One of the easiest pets for children to look after are fish. They don’t require much time to care for, yet they offer children a look into what it’s like to have responsibility. Freshwater fish come in thousands of different shapes and sizes and there will be one to suit every single child. But which are the three most popular ones when it comes to keeping fish as pets?
Goldfish are without a doubt one of the most common fish for children. They can be kept in cold water, so they don’t need a heater like many other freshwater fish. This makes it easier for children to care for them, because they only need to remember to feed them each day – there’s no need to check the temperature of the water. Goldfish come in all sorts of colours, some with long flowing fins, some with large bulging eyes.
Guppies are another really popular fish for children to keep. Kids are usually drawn to their brightly coloured bodies which are covered in patterns. Similarly to goldfish, some of them also have long flowing fins. It is the males of this breed that have the bright colours, while the females are quite dull. Keeping both male and females can also teach children about reproduction because they are extremely easy to breed.
Betta fish require the smallest of tanks of all three fish here. They only need a 23 litre (5 gallon) tank which means they’ll fit perfectly in children’s bedrooms if they don’t have much space. They can be kept alone, and also have a really fun character, so children are likely to develop a bond with them. Like the other two fish listed, bettas come in huge colour ranges, all with differently shaped tails, from the crown tail betta, which has a spiky tail like a crown, to the half-moon betta, which has a moon shaped tail.
A few fun facts about fish:
- They reduce your stress and improve children’s mental health
- There are over 30,000 species of fish
- Although starfish has the word ‘fish’ in its name, it’s not actually a fish!
- Fish have really small brains compared to most other animals
- Fish can get oxygen from the water using their gills
- The oldest known fish is 65 years old! It is a lung fish
- A fish’s jaw is not attached to their skull so some fish can shoot it forward to catch food
- Sharks are the only fish with eyelids
If you are a fish-lover then take a look at Fishkeeping World, the community created by a school of fish fanatics whose aim is to help educate anyone who wants to keep fish. After that, why not try some of our nature quizzes? We have more than 60, including some devoted to freshwater and saltwater fish. Go on, find out if you know the facts about fish!
This blog was kindly written by guest author, Robert Woods.