The Beautiful Betta Fish

Sooner or later every child wants a pet. But what if your grandchild has an allergy that prevents him from having a furred or feathered friend? Or what if she lives in a strictly enforced no-pets zone or can't have one that has to be exercised or groomed? Not to worry! There's a hypo-allergenic pet that never needs to be walked, is quiet, doesn't bite, doesn't require a costly set up and is easy to care for. What is this perfect pet? It's the beautiful betta fish.

Choosing the Betta

Bettas are easy to find in most any pet store. Look for a fish that is actively swimming and has no splits or tears in its fins or tail. Injuries such as these can sometimes turn into fungal infections.

Female bettas aren't as showy as the males and they can be harder to find. The more attractive male bettas have long flowing fins and tails and make very interesting pets. If properly cared for, bettas can live to be 2 or 3 years old. And since most are already adults when purchased, your betta's life span could depend on how old the fish was when you bought it.

Bettas come in a rainbow of lovely colors – blue, green, red, purple, aqua and even white – so your grandchild may be able to find a fish in his favorite color.

You should never put two male bettas (also called Siamese fighting fish) in the same container. They will fight to the death. To see a betta display aggressive posture, hold a mirror up to the bowl. The fish will flare its fins and gills at the reflection. This behavior makes it look bigger and more threatening to an intruder.

The Betta's Home

Bettas do well in small containers, and though you often see them for sale in tiny cups, these cups shouldn't be used as the betta's permanent home. A nice, large goldfish bowl works well and one that holds at least a gallon of water would be more than adequate for a single betta.

Keep the bowl in an area of the home where the temperature is stable. A range of around 70 degrees to 75 degrees is fine, and as long as the room doesn't get too cold, a heater in the bowl won't be necessary. Just be careful not to place the bowl where the sun will shine directly on it, and don't set it too close to heating or cooling vents.

Housekeeping

Keep an eye on the water. When it starts to look a little cloudy, it's time to do a water change. Help your grandchild carefully dip the fish out and set it aside in a cup of bowl water. Dump the old water and lightly rinse the gravel and accessories, and then refill the bowl with water that is about the same temperature as the discarded water. It's a good idea to use water that has aged for a few hours or to which you have added a couple of drops of chlorine neutralizer. When your grandchild has finished cleaning and refilling the bowl, gently release the betta back into its home.

You can also change about a quarter of the water twice a week, if you wish. Top the bowl off with fresh water, or use bottled drinking water. If you choose this method, show your grandchild how to use a small fish net to dip any debris out of the bottom of the bowl.

There may sometimes be a lot of bubbles clustered at the top of the bowl, but these are nothing to worry about. The betta is just building bubble nests. An interesting note: Bettas are labrynth fish, which means they are able to breathe air!

Chow Time

Ask the pet store personnel to recommend a good betta food. Teach your grandchild how to sprinkle a small amount of food in the bowl a couple of times a day. The betta will learn to come to the top of the bowl and eat the food as soon as it hits the water.

Always be careful to feed only as much food as the fish will eat in a few minutes. Too much uneaten food will cloud the water faster and could make the betta sick.

Additions to the Betta Bowl

Your grandchild will probably enjoy picking out a few cute ornaments to dress up the fish bowl. And she might even want to buy aquarium gravel to match the fish's color! Just make sure there are no sharp edges on anything and that the betta will still have plenty of room to swim.

An aquatic snail will help keep the bowl clean and will be interesting to watch. A small plant also would be a nice addition to the bowl. Ask the store employee to help your grandchild choose.

The Importance of Pets

Pets help teach children compassion, responsibility and patience. In cases where regular pets aren't possible, betta fish are fascinating, interactive and affordable alternatives. With a little attention and good care, these fish can be wonderful companions. And think how rewarding it will be to share the experience of caring for another living creature with your grandchild.

Choosing the right Goldfish

Goldfish are a temperate breed that can be found in cool streams, lakes, and ponds throughout Asia and part of Eastern Europe. However, the ones you will buy for your tank have been bred in captivity. Once you've decided that the goldfish is the right fish for you - you will need to find the right kind of goldfish. Take your time and find out more, rather than just rush out and buy the first goldfish you find in the first pet store you come by. Decide on how many you want to buy. If you really want just a single goldfish, please do a re-think on the issue because it can get lonely and boring for a lone ranger in a tank! Once you've though it out, here are some of the things you must keep in mind:

Choose the right pet shop
When you enter the shop, look around at all the tanks. Make sure that the tanks are not overcrowded with fish. See if all kinds of fish are thrown together in one tank or care is taken to separate the various species. Look out for dead floating fish. The dead fish could have spread an infection to the other fish.

Observe how the fish swims
This is a good gauge to identify healthy fish. A fish should be active, swimming with ease and style and poking around curiously at nooks and corners. Choose a goldfish that looks active and doesn't wobble or tilt to one side or just rest at the bottom. Tap the tank and see how the goldfish reacts. A fish that is slow in its reaction might be a sick one. Make sure that it's not opening its mouth too much for air, as it might be an indication of problems with the gills.

Check out the fins
Make sure that the dorsal fin is straight and stands up. The backs of the goldfish should be smooth, without unsightly bumps. Also check that all the fins are healthy, even and are not rotted away or damaged. In all, a goldfish should have a dorsal fin, pectoral fins that extend out on each side, two anal fins or one right in the middle. Beware a goldfish with just one anal fin that's placed kind of off to one side. It could mean that the other anal fin is growing inwards and that could be fatal to the goldfish.

Inspect the looks
Make sure that you give the goldfish you are choosing a thorough look over. See that the fish has a nice symmetrical shape and make sure they don't have large heads compared to their body. Ensure that the skin is free of spots and odd bumps and that the gills are red. There should be no redness in the anal region and definitely nothing sticking out or leaking out. The outside of the mouth should be free from redness and white strings and the eyes free from white flecks.

Bag them right
Where you're buying goldfish, you will have to put them in the ubiquitous plastic bag, but do so with care. Make sure that the dealer leaves enough space on top for the oxygen and the right amount of water. The right amount of the water is that which covers the fish. Do not allow the dealer to add any medicine or drops or anything else. Don't make the bag too tight and avoid a big bag that might lead to too many folds in which the fish could get trapped and hurt. The bag should be tied till it is adequately taut.

The Right Tropical Fish Aquarium

The first decision you must make when you buy an aquarium is whether you plan to keep freshwater fish or saltwater fish. It's up to you whether you want to keep saltwater or freshwater, but if this is your first aquarium, then I suggest you start with a freshwater aquarium.

Here's why: Saltwater tanks are more expensive and more complex. You have extra things to worry about such as the salinity of the water, water conditioning, and temperature. Because of this, freshwater fish are much easier to care for if you're new to keeping tropical fish.

Here's a few other things to keep in mind when buying an aquarium:

Location
When you're deciding on a location for your aquarium, remember that it can't be placed in direct sunlight, or anywhere else that could result in changes in temperature.

Also remember that your aquarium, when filled with water, can be very heavy. As an example, a filled 20-gallon glass tank will weight about 225 pounds. Bear this in mind when you choose on a location for your aquarium...as it will be impossible to move afterwards.

Level floor
You will need a level floor for your aquarium, as this will reduce stress on the tank and reduce the chance of any cracks forming over time due to the floor being uneven.

Electrical outlet
Make sure your new tank is located near an electrical outlet so you can plug in the heaters, lights and pumps.

Accessible
You'll need to have easy access to your tank so you can use the heater controls and air valves. You also need to have room for a net, and room to move decorations around.

Shape
When you're choosing the shape of your aquarium choose short, longer shapes over tall, thinner shapes. This way there will be more surface area at the top of the water, which is much better for your fish.

Size
It is best to choose an aquarium over 10 gallons. Why? Because it's just easier to take care of a fish in a larger tank than a smaller one. Whatever aquarium you choose, it is going to, over time, have a build up of waste material. In a large tank these toxic materials have more room to be dispersed. This means the water stays cleaner for longer, and will require less cleaning than a smaller tank.

Material
Aquariums can be made from glass or acrylic. Both have there pros and cons, but I recommend beginners to start with a glass aquarium. Why? Firstly, they cost less, secondly, they don't scratch so easily, and thirdly, they only need to be supported by the edges.

As you can see, you need to put some time and consideration into where you choose to place your aquarium. All these things will play a part in which aquarium you choose to buy.