Question.

[PleaseHelp]

Why are children discouraged from fish keeping? I've had fish since i was 6 and took good care of them. My ghost knife lived 5 years. I got a 50 gallon when i was 8 and haven't had a single death in the tank yet! I don't understand why children are told not to get fish until they are older. I have a well established, planted aquarium with snaills, shrimp and fish that get together and look awesome, i change the water, feed them 2 times a day and spend my money on it. It confuses me how people scare kids away from the hobby. I'm 11 and i love it!

 

[Glene20]

Because not all kids are like you. Most kids want to buy a little bowl fill it with water and thrown 2 gold fish in it.

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[Mebbid]

Because not all kids are like you. Most kids want to buy a little bowl fill it with water and thrown 2 gold fish in it.

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+1 I couldn't agree more.

 

[SpaceFish42]

Because not all kids are like you. Most kids want to buy a little bowl fill it with water and thrown 2 gold fish in it.

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It's mostly because kids are just not well informed. When I got my first tank, I was going to get some goldfish to put in a 10 gallon, but then I did research and found out all about cycling, how big goldfish get, etc.. So that's why people shouldn't assume that kids just don't care or are trying to do anything wrong.

 

[sinibotia]

I don't think kids should be discouraged from fishkeeping. Kids should be encouraged to fishkeep; the right way.

When I was 9, I wanted a fish tank. My parents told me that I would have to do research and save up money. So I took out a bunch of books from the library, visited fish stores, and got an idea of all of the equipment I wanted to buy, how I wanted to decorate the tank, and how I would stock it. It was a great learning experience for me. I worked hard and was rewarded with a pretty cool (and deeply flawed due to horribly outdated books) fish tank.

I enjoyed that fish tank so much that I continued to get more fish tanks, get new and interesting fish (and invertebrates), and cultivate an incredibly deep passion for aquatic life and for biological science. As of now I'm almost 21, studying marine science and aquaculture at a major university, and doing my own research on discus (as well as lobsters, green crabs and acanthocephalan parasites).

My fish tanks taught me countless things- it gave me a leg up in biology and chemistry classes as I was familiar with many concepts from my fishkeeping experience. It also taught me the values and skills like research, patience, and planning.

I know it's easy to assume that kids are less likely to be informed but I would argue that that isn't the case. In fact kids are more likely to care. I've met a lot more jaded adults who don't give a rat's anus if their fish is healthy or happy but I've met so many kids who really do care. And so many adults don't know what they are doing with fishkeeping; if anything kids are at least usually more willing to learn.

 

[Mebbid]

I don't think kids should be discouraged from fishkeeping. Kids should be encouraged to fishkeep; the right way.

When I was 9, I wanted a fish tank. My parents told me that I would have to do research and save up money. So I took out a bunch of books from the library, visited fish stores, and got an idea of all of the equipment I wanted to buy, how I wanted to decorate the tank, and how I would stock it. It was a great learning experience for me. I worked hard and was rewarded with a pretty cool (and deeply flawed due to horribly outdated books) fish tank.

I had the opposite experience. I was given a tank for Christmas and without any guidance I tried adding fish in there. Way way too many fish died because of that. It's only when I found this website that I started learning about fish keeping and how not to kill everything I tried to keep.

 

[sinibotia]

I had the opposite experience. I was given a tank for Christmas and without any guidance I tried adding fish in there. Way way too many fish died because of that. It's only when I found this website that I started learning about fish keeping and how not to kill everything I tried to keep.

I don't think it was your fault though. We should try to point kids in the right direction rather than discourage them. Imagine if someone had shooed you away from the hobby and you never got into it at all!

 

[Delapool]

Does seem odd. People complain to me how much work fish tanks sound and they would never have one but owning a pool sounds just the same...

A 5 gal would be pretty simple. Guess I was lucky with my parents, they never complained too much

 

[MissGurnus]

Every morning and night when collin (our one year old son) wakes up or is ready for bed, we say goodnight and goodnight to the fish. I'm doing this so he grows up to look at them as cherished pets, and so he learns that all living things deserve a chance and should be adequately taken care of


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[MissGurnus]

Good morning*


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[SpaceFish42]

Every morning and night when collin (our one year old son) wakes up or is ready for bed, we say goodnight and goodnight to the fish. I'm doing this so he grows up to look at them as cherished pets, and so he learns that all living things deserve a chance and should be adequately taken care of


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That's a good idea!

 

[ExoticAquarist]

Every morning and night when collin (our one year old son) wakes up or is ready for bed, we say goodnight and goodnight to the fish. I'm doing this so he grows up to look at them as cherished pets, and so he learns that all living things deserve a chance and should be adequately taken care of


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When he turns 2, get him a tank!


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[MissGurnus]

When he turns 2, get him a tank!


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We plan on it! It'll be interesting building a tank with him I can't wait


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[sinibotia]

When he turns 2, get him a tank!


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We're already going to have 8 between the two of us with everything from a betta, to african cichlids, to a peaceful community, to an oscar. He's going to know as much about fish as anyone on this board by the time he's in middle school

 

[coralbandit]

I keep fish today thanks to my step father , who arrives Monday from Fla.to a waiting specV in the "summer residence".
It is because of him I keep.
I can't remember if he encouraged me ,but he sure hooked me up with tanks(my first 29g meta frame...).Of course he encouraged me!
Last year he had rams(UMM), the year before swords.
Kids will run with it so much more then adults.
They are our future in the hobby.
I know someone who includes their kids!
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/claymans-30g-upgrade-build-336941.html

Any good parent should know including the children is good cover for MTS!!!

 

[MissGurnus]

Any good parent should know including the children is good cover for MTS!!![/QUOTE]


Im using this in the future xD


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[Toad]

We had fair goldfish in a bowl when I was little, then my brother got a bigger tank when we moved, and I had my own fair goldfish added.

This was when my mom started dating a guy who kept oscars and snakes, and went hunting. He showed us all all about his (now outdated lol) knowledge and we kicked it off from there. Most of what we kept after the goldfish went in the pond was native fish that were easy to grow out and then release. When I was older he got my little brother and I each our own cichlid for his big tank, I got older and ended up with fancy goldfish for a time.

When I was around 17 was when I seriously looked into tropical fish and joined a forum and researched the heck out of the stuff I didn't realize needed to be researched and went full on knowledge sponge.

Now my older brother and I keep tanks and my little brother might be as well now that he has his own place. Had plenty of ups and downs but when I finally have my own spawn I plan on showing them the way lol.

As to other kids, when a non hobbyist parent sees how much money can go into it and doesn't see the other stuff it can turn into a quick no, or they don't realize the work needed if they do care and the kids isn't equipped to deal with that, it falls on the parent and they either step up or get rid of it :/ I've seen far too many kids on forums over the year whose parents won't even take them to the pet store to spend money the kids earned for fish stuff...

 

[ExoticAquarist]

We're already going to have 8 between the two of us with everything from a betta, to african cichlids, to a peaceful community, to an oscar. He's going to know as much about fish as anyone on this board by the time he's in middle school

I'm going into 7th grade and I know as much as anyone on this board (I hope!) No1 at my school likes fish though...


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[cgthebeast]

^ I understand the pain. I think my friends have just learned to deal with my ramblings about fish.

 

[sinibotia]

I'm going into 7th grade and I know as much as anyone on this board (I hope!) No1 at my school likes fish though...


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If you like fishkeeping a lot, consider going to school for aquaculture like me and you'll meet lots of fellow fishkeepers! Both of my bosses and about 3/4 of my fellow interns keep fish.

In fact today a bunch of us got together to get ahead on lab work... and then decided to all go to petco for the $/gallon sale instead

When I was in 7th grade I felt your pain though. I remember losing an entire tank to ich and being devastated, and everyone just laughed... "Oh look, the fish kid is sad 'cuz his fish died!"