The iconic image of a child eagerly doling out flakes to a goldfish in a bowl has long been a staple of American culture. Equally familiar imagery is the family standing solemnly around the toilet bowl to whisk their fallen fishy friend to a watery grave, often the child's first experience with death. Many of us recall our childhood fish, sloshing home in tiny excited hands after being won at the fair. Others still might remember that immortal goldfish that never died but often changed colors and sizes, something we would in later years understand as we made our own early morning runs to the pet store to replace our own child's pet before s/he gets home from school.
Sadly, behind the comforting familiarity of the goldfish bowl is a darker story. What served as many a child's introduction to fish keeping or even pet ownership overall happened only through the mass scale suffering and death of the world's favorite fish. Indeed, the goldfish who spiraled down the toilet bowl in our youth did so as children themselves, young animals with a potential lifespan of twenty or more years ahead of them who instead perished after a short life of isolation and misery. And the tears of countless children when they lost their beloved pets could have been easily prevented with adequate fish keeping practices.
This is not a goldfish blog, so I would implore anyone thinking of taking home a fish at the fair or from the 10c "feeder" tank at their local Petco to please read our goldfish articles and caresheet. However, I will take the time to say that goldfish - when properly cared for - are a poor choice for a child's first pet because they require very large aquariums or (depending on the variety) a pond, and may live well into your child's college years if properly cared for.
However, if you would like your child to have an active, beautiful, solitary fish that can be kept in a small aquarium on his/her desk or dresser, you are in luck. Bettas are very interactive with their owners, stay small, come in a variety of colors, have a 3-5 year average lifespan, and can thrive in smaller aquariums. We at UltimateBettas think that a betta can be a child's best buddy - if you provide appropriate care. This guide seeks to prevent the sorrow of prematurely losing a childhood pet while providing parents with great ideas for introducing their child to fish keeping the right way.
Meet the Betta
Even if you've never kept a betta before, you have probably seen or heard of them; they are rising in the ranks of popularity as a typical household fish. Also called the "Siamese Fighting Fish," the betta is a small tropical anabantoid (a type of fish with a special organ that lets them breathe air) native to southeast Asia. A scrappy little insectivore, this 2" fish acts big and bold as it fights to protect its territory or flaunts its fins to impress a mate. Domesticated for hundreds of years, bettas come in a wide variety of colors and tail types, and are known for their unique and fascinating behavior and physiology. In the home aquarium, the betta makes for an interactive and attractive pet that may live upwards of five years with proper husbandry. Their hardiness, small size, and solitary nature make them a favorable choice for a first time aquarist.
Making It Meaningful
Every experience in a child's live helps shape the person he or she will become. The reason we make fools of ourselves in public asking our toddlers questions like "what color is the sky?" is because we want to surround their lives with learning experiences. A pet's primary function should not be to teach children how to cope with death, however - a role the goldfish sadly seems to have taken - but rather, how to nurture, respect, an love another living being. The pet should not be treated like yet another toy, but a very important responsibility. So, before you buy a betta, make sure that both you and your child are prepared to make it a meaningful experience.
- Do your research. Be a good role model by teaching your child that you should learn all about a pet before buying it. If your child is old enough, have him or her help you read articles and books. Ask questions about what s/he read, what was interesting, what was confusing. If your child is too young, summarize the fish's care needs in simple terms to teach him/her about this new pet.
- Keep it interesting. Share fun facts about the fish to keep your child engaged. When possible, compare and contrast these ideas to more familiar animals or even people. For example, "Did you know that bettas can breathe air, just like we do? Except bettas don't have lungs, they have a labyrinth organ."
- Budget time and money (if your child is old enough). If your child has an allowance, have him/her save up pay for part or all of the betta's care needs. Many adults have trouble budgeting for pet care, so is a great opportunity to teach the lesson that you never get a pet unless you can afford all of its needs. While you're at it, teach your child to budget his/her time: work the feeding and cleaning of the betta into the weekly schedule. Make sure that cleaning time happens before recreation to underline its importance.
- Life-long responsibility - for BOTH of you! Children are fickle by nature. It is overwhelmingly common for parents to give up their child's pet when s/he inevitably loses interest. This teaches a dangerous lesson about living things being disposable. As an adult, you have to remember that if children aren't old enough to care for themselves, they can't be expected to be responsible enough to care for another living thing. Any pet for your child is also a pet for you, as you will be in charge of monitoring the child's pet care and, if need be, even taking the reigns should care slack. Instill in your child before you purchase a betta that s/he needs to care for it for his/her entire life, but don't be surprised if it winds up being your fish some day. (P.S. It's not a bad idea to plan for disinterest: there should be penalties for neglect, rewards for care, and plenty of gentle reminders about pets being an important responsibility.)
Before you & your child bring a betta home, there are some supplies you will need for its care. You should learn all of these things in your research, parents, but to give you an idea of the basic supplies that you can expect to buy, here is a sample list:
- An aquarium of no less than 2.5g, with 5g being ideal.
Tip for Parents: Many child-friendly desktop aquariums exist today. Products like the MiniBow are made of lightweight acrylic, which is more shatter resistant than glass, and have colorful hoods. - A heater that will keep the aquarium at a stable temperature of 76-82. A good rule of thumb is about 5 watts per gallon of water.
Tip for Parents: Keeping a betta warm not only keeps him healthier, but more active and colorful, too! You can also teach your child about ectothermic animals and how they differ from endotherms like humans. - A filter if you chose to cycle the tank. Please note that without a filter, you will need to perform weekly 100% water changes to keep the ammonia to the acceptable zero level.
Tip for Parents: Cycled tanks are easier to keep clean, and teaching a child about the cycling process makes for a great little science lesson about bacteria, chemistry, and nutrient cycles. - Plants & Decor for the betta to hide in. Live or silk plants are acceptable, but plastic plants and any tank ornaments that can rip pantyhose are dangerous to a betta's fins.
Tip for Parents: Allowing your child to decorate the aquarium will increase his/her sense of ownership and thus the likelihood that your child will want to keep it well maintained. There are fun ornaments in the shape of childrens' favorites like Dora the Explorer or Spongebob. For the child naturalist, you could make a fun project of trying to re-create the appearance of the betta's natural habitat with live plants and driftwood. This is a great opportunity for a parent/child project, and remember - the larger the aquarium, the more you can go wild with decorating! - Dechlorinator to remove chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals from tap water. Do not buy into purchasing special "betta water" from the pet store; this is not necessary.
Tip for Parents: Dechlorinator, depending on the brand, can stain clothing or be irritating to the skin/eyes. When water change time comes around, supervise older children carefully and dose the aquarium for younger children. - Food and if desired, treats. Bettas should be fed a high quality pelleted diet - Omega One, New Life Spectrum, and Atison's are some favorites here at UltimateBettas.com. They can also eat treats of blood worms, brine shrimp, and other frozen insect foods.
Tips for Parents: Kids don't always understand portion limiting, so please supervise feedings; overfeeding can damage water quality and make the fish ill. Also, while feeding bloodworms can be a great way to teach about predation, the food web, and the important role of insectivores in our environment, blood worms are a known allergen for many people. Please err on the side of caution: do not leave bloodworms within a young child's reach, and use tweezers or an eyedropper to place them in the aquarium. - A Siphon if your aquarium is too large/heavy to lift, or if you intend on cycling. Siphons are inexpensive - $2 for a small one - and allow you to remove waste that is building up in the gravel.
Tips for Parents: Siphoning may be messy or challenging for younger children. Having your child fill up water jugs or re-fill the aquarium may be a more appropriate role for him/her to play in the cleaning process, though older children may be able to siphon with supervision.
Bradley Miller was famously quoted saying, "teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar." Animals can be important teachers, instilling in our children virtues of compassion, respect, and responsibility. However, when we purchase a pet for a child and allow it to languish and die due to inappropriate care, or give it away at the first hint of disinterest, we instill very different values: callousness, disregard, and the idea that animals are disposable objects. Your child's first fish is more than just a pet - like your child, it has nearly limitless potential. What you choose do with that potential is up to you.
Can't wait until next week to learn more important information on how to care for your betta?
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UB.com Members Chime In:
Of members polled, over 50% of UltimateBettas users had a fish as their first childhood pet. Of those fish, 40% were bettas. Many others also indicated bettas as their first pet fish as adults.
