Wildlife Viewing - With Your Child - Create a Natural Freshwater Aquarium

drawing of family With Your Child

Create a Natural Freshwater Aquarium

photo of minnow

Want to observe the antics of a crayfish, predatory water beetle or other native aquatic animal? Instead of trips to the pet store to pick out exotic tropical fish for an aquarium, families can take expeditions to neighborhood ponds, ditches or streams to collect native animals and plants that are then used to create a low-maintenance, relatively balanced ecosystem in miniature. Crayfish, water beetles, small fish, snails and tadpoles are just a few of the critters that can be scooped up in child-sized dip nets and taken home for temporary residence. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

A conventional aquarium kit featuring a 10-gallon tank, aquarium hood with light, pump and under-gravel filter is a good starting point, but a smaller aquarium will work fine as well. Just remember to keep your tank away from direct sunlight and limit the number of animals. A good guide to use is one inch of fish to each one gallon of water.
Add water from the collection site, supplemented with distilled water.
Add natural colored gravel and interesting pieces of wood or rock.
Feed your animals sparingly with dried fish food or chopped earthworms. Add some algae or small bits of vegetation from the water where you found your animals.
Observe your animals for a few days and then return them to where you found them.
An inexpensive field guide will help you identify some of the common plants and animals. Try Golden Guide to: "Reptiles and Amphibians" and "Pond Life"
If you are over 16, you must obtain a freshwater fishing license and abide by bag and size limits. For more information see the freshwater fishing regulations section of this web site.