If you are choosing a pet for kids it is a good idea to consider a goldfish.  Goldfish are hardy and easy to care for, but they still require enough care to help teach your child responsibility.  Your child will enjoy watching the fun, colorful fish.

If you want a goldfish that is a little different, consider the moor goldfish.  The moor goldfish is black.  It is slower and should be put in a tank with other slower goldfish, like bulging eyed goldfish.  Moors in a tank with regular goldfish can be bullied by the goldfish. 

Visit a pet store with your child to choose your pet goldfish.  There you can get help choosing a fish and learn more about caring for a goldfish. The pet store will also help you gather supplies, like a cheap fish tank and food. As you help your child choose a pet goldfish watch for especially small fish that are the same age as other fish in the tank.  You don’t want a runt.  Also watch for fish that can’t swim to the bottom of the tank easily.  Choose a healthy, hardy goldfish. 

A fishbowl will make an okay home for your child’s goldfish, but it is not ideal.  Enable your pet goldfish to survive longer by placing your fish in a filtered aquarium.  The pet store will have a variety of aquariums, but if you don’t want to spend that much money, find one at a yard sale.  A ten gallon tank with a filtration system is ideal for about five fish.  Most people add gravel to the bottom of the tank, but it is not absolutely necessary.  Leftover food can collect in the gravel and contribute to dirtiness and dinginess in your tank.

When you first fill your aquarium let the water sit out at room temperature at least overnight.  Leaving the tank out will allow chlorine and harmful chemicals in the fish tank to dissipate. Then you will place your new goldfish in a healthy water environment. 

Partial water changes on a regular basis will ensure the health of your pet goldfish. Do not allow the water to get so dirty that you have to change all the water at once. Doing so may cause your fish to go into shock, fall ill, or even die.

Goldfish will eat as much as you will feed them.  It’s not good for them, so do not over feed your fish. The best measure for feeding your fish is to give them as much as they can consume in 2 to 3 minutes.  Scoop out any excess flakes.

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