work for several years, until some helpful soul decided to dump an enormous portion of food into the little tank, it got mouldy & killed the fish.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I've had 20 & 30 gallon tanks & the 30 gal is much easier to take care of.
Of course, if you want to see how long your daughter maintains interest, just get a gallon tank (NOT smaller) and a Betta (Siamese Fighting fish). All they need is fresh water every 2-3 days, and sparing food 3x per week. No filters, pumps or recirculating water, since they naturally live in stagnant water. I had one on my desk at work for several years, until some helpful soul decided to dump an enormous portion of food into the little tank, it got mouldy & killed the fish.

The Betta idea is certainly intriguing for this reason. Not sure she’ll maintain interest, and I’m not really looking to sign up for another of my childrens discarded hobbies.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

Yeah, I think I'd start with the Betta idea. A few bucks and you got a nice looking little bowl for it and cross your fingers you don't end up being the one to take care of it.

 

[Rushman2112]

Shouldn't they be for fish?

 

[ByMyBeard]

Shouldn't they be for fish?

I'm ashamed to admit how many times I had to read this before I chuckled. The Dad joke is strong with you.

 

[Rushman2112]

Luckily I don't have kids - they would suffer my appalling humour...