Betta Fish As The First Pet For Kids
- Mellissa McNaughton
- Jun 10, 2021
- 3 min read
Willow's third birthday was a few weeks ago now and we decided for her big present this year to get her a pet of her own. We had been given a trip to Deep Sea World in Queensferry and she had gotten a little obsession with fish and sharks since then so as much as I would have liked to get her a shark I think that was a commitment we weren't ready for. So a fish it was, and after a lot of research, we settled on a Betta fish.
Why A Betta Fish?
Betta fish are small but extremely clever fish, they are much cleaner than say a goldfish which means less cleaning for you. This was a big factor in our decision making process as I didn't want to have to be cleaning out a fish tank every other day. Betta fish are also the happiest as solitary fish as their other name of Japanese or Siamese fighting fish might suggest they like to fight if put in with another fish. So we decide that a single fish was the best way to start Willow off, after all, if she lost interest then it's just one fish for me to look after rather than a full aquarium full.
We have had our little Betta fish now for three weeks and luckily Willow still loves him, as you can see he is a deep dark red colour and has tiny spots of neon yellow on his fins and face. Willow has named him Fishy (original I know but she's only three) and he has a cheeky little character already and is really friendly especially when there is food involved.
What Equipment do I need for a Betta fish?
This is everything we got for our little fish and he is happy as a lark.
We decided to get this aquarium as a Betta fish on their own need at least a 3-gallon tank and as this is just over 5 gallons I thought it would be a great starter and as it also comes with a filter that is another massive plus for me.
I let Willow pick the gravel colour she wanted for the tank and she picked plain white. I then decided to mix it with a Natural Mix Aquarium Gravel just to make it look a bit less boring and one colour.
Betta fish need to be in water that is between 24 Celsius and 26 Celcius so you will definitely need a heater to keep them happy and healthy. The one we got is nice and compact but so far has done a fantastic job. We also purchased a tank thermometer to just make sure it is nice and cosy for Fishy. The thermometer we got was this one from Amazon.
You will of course need to keep on top of the tanks cleaning around once a week so we picked up this little cleaning kit which comes with a net, a cleaning syphon and a cleaning pad for the walls and ornaments. This has done the trick for us so far.
Of course, fish like any other animals need to eat and Betta fish are carnivores so need something appropriate. These little pellets are really tiny so the fish can eat them easily and they float on the surface of the water. Betta fish prefer to eat from the surface so that works perfectly for us. Fishy can't seem to get enough of these. Betta fish have tiny little stomachs so only need a small amount of food twice a day, remember their stomach is about the size of their eyeball so it is tiny.
Because Betta fish are carnivores it is great to supplement them with something like these bloodworm treats as it gives them the protein they need in their diets.
Aquarium Decoration
The way you decorate your aquarium is completely up to you but you will want to remember that Betta fish like a couple of places to hide so we got a fake plant Here and a Willow picked the pineapple house for him too Here. She also decided that fishy just needed a rainbow and pot of treasure Here so we picked that up too. Betta fish do like a bit of variety and to explore new things too so pick up a few different decorations and rotate them to keep them entertained.
If you are thinking of getting a fish for yourself or your child this is a great one to start with.
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