My autistic granddaughter loves fish, so I am going to get an aquarium. I worry about how much work it will be and what kind of fish to get. Any tips?
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ICU says April is Autism Awareness Mo.
ANSWERS: 5
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just get some feeder fish in a big glass bowl with some rocks and gravel and maybe an airfilter system. some small gold fish. something she can see, not guppies that are teeny tiny.
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It's a lot of work to keep it clean. So much that I refuse to own another aquarium. Daily feeding, changing the charcoal cartridges every few weeks, and with mine, I cleaned the entire tank at least every few months, which is a several hour job. My cat is MUCH lower maintenance than an aquarium. They are pretty to look at, but you have to monitor the water temperature, keep it clean, make sure the filter is clean and free of debris. This is not all a daily job, but when you have to do it, it sucks. What kind of fish to get depends on several factors. AVOID GUPPIES! They are pretty and have a SUPER HIGH death rate. I will never own one again. A girl at a pet store years ago told me she wrote a thesis on guppies in college and they started with 200+, by the end of their testing, less than 20 were alive. I honestly can't remember what all fish I had, but I do recall bala sharks, they were great. Avoid gold fish. They bring disease to a tank. I would recommend a puppy or kitten over an aquarium.
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I would research as much as you have time for. www.aquariacentral.com is a good site for info a saltwater fish tank is going to be the most time consuming to take care of (but usually has the prettiest fish!) a freshwater is less maintenance (this was my choice) but it still takes some work....mostly a 25% water change weekly, and weekly checking the water parameters. You can buy an all in one test to do that, and the water change is simply take out 25% of the water and add 25% in new water. Even lower maintenance would be a small usually hexagon shaped 5 gallon aquarium. They usually come with everything you need and are easier to keep up simply becuase they are small. Fish really aren't that hard to keep, it just takes some preparation and getting a hold on what you are doing. I found that research on the internet helped me a lot and taught me everything i needed to know. While the maintenance my seem like a lot in my opinion its definitely easier than a cat or other small animal.
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Well, try finding out what types of fish she likes. Some fish are more rare and more expensive to upkeep than others. If you are looking at simple fish you find at nearly any corner pet store, they generally will not be that hard. If you are thinking of something more exotic, than you should consider doing more research before you purcahse anything. How very sweet of you though.
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i suggest get a tank with a filter. they require less mantainence. and DO NOT get salt water fish. the salt water is hard to maitain and the fish can be extreamly expensive.
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