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Getting my kid a fish tank

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This sounds like a pretty big pain in the ass.
Get a gold fish. I had a 40 gallon tank with mollies in it. They banged like rabbits and then I had thousands of them. I tried to give them to a pet shop, but nope. Flushed. Never again.
 
Get snails. They eat all the algae
 
I’m going to get him a tank full of snails.
 
Do you know anyone else with a fish tank? Ask them for a little gravel, or part of their filter and add it to your filter. That will expedite the bacterial growth you need in your tank. Fish waste is ammonia, which is toxic for fish. Bacteria convert that to nitrite (also toxic to fish), then finally nitrate which isn't nearly as toxic to fish. It is still toxic in large quantities, so that is why you need to do water changes frequently. Getting this bacteria in the tank is what is called "cycling" the tank.

If you just throw fish in there without cycling you tank, the ammonia will build up and eventually start burning the gill of the fish, causing them to eventually suffocate and die. The bacteria needed will eventually grow, since it's found naturally in your tap water, but not quick enough where you don't kill some fish in the process. Molly's are extremely tough and will most likely live through this process so they are used sometimes to cycle a tank, but it's still not good for them and will severely weaken them.

I had a 46 gallon bow front tank for a long time, we recently moved though so I disassembled it and don't have any plans to put it back up. My grandpa and dad were both very into fish though, so if you have any questions or anything feel free to ask.
 
Do you know anyone else with a fish tank? Ask them for a little gravel, or part of their filter and add it to your filter. That will expedite the bacterial growth you need in your tank. Fish waste is ammonia, which is toxic for fish. Bacteria convert that to nitrite (also toxic to fish), then finally nitrate which isn't nearly as toxic to fish. It is still toxic in large quantities, so that is why you need to do water changes frequently. Getting this bacteria in the tank is what is called "cycling" the tank.

If you just throw fish in there without cycling you tank, the ammonia will build up and eventually start burning the gill of the fish, causing them to eventually suffocate and die. The bacteria needed will eventually grow, since it's found naturally in your tap water, but not quick enough where you don't kill some fish in the process. Molly's are extremely tough and will most likely live through this process so they are used sometimes to cycle a tank, but it's still not good for them and will severely weaken them.

I had a 46 gallon bow front tank for a long time, we recently moved though so I disassembled it and don't have any plans to put it back up. My grandpa and dad were both very into fish though, so if you have any questions or anything feel free to ask.

See what I mean...gigantic pain in the ass. :chuckle:
 
This sounds like a pretty big pain in the ass.

With my current setup, I have an AquaClear filtration system. There are three levels of filtering, and I only do maintenance once a month, aside from making sure there is enough water and dropping a weekly water conditioner in.

If you buy some kind of combination deal through Pet Smart or another chain pet store, they will give you a cheap filter. That's the last thing you want because the water will look like you are brewing iced tea unless you do weekly maintenance. Once you get a quality filter, the tank isn't as big of a deal.

Like Max said, if you live close to an aquarium, buy annual passes and save the effort. If you set it up right the first time, you will save yourself a lot of frustration.
 
This thing will gather dust in the garage for 10 years and then go for 5 bucks in the yearly Yinzer goods for meth community garage sale.
 
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Fish are great. Have had them for last 20 years. All of the shedding, food waste, and feces is contained. Can't imagine dealing with all that stuff in my house.

I have a 60 gallon tank. Change 30% of the water out once every 3-4 weeks (depends on how many fish are inside). You can get a hose vacuum contraption that you attach to a faucet. Uses the pressure to suck out water. Takes 10 minutes to comb through the gravel and get all the debris out.

Definitely go freshwater if you want minimal hassle. Saltwater fish are cooler but much higher maintenance.

Get a pleco (sucker fish). They eat algae and keep the tank pretty spotless. Be aware that plecos and some other fish grow relative to the size of the tank... so don't start with a bigger tank and downgrade. Fish will sometimes be too big and suffer if you do that.

As others have said, start with hardy fish that can deal with many temps and cleanliness levels. Go with tetras and a pleco. Try gouramis. Avoid angel fish as they are usually pretty sensitive. Make sure they're community fish and aren't prone to attacking fellow dwellers. I can offer additional insight if needed.
 
Could use some advice on what kind of tank to get as well.

Why not get the one from the guy who decided it was too much of a PITA? That way, he can recover half of his wasted money, and you'll waste only half as much.

I had a 46 gallon bow front tank for a long time, we recently moved though so I disassembled it and don't have any plans to put it back up.
 
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Get a pleco (sucker fish). They eat algae and keep the tank pretty spotless.

Avoid angel fish as they are usually pretty sensitive.

I have four angel fish and a pleco. I conditioned the water with mollies for about a year before I switched to the angel fish. My kids love the pleco the most, it actually has a personality and interacts with my youngest son, who is in charge of feeding him.
 
This thing will gather dust in the garage for 10 years and then go for 5 bucks in the yearly Yinzer goods for meth garage sale.

He can put his guitar and self-built computer that are already in the garage inside of it...so it will actually serve a purpose.
 

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