By Kristin Holm
Here are some things I learned from my two-year old son when putting together his first fish adventure: First, children of a young age love to put their hands into water and do not understand �no�. If you have the tank too low, they will constantly stick their arms into the water. Second, nothing is better than a fish swimming between a child�s fingers. They will try to catch the fish and play with it. I can only imagine the stress this places on the Betta. Third, feeding the fish every morning and night can be the highlight of the day for you and your child.
So how do you come to a happy medium when setting up an aquarium for your child? Try these tips:
* Pick out a habitat that is more than one gallon, but less than ten. This makes it much too heavy for your child to try and move, hence leading to a mess and one dead fish, but not too big to take up half of a bedroom�s topspace.
* Pick out an aquarium with a locking lid. This prevents them from sticking their hands in willy-nilly. I recommend the New World Habitat, by Penn Plax in the 3.5 or 4.5 gallon. The top snaps on and is difficult for wee hands to get off. It also has a top feeding opening that slides shut and again is made for adult hands
* Put the aqua scape on a place in which it cannot be knocked over (a book shelf is not a good idea but a dresser is) and little hands cannot stick their fingers in, but are able to reach just enough to feed.
* Decorate with fun in mind. Get a bright frog statue or octopus hidey hole, or as my little guy has, an shocking blue shark.
* Teach your child responsibility, after brushing their teeth in the morning and night, let them know it is time to feed the fish. My Tommy joyfully jumps up on his step stool, takes the food from my hands and tosses it in. Also, teach them to not pound on the glass by �petting� the front and saying �nice, we treat the fishy n-i-c-e.
A Betta can be the perfect first pet for almost any age. By starting someone in the hobby young, you are teaching respect for life, that a pet can be fun or in the very least, train your child to be your �partner in the Betta hobby� and get him to wash some jars!.
Dedicated to my sweetheart, Tommy, whose 2nd Birthday is today, 8/7/02.