Your Child's First Aquarium

If you had an aquarium as a child or teen you may remember how difficult it was at first to keep the fish alive. Many people fail at their first attempts at raising fish in aquariums. Many give up and never attempt it again. To prevent you and your child from getting disappointed there are a few steps you should take before getting the tank and fish.

Make a checklist of all the things you will need for your aquarium. This will ensure that you get everything that is needed without getting too much stuff. Several people feel that a small aquarium is fitting for the first time. This is not true. A small tank is more work than a larger tank is. The best size for the first aquarium is about 20 gallons. You can go larger, but if at all possible don't go any smaller. If money is an issue or you don't have the room for a 20 gallon tank then don't go any smaller than a 10 gallon tank. When choosing a smaller tank, such as a 10 gallon you will want to choose hardy, small fish for it.

Don't be surprised if your child decides they want to get brightly colored decorations for the aquarium. This happens a lot and is actually a mistake. Fish don't like bright colors. They prefer what would be found in their natural habitat. If you explain this to your child and ask them what they would prefer they will probably choose what makes the fish happy. They will probably choose more natural colors for the aquarium.

Now comes the hardest part of all. You have to buy the aquarium without purchasing any fish for a few days. All aquariums should be set up for a few days before adding the fish to it. This is hard to explain to a child. They see the tank and automatically expect to get fish right away. Children are pretty smart, though. Just explain to them that the water temperature has to adjust before fish can be added. They can still decorate it and get it ready for the fish. When you first get the fish you should only purchase a few at a time. The fish need to acclimate to their surroundings. You also want to be sure the water is ready for them. If something does go wrong you will lose just a few fish instead of several.

Not all fish can be put in the same tank so you are going to want to do a little homework to make sure the fish you pick can live together. Some fish are easy to raise, while others can be quite difficult. Choose hardy fish that won't grow real big for the first of your fish. Once your child gets used to caring for these, then you can choose something a little larger. Your child and you will love having an aquarium. Have fun with it.