"Benign Vanilla" wrote in message ...
I was in my local Giant fish store yesterday to pick up a few things. There
was a grandmother there with her son and grandson, buying an orander for her
grandson...

...putting it in a bowl
...with a snail for algae
...advised to feed every other day
...advised to clean the bowl every two weeks
...advised to use marbles or pebbles in the bowl

Sounds like a dead fish is coming soon.

*sigh*

I think the LFS should present a more accurate picture of
what it takes to raise an Oranda.
Maybe the kid will learn from this experience and grow up to be a fish expert some day.

I'm not defending the LFS in any way, but
if the LFS had said 10 or 20 gallons per goldfish, twice the recommended
power filtering for goldfish, an air pump, a semi-Ph.D. in water chemistry and
at the very least an understanding of the Nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank,
the kid might have ended up with a dog or a cat for a pet instead!

How did the Chinese manage to raise goldfish as pets a couple of thousand years ago?

I think a visual indicator like Seachem's Ammonia Alert device
goes a long way to identify a potential problem brewing in a less-than-ideal
environment, before something adverse actually occurs.
(If only someone had a similar panel that continuously monitored Ph, Nitrite & Nitrate

The kid can be told to monitor and ensure the indicator dot in the center of the device
remains yellow, and to start doing something (e.g. water change) before it turns
green or blue.

I also think there are laws in some states that prohibit large containers
(e.g. 40 gallon fish tanks) around little children: the kid might fall in
and drown himself, so this could be construed to be a dangerous hobby.
And a tank's electrical lighting fixtures right above water? Hmmm..