RateItAll: The Opinion Network

I love fish, so long as someone else is taking care of them. Pretty :) but a lot of work with little cuddle factor. Yes...i said cuddle :P

I especially enjoy the tropical fish in all the different colors. It's very relaxing just to sit and watch them.

i had some :-( it didnt work out to well

pretty but I really don't want them

If only the tanks didn't get so dirty.

Low maintenence and entertaining.

I never understood fish. They don't do anything but swim around, eat, and occasionally kill eachother...

easy to take care of
Beautiful

GOOD TO HAVE A BAIT TANK HANDY!

I believe that the person who has fish as a pet is a person who is a stoic.

Cleaning the fish tank is bullcrap.

Though it's been a few years, I have had a few aquariums. Having fish, however nice they are, is like having a beautiful painting on the wall. It can be a thing of beauty but there is no real interaction. More of a possession than a pet.

boring blahh!

easy to take care of

kinda boring

I had a goldfish that I got at a carnival when I was younger. That fish lived 5 years before he died. They are good animals if you take care of them right.

I like fish, we had some

all mine died

BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

don't like cleaning the tank mine always die on me

Boring...not a fan.

dirty dependent creatures

THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND PEACEFUL

I would rather be able to hold my pets

great pets, never make noise

Not that fun but pretty!

I think they're pretty & I had a couple of tanks as a kid. They're fun to watch & they're all so different in shape & color.

I like Nemo

Ok for a while, until boredom sets in.

theyre boring! but pretty to look at....but they smell

Fish rock! The next best pet to dogs and/or ferrets

Yeah, I like to PLAY with pets, not LOOK at them.

GREAT PETS...

i love fishes exspeacially platies,angel fish, sharks.

I've had several goldfish in my day. Plus Matt Forgey, Becca, and I successfully ran a freshwater aquarium for quite awhile. Simple, easy to take care of, and fun to watch.

LOVE FISH THEY ARE RELAXING, BUT THEY DIE TO EASY.

Boring, but doesn't require too much maitence.

very pretty....just dont want to clean the aquarium

they are good. I used to have two

they dont do shit

you can't cuddle up to fish, they're a very stand alone pet, hard to keep up with because there aren't ways for them to tell you there hungry, for ex. they can't bark or meow.

Fish do make good pets if you have limited space, and most apartments that say no pets will still let you have fish. Goldfish can be good first pets for kids to learn some responsibility, because if they accidently kill a few goldfish, you aren't out of very much money at all, and most people don't have the same emotional attachment that they can have towards a dog or cat.

great, but cleaning the tank...priceless.

pretty but no fun

fish are great...love to watch the

i hate fish

there boring they dont play with u

BORING.....but kinda pretty.espesially when you make them mad.

again my cats would eat em..

killed a lot of them over the years....have friends with the fancy aquariums...whatever it takes..

Fish can be interesting to watch, but they are not exactly cuddly or very interactive with their owners. however, they also don't have to cost much, and they are not terribly demanding.

Very good pets! i used to have all kinds of them!

Fish make pretty good starter pets, because you just need to feed them, change the water, and clean the fish tank.

However, small fish have short life spans, and fish do very little, other than just swim.

I have a tank full of African Cichlids and they are ok - the Cichlids can be fun to watch and they can be relaxing but obviously they are not interactive pets. I also have a smaller tank of community fish. I would love to have a seahorse but everything I have read says they are difficult to maintain and if I am not going to do right by them then I am not going to do it; I will not harm them.

If it doesn't fetch it gets one star as a pet. . .

Fish are very good for nerves. They just swim there in slow motion so calm and careless, but a week later, when you have to clean a fish tank, my nerves work in an opposite direction.

Fish and other aquatic animals range from complexity from those comet goldfish you won at the fair to the exotic coral setups complete with brilliantly colored tropical fish. They are considerably "lower maintenance" than dogs or horses, but that doesn't mean that they're easy pets to have. And if you're looking for something to cuddle and play with, look elsewhere. Think of it this way: Your fish are on life support, provided by you. You are keeping creatures in stagnant water, and they rely on you for food, as well as fresh water changes, air from an air pump, and cleaning. Fish are sensitive to chemical levels, pH and temperature of the water, amongst other things. Goldfish are the common "first pet" of choice for most, as they're inexpensive and readily available. I'm convinced that goldfish are the only creatures on earth who excrete more than they eat, as they produce a lot of waste for their size. Fishbowls are poor living quarters for the little fish; get a larger tank, complete with filter and air stones, to elongate the lifespan of your fish. Provided they have enough room, comet goldfish can grow upwards of 12 inches, koi upwards of 24 inches (and in a big enough tank, it's pretty easy to get them to that size!) Another good fish to have in most tanks (freshwater) is a plecostomus, who, though aren't exactly the most attractive of fish, are fantastic at controlling algae growth. Research the species of fish, their living requirements (including they live in groups, what size they grow to and how much space they need in a tank, and also make sure that the different species can get along in the same environment) and their other needs (foods, etc.) before taking a fish home. Having a tank already set up with decholrinated water, air pump going, and pH and temperature adjusted is necessary, and it's generally advised to keep the tank away from windows to avoid extreme fluctuations in temperature and lighting (the latter of which could cause excessive algae growth). Also consider what you have to do if the power goes out, or if you are planning on moving soon (battery-operated air pumps are available; moving mammalian pets are a pain, much less pets that you've got to keep in water!). Fish are enjoyable to watch, and are highly educational (especially for children). They provide a good opportunity for young children to learn responsibility in caring for them. Make sure to cover as many bases as possible, though, to avoid disappointment.

I have always had a fascination with fish. I have had aquariums since I was a child in fact built them in school. I had one die this morning, it's always sad, not like losing a dog or cat but still some fish I have had for 7 years or longer. It's a neat hobby and they make good pets as long as you take care of them and keep their world clean.

Fish are great if you have kids who desperately want a pet but you dont think they're responsible enough for a dog. You could also make a deal with your children...if you keep these fish alive for a year you can have a small turtle etc. till you can trust them with a high responsibility animal like a cat or dog. Seems like a good starter pet to me!

yeah, they're pretty to look at... but they arent pets... they could care less about who you are. they don't give a darn. thats fine, but i prefer my pets to love me.

Fish rule. 'Nuf said.

I have a salt water tank! And I love them they are soo cool!! I have a naso tang , yello tang and a hawk fish and I am getting a Clown Trigger!!!!! I love them!!

If you're into fish, specifically certain species, they're an awesome pet. We have 4 pirhana's raised since nickle-sized babies and are now about 5 inches mouth-to-tail. Before these we had 3 adults about 10 inches long that died after a friend of ours brought her evil, evil 11 year-old over to our house. After many admonitions not to tap the glass or press his shit-eating face to the glass, well, guess what happened when he was trusted to be human? Yup. Fish were dead in under 36 hours. Later buried under the tall trees by yours truly whom shed a few tears. Awesome species if you're allowed to own them in your community. (And if not, break the law. Trust me.) It's neat to see nature in action, and what better way than seeing one fish use razor-sharp teeth to eat another. And for bonus fun, if you have the nerve, you can hold one by the tail and basically hand feed the fish. NOT recommended if your pirhana's are food agressive. But being the teeth are razor sharp, the pain is minimal and what a story you'll have explaining that scar!

They are very pretty and fascinating to watch, also a great pet for kids, since they are pretty easy to care for. It would be nice if they could be held instead of just watching them all the time.

I've had fish before. They were pretty to look at, but cleaning that fishbowl was a royal pain. Trying to get the fish out and put them into another bowl often took more time then cleaning the actual bowl did. If you're going to get fish, get a tank with a filter. It's easier for you and healthier for the fish.

I don't have any fish, but an aquarium of them just might prove to be a therapeutic. That's probably why many doctors' offices have them in their waiting rooms.

Fish are wonderful! they might not remember things well, but they look pretty and are easy to care for. They don't cost much to buy and they don't need to be given any attention like cats and dogs! I think they are the perfect pet (so are birds) BUY A FISH AND YOU'LL NEVER REGRET IT!!!

Speaking as a previous owner of fish, I wouldn't recommend them. It really depends on what interests you as a pet owner, so someone who wants a quiet pet for some background noise and presence would be a good candidate for a fish owner. Depending on the tank size and the number of fish it hosts, the maintenance can range from easy to a pain in the ass. It requires cleaning, changing the water, feeding, and, if you really care about the environment of the fish, water testing (but this isn't important for small tanks, but if you have plants and a wide range of fish species in large quantities, you have to make sure that the pH, salinity, phosphorus, nitrates, chlorine, etc, are at a satisfactory level for each specie to survive). And it's very important to not overcrowd the tank!!! Each fish deserves a respectable amount of space, which should be proportionate to the fish's size (meaning that the bigger the fish, the bigger the water area it deserves). Also, you may find yourself starting out with just a couple of fish and ending up with 50 fish in 5 different generations... And trust me, they just keep reproducing exponentially (the female and male guppy that started it all for me were still alive, healthy and reproducing by the time the offspring of their offspring had begun reproducing (meaning that by the time they were ready to become great grandparents, they were still reproducing!)!!!). I had to buy another tank, because there was too many of them! So it was twice the maintenance and hassle, having to clean more often than with just two guppies, because the more fish there are, the more excrement and the more left over food that gets caught between the rocks at the bottom of the tank. So basically I started out well, cleaning one tank once a week, and upgraded to cleaning two tanks every other day. I ended up having to return them to the store, because I didn't want to work that hard for so little in return (being able to watch them whenever I want, big hoot...).

Gold fish have a natural lifespan of around 20 years! They are not as simple to keep as most people think, and many suffer abuse that goes unnoticed. Goldfish are too often kept in tiny bowls, with no kind of filter, they have to live alone in this sterile tiny environment which is completely unnatural for an animal that lives in shouls. I think goldfish bowls should be banned as they offer nothing beneficial to the fish forced to live in it. Only consider keeping fish (of any kind) if you have space and money for a properly equipt aquarium, including a filter, air pump, light and space for the fish to grow to their natural size. I dont believe that fish have a 3 second memory either, because if they did they would not shoal to the front of the tank and beg for food each time they see you. Many fish species grow very large or have very specific requirements in order for them to even survive, never just add a fish to your aquairium because it looks pretty! It could be a giant, be very sensitive to water quality, live in a large shoal naturally, eat other fish smaller than itself, be very aggressive, nip fins, easily get picked on by all but the most peaceful fish and so on. There is so much to consider before keeping fish, they are incredibly under-rated and deserve the same respect as any other living creature. They can also be very relaxing and facinating to keep, great, to those people who entuastically appreciate and love fish!