fish for kids?

[FIU Panther]

If you're sticking with a 5g or 10g I would go with an assortment of male guppies/endlers.

There is a bunch of colors for her to pick from and they'll provide a lot of "action"; you can even throw in a nerite snail as an "oddball" addition.

Let her pick her favorite colored gravel and even an air powered bubbler toy (spongebob/pirate, etc) and she has a nice little starter tank.

 

[vikingkirken]

Go with fancy guppies or endlers or a betta. If she's like my kids, she'll want to name her fish, and those are all individually identifiable with their varied patterns and colors. Plus a nerite, maybe some shrimp. In a 10 gallon, you could probably do pygmy cories as well.

 

[Thacarter54632]

I get where everyone recommends live bearers as they are easy to keep, but I remember getting into tanks and I never really enjoyed the hobby until I got fish with "personality".

 

[Fat Homer]

I get where everyone recommends live bearers as they are easy to keep, but I remember getting into tanks and I never really enjoyed the hobby until I got fish with "personality".

Maybe a a group of pea puffers in a decorated tank or some type of betta such as betta channoides would fit the bill...

The puffer would definitely be quite interactive and has that cute factor, while bettas have more colors to choose from and still recognize their owner...

 

[Angelphish]

Maybe a a group of pea puffers in a decorated tank or some type of betta such as betta channoides would fit the bill...

The puffer would definitely be quite interactive and has that cute factor, while bettas have more colors to choose from and still recognize their owner...

This would easily be the most interactive/interesting stock, although you forgot to add gobies.

 

[Fat Homer]

This would easily be the most interactive/interesting stock, although you forgot to add gobies.

I really wanted to add small gobies to the mix but due to them normally needing a very stable and well established tank with algae / biofilm to feed on, i thought i’d leave them out for now...

 

[saktitrioktavian]

I suggest u to keep Betta or Guppy

 

[tlindsey]

I personally like what FIU Panther suggested.

 

[Akeno071]

Got a small tank laying around in the closet, it must be about a five gallon, I'd love to use that rather than going out an buying another tank if I can help it.

Having been a child who was brought a 5gallon as my first fish tank, I cannot begin to explain the difference between having that and when I brought 40gallon for my 16th. Would definitely recommend a 30 or something if you want someone to get into the hobby, rather then lose interest quickly, which is what I did when I was younger with my 5 gallon. I don't think many children would appreciate the significantly limited choices for stocking, which limits how interesting a tank can to be a child. The stocking options of a 30gallon allows for things like red tail sharks, small cichlids etc. which can display more personality and this is what got me attached to fish.

 

[jyabs7]

The sky is the limit? Why not get a 55 or a 75? Great size and she can really learn a lot about fishkeeping and even maintaining them herself.
A good part about larger tanks is that you can get bigger fish that tend to cost lest to fill more space than smaller fish. A 180 filled with nano fish will cost a lost more to stock than a 180 with bigger fish.
Anyway what is the biggest tank you are willing to get? I can give stocking options for any size but the bigger is the better.

money mainly. If i use one of our larger tanks, or buy one, i can think of a lot of other things i'd rather do with them. I have a 55 gallon that's going to be vacated in the next few weeks, maybe i could use that for some fish instead. though i've honestly never taken care of a fish tank that big.

Having been a child who was brought a 5gallon as my first fish tank, I cannot begin to explain the difference between having that and when I brought 40gallon for my 16th. Would definitely recommend a 30 or something if you want someone to get into the hobby, rather then lose interest quickly, which is what I did when I was younger with my 5 gallon. I don't think many children would appreciate the significantly limited choices for stocking, which limits how interesting a tank can to be a child. The stocking options of a 30gallon allows for things like red tail sharks, small cichlids etc. which can display more personality and this is what got me attached to fish.

My daughter is only three, so her attention span is about the size of my fingernail anyways. It won't be anything she will truly be helping with, but something she can go and look at from time to time, and one more animal for her to say good night too. I know she'll appreciate it if she had a few fish, but i don't expect it to be a life long thing for her by any means...More of a desire to embrace her interests while she has them and give her those experiences.