One of the most popular hobbies in the world is owning a pet fish, and it’s no surprise considering how easy they make caring for them. They are totally adorable (unless you have an unfortunate experience with one), don’t require any significant care, and are incredibly low maintenance. However, they are not the best pet for first-time owners. If you don’t have any experience with fish, you may find that they require a great deal of patience and dedication to keep alive and that their diet must be extremely clean to avoid illness and infection. best aquarium websites
Like other pets such as birds and dogs, the need for basic training is critical for the happiness of your fish. Without proper care, even the most well-meaning owner can easily kill his or her new fish friend. A common mistake beginners make is trying to keep multiple fish at once in a tank too small for them. This can lead to sickness/injury/death within days or even hours despite best intentions.
There is a lot of debate in the pet fish community on which type of fish would be the best for first-timers. Some people think that a goldfish would be great since they are hardy, easy to care for, and don’t require much space. They are also extremely inexpensive to purchase and replace if anything should happen. Others prefer to stick with more colorful/interesting options such as tropical fish or tetras. This author would personally recommend some type of tetras as they are fun to watch and very interesting.
Regardless of what kind of fish you decide to get, here are some pros and cons of fish ownership that we have collected from our extensive research:
Aquarium Fish Pros
- They require very little upkeep and do not need to be walked or taken outside. Their diet is also extremely easy to maintain. For the most part, all you need to do is buy some flakes and pellets once a week and your fish will be very happy! The only other thing you can really do for them is to make sure their tank environment is clean (more on this later).
- It’s no secret that many people are allergic to cats/dogs/birds etc. but not fish! This is a great option for people who suffer from allergies but still want to have a pet. Fish can also be easier to make friends with than other pets.
- It’s fairly easy to find cheap fish food anywhere, unlike dogs/cats/birds which need special food that you have to go out of your way for.
- If you are looking for a more peaceful pet that won’t bother you as much, fish care about their wellbeing even less than cats and dogs! However, if you plan on getting them a friend (more on this later) of the same species then they may become jealous and try to attack their tank-mate(s).
- Chances are, you don’t have the space to own a dog/cat in your house but you can very easily get a tank and keep some fish!
- Depending on the type of fish you want, they can be very beautiful to look at and watching them swim around is quite a sight! They also make great subjects for photography or video recording (mostly with an underwater camera).
- Fish are great teaching tools for children as they teach important lessons such as patience, respect, and responsibility. Not to mention that some species have interesting traits which may interest kids (such as Siamese fighting fish which have been known to fight each other if not separated).
- Fish are extremely low maintenance which means you don’t have to worry about them when you’re busy, your dog is annoying, or you’re on vacation.
- Many people keep them in public aquariums or public displays which is a fun way to promote the hobby. This can also serve as a venue for tropical fish enthusiasts and others to meet up to talk about a particular fish species.
- Once mastered, keeping fish allows for a great deal of creative expression within the home and we all know that creativity is important in our lives!
Aquarium Fish Cons
- Pets can be very expensive as they have a life span that may be shorter than that of most dogs/cats.
- It’s likely that you will use up a lot more money on fish food than you would for other pets.
- It requires a lot more space than cats/dogs to keep properly. Goldfish, for example, require two gallons of fresh water in their tank (the same amount as a cat).
- They don’t socialize with other species well and can become jealous/aggressive if not kept separate from others of the same species (more on this later).
- If you have a cat, dogs, or birds in your house, keeping fish may become a cramped situation. There is always a chance that the fish will start to fight with other tank-mates if left together in the same habitat.
- Not all species are friendly and they can get aggressive with other tank-mates of the same species if socialized from early on (more on this later). They also may ignore you and be mostly uninterested in you if their natural habitat happens to be somewhere else.
- Fish are very sensitive and they can get sick and die REALLY easily if they are not properly cared for! This author has sadly lost a number of fish due to this.
- Most tanks require you to change the water at least once a week which can be a pain to do (however some tanks need this as frequently as every other day). If your hands have any cuts/scratches then you could get ich on them which will hurt the fish and could kill it!
- If you don’t do your research and buy a tank that is too small, your fish will die really quickly!
- Most fish are killed by other fish before they reach the age of two years which is a huge loss for those who have invested in them.
