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yougest low tech tank keeper should be

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how young can a tank keeper be?

2K views 25 replies 25 participants last post by  PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn 
#1 ·
I have an above average intelligence, dexterous, maturity, 10 year old nephew who has been very interested in keeping fish for years, so it's not a passing fancy. His previous tanks were all failures because his advice came from idiot LPS clerks, and his clueless parents. At some point I would like to teach him everything about keeping a low tech planted tank, work with him on selecting equipment, plants, fish, then closely supervise the first Month of cycling. After that, he'll be on his own with water changes, vacuuming, filter media cleaning, water quality, and plant and fish health monitoring. So at what age do you think I should proceed and why?
 
#5 ·
It also depends on how active you want to be with the child. I had my first aquarium at age 5 when my dad brought home a baby RES turtle and a 10g tank. I kept care of the setup pretty autonomously, but definitely relied on my father for the details of how to keep the plants in the gravel and the fish and turtle well fed and healthy.

If you are willing to help a kid learn about this wide field, go for it! Don't worry about the age, if the child wants to learn, they will, and if they don't they won't. It's definitely one of the best learning experiences one can have. There's chemistry, botany, biology, geology, and design principles all rolled in to one hobby.
 
#7 ·
As difficult as it sounds parental influence is permanent, you must teach not only the child but also the parents. (children while young assume mom and dad know everything)
I have a 12 year old that has been caring for a tank since he was 9, unfortunately he lost interest in his 70 gallon but still continues to take care of a low light planted nano. He stated the large tank was to hard and the nano is much easier.
I feel if a child is taught and with guidance can care for a tank. Here's a hint they love live bearers plus they can get friends interested and sell the babies to them.
GOOD LUCK!
 
#10 ·
I agree to start as early as you can. I have memories of sitting with my dad talking about guppy tails and colors and guppy babies from when I was a little girl, I don't know how old but young anyways. I will always remember that experience sitting with my dad in front of the fish tank, watching the female guppies in the breeder trap waiting to see the babies come.

Kara
 
#11 ·
Im 14 and i have a 75 gallon planted tank and a 20 gallon reef that only I take care of since my mom doesnt know anything about fish, she just thinks that they look cool. I started the hobby in december last year with a 20 gallon petsmart looking tank (plastic decor, sunken ships, blue gravel) and here i am now with natural tanks with sand and driftwood and plants. Ive been looked down upon many times due to my age but there have been many times people like me because of my knowledge but still this young. Luckily my lfs fall in the like part but some people on other forums dont like me since they think i am young i shouldnt be allowed to help other people. And they think i shouldnt be allowed to take care of fish since i am too young. There was a lfs somewhere that banned kids under 15 from buying fish from them without parental consent, but i still see stupid adults have bowls and say "can i get a goldfish here?" and the store says yes....
 
#17 ·
my dad had aquariums (yes, planted) before I was born. I was probably 12 when I had "my own" tank with guppies, and he just guides me on what to do.

The key thing is that the kid should not lose interest -- I never did. My brother and sister was never even interested at all, unlike me. If you do decide to guide a kid, go with a tank that you yourself can take care of if the kid loses interest.
 
#20 ·
I was really young when I stated helping my granny take care of a gold fish tank maybe 5 or 6 it wasn't until I was about 9 that I tried my first tank out. It had 4 gold fish and a common plec in a 10 gal never the less they all died within a week. a few years later maybe when I was 12 a friend of my fathers from down the street was moving and couldn’t keep his fish anymore so he gave them to me the tank was over stocked again and I learned that it was and bought a 20 gallon I learned how to grow plants and what they needed and now I’m running a high tech heavily planted discus tank at 15 I think the earlier they learn how to raise them and realize 28 fish or 8 gold fish just don’t fit in a 10 gallon and that clown puke gravel is really not all that beautiful. Try to show him some low-tech pics from the site and maybe some T Amano then help him research stuff online about stocking plants fish loads the nitrogen cycle etc. Again I think the earlier the better kids are just waiting for Knowledge they yearn for it. When a person teaching them something they are interested in they absorb every word so instead of telling him what to do help him research it. Maybe tell him to write up a plant list of low tech plants he likes and then help him with final list that way he wont loose his interest also maybe advise a live bearer for him so he can have the excitement of babies . Good luck !
 
#22 ·
I would say no such thing as too young! Of course, like others have said, it will depend heavily on how willing the "introducer" or parent is to handle, but I think it is indeed a wonderful learning experience. Much more than keeping a hamster or something. (No offense to hamster-keepings; I have kept hamsters myself.)

Of course, the risk is always that if the child loses interest, you're liable to take care of the tank from then on, and it could become a burden. But even so, I say early exposure to anything encourages someone to be more interested in it.




:) My mom used to take me to a lot of science museums, zoos, and aquariums when I was little, and no surprise, I'm a biology major, aiming to be a veterinarian, with fishy interests. :p
 
#23 ·
I think that providing that the individual is sensible enough to appreciate the responsibility that looking after a watery life support system brings, age is almost irrelevant.

I was about 6 when I first started helping out with the tank tasks at home. With support and encouragement I was carrying out water changes on our 120 gallon tank on my own by the time i was 8-9, all be it with small amounts of water as weight was a prohibiting factor!

I think that providing they are showing an interest we should reward that with investing time nurturing and supporting their learning. My boys are 4 and 2, and my eldest already helps out with certain tasks, under my supervision.

I think a tank is a great way of teaching about taking responsibility.

Paul
 
#24 ·
Most my childhood time involves fish. Two fried fish heads on display during dinner (so I would not refuse to finish up, heck what else they have done to me outside of that memory). Given luch in front of our reef setup (so it is easier to feed me). Several tanks dad got for experiments with all catfish, gouramy, prawns, etc (yeah, what an environment!). Huge tank with arowana at the office (typical of Asian custom - good Feng Suei). Fish street vendor nearby my elementary school (what a great way to spend a child pocket money!). Breeding bettas by 3rd grade (I was naughty enough into betta fighting) and so on.

I'm too afraid of what will come in the future... who knows a mini version of monterey bay??

The morale of the story is be careful of what you are doing to your child, because one may end up as aquarium maniac later on after being exposed to "fishy" childhood :icon_roll
 
#25 ·
I think it's great for you to get your nephew started for real in this hobby. I don't think any age is too young, but a person might be--just depends on how mature the person is at the age they are. Sounds like your nephew can handle it, but needs some proper guidance. I get some young kids in my store who do all the fish stuff, parents just provide transportation, and maybe money. I also get some people who don't know much, and I educate them as much as possible.
We can't sell anything live to people under 18 without an adults consent (to make sure the animals are going to a good responsible home etc.) But, some of my usual customers (kids) have blanket consent on the fish, so I can sell those to them, I know them and their parents etc. and know it's o.k. Anything other than fish requires a signature of someone over 18 though. Not to be mean to kids, just to make sure that an adult in the house is o.k. with the animals coming in.

If you can teach your nephew about how to care for things himself, that will help a lot. Teaching the parents is also key, but I suspect if the nephew can handle most of the maintenance, then the parents just have to be convinced of when to help him out in an emergency (a trip to the pet store for supplies or something). However, if the parents are going to continue to teach him wrong things about tanks, then you'll have a problem.

Again, do make sure it is o.k. with his folks, and that should he lose interest you can take over the tank or re-home it. However, from your description, it sounds like he has a long addictive hobby ahead of him.

Emily
 
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