“Mommy, Daddy, I want a pet fish!”
It may come after a visit from the zoo or a local aquarium, or maybe even after seeing movies like Free Willy or Finding Nemo, but at one point in time, kids will ask their parents for a pet fish. Pets and kids go hand-in-hand like fish and water. Often times, parents deny their kids’ requests outright and tell them that it’s too much work to maintain a fish tank. But what if it’s your kid who looks at you with those puppy eyes practically begging for his own “Nemo”? Fear not because today, we will discuss the best fish tank suitable for toddlers.
Before anything else, let’s set down some premises on things you should consider before buying your kid their first fish tank:
- Safety – It must be safe for toddlers.
- Durability – It must not break easily.
- Size – It must be easy to move around.
- Maintenance – It must be easy to service.
Safety First!
When it comes to your children, their safety is always our top priority. According to an article written by Lilly Fowler for NBC news, furniture-caused injuries to children have had a steady increase over the years; among the furniture mentioned in the said article are fish tanks. We don’t have to imagine how perilous a 20-gallon glass tank would be falling over or even near a child, don’t we?
With safety as your first and foremost consideration, definitely, glass tanks or fish bowls are automatically out of the conversation. Glass is relatively heavy and breaks easily upon impact; and toddlers, being naturally curious and clumsy as they are, just don’t mix well with glass. Shards of broken glass have no place near your children.
What’s our alternative? Acrylic or plastic tanks. Acrylic and plastic fish tanks, if made properly, hold water just as well, if not even better, than glass. More so, they don’t break as easily. Since, glass is generally harder than acrylic or plastic, in the unlikely event of a breakage, the tank won’t end up in hundreds of razor sharp shards which pose a significant danger to your children.
Built Tough
Again, considering the amount of energy a regular toddler has, your toddler’s fish tank should be durable to avoid breakage. Glass tanks are made from glass panels sealed by silicone to hold water. Over time, silicone is known to shrink and become less elastic which greatly impairs its integrity to hold both the glass and water.
It’s a good thing we have both acrylic and plastic tanks. Acrylic and plastic are built tougher than your usual glass tanks or fish bowls. Acrylic tanks are made by bonding acrylic panels together using a “glue” that bonds the acrylic sheets at the molecular level. On the other hand, plastic is usually formed or molded in the shape of the tank itself. With that said, there are virtually no actual seams that are being held together by anything. Such process greatly increases the structural integrity of these types of tanks as opposed to glass, which, in turn, makes them extremely durable.
Size, does matter
When it comes to fish tanks, the usual saying is “the bigger, the better”; however, such saying is not always true. In an article posted by PetHelpful.com, they cited that among the best starter-fish for kids are, guppies, betas, mollies, and platies; all of which grow to no more than 2 inches in length. Hence, we would not be needing a tank bigger than 5 gallons.
Furthermore, a tank as big as 5-gallons, filled with water, would weigh a little over 40 lbs. If you think that’s too heavy, a 2.5-gallon tank, which weighs a little over 20 lbs., should be okay as well. I would not recommend a tank too small for toddlers because smaller tanks could be easily moved around by our little rug rats resulting to a big watery mess or worse, an accident.
We should also consider how easily an adult can move around the tank because children, as fickle minded as they come, would probably ask you to move their tank from one place to another. 40lbs would be just a few pounds lighter than your international luggage allowance and wouldn’t be much of a hassle to move around.
Just add water
Any experienced aquarist would always advise beginners that part of the fish keeping hobby is taking good care of your water. This would usually cause the expenses to pile up. Filters, aerators, and other accessories are tank essentials someone new to fish keeping does not always consider upon planning to buy their first fish tank. Moreover, a kid would not have an easy time setting up such accessories as some tend to be too complicated to assemble even for adults.
Fear not, it’s 2018 and “All in One” tanks (AIO for short), fish tanks with built in filtration systems, aerators and even led lights, are already easily available in the market. AIO tanks are getting increasingly user friendly thanks to newly developed technologies. Some are even designed to help you change the water inside the tank with minimal effort to avoid water spills around the house! These types of tanks usually also have built in filtration systems which are able to handle waste byproducts of small fish recommended for kids. Thus, we can make sure the fish stays healthy while our kids enjoy hours and hours with them.
There’s even some types of fish that don’t need a filter.
The verdict:
With all the aforementioned things being considered, you’re well on your way to getting your kid his or her first fish tank. You are now able to narrow down your choices for your toddler’s new fish tank. You are now sure how they will stay safe while having fun in keeping a pet fish. As a parent, you now have an idea on what to expect and how to react while having an easier time in catering to its needs and your kid’s wants.
The next time your kid asks you to buy him or her a pet fish, you’d be able to confidently say “Yes!”. You can now head to your local fish store, or even browse online to find a 2.5 to 5 gallon acrylic or plastic AIO tank with a built in filtration system and have your kid enjoy the hobby of fish keeping!
Oh, and don’t forget to add the fish of course!