my daughter wants Nemo

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
this is the very reason why clownfish are in trouble with thousands of kids like your daughter wanting fish just like nemo and parents caving in to their kids demand

get the fish because your daughter is interested in fishkeeping not because of "nemo"

ask her if she remembers the lesson at the end- how much fun the fish were having in that tank at the dentist office and how happy they were in the end to be free in the ocean thats the lesson parents need to teach their young kids

I work with mental ill adults that think like 3 year olds so I know how difficult it is sometimes to change someone's obsessed way of thinking and won't stop until they got it.

if you are going still buy them-

try to go to the extra trouble of getting tank raised ones
 
bigger the tank is for the new saltwater person the better it is nano tanks are big no-no due to sudden spikes of salt in the water due to evaporation.
 
On Proteus note.. I would also stress .. Captive bred Percula Ocellaris are very easy to find. aquacultured rock is safer in general.. and clownfish do just fine w/out an anenome. I had a pair that mistook a powerhead in theri tank for one.. and laid several clutches of eggs for me w/out an anenome anywhere in sight..

GL on your exploration into SW. It can be just as rewarding as FW.

Tullock's "Natural Reef keeping" is a nice intro to some of the topics of SW vs. FW husbandy. As a FW hobbyist I found it very helpful years ago when I wanted to make the switch to SW. And your daughter will love the pictures. It has a great list of species that are beginner friendly and over all it offers alot of info to really get you started.
 
Why not convince her that a school of tiger barbs is like having a lot of 'Nemo's'? Can she be convinced that tiger barbs are 'Nemo'? That would certainly be more forgiving than saltwater.
 
Aridd;3571443; said:
im sure lots of people are going to give you all kinds of advice so im going to try and hit something else....

try and teach your daughter the lesson of not wanting it because you see it on the television, but wanting it because you would like to learn and care for the little creature, a pet is not an ornament.

Id say get her a bright colored guppy or betta....and see if she even really likes fish before you go out and buy her 'nemo'


This. Preferrably a betta because guppies like to be in groups and are active. That and bettas are hardier.
Also, with freshwater you can start out with 10 gallons, but with saltwater I wouldn't recommend anything under 30 gallons.
 
you can go as small as a 10g nano for 1 "nemo" but if its your first tank i wouldnt go that route, the smaller the tank the harder to care for, i wouldnt start with anything under 40, im just getting into the SW hobby myself, converting my 120g FW to SW, they say the bigger the better right? haha
 
Agreed with those who are posting clown fish aren't the best place to start when heading into saltwater. If you really want a marine tank, start with something like a 40 breeder or larger. The biggest you can get, the easier you'll have it. I'd suggest strarting with hardy fish like damsels, and see how that goes.
 
Damsels are aggresive in some cases... don't mix and match randomly, that could end in a bad way...

~ocean
 
I have a false percula and a couple damsels in my 20 high at school right now. As they grow I'll move them into my 55 back home. Anyways, you can keep a percula or two in a 20 gal tank. They stay nice and small and are pretty hardy.
 
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