Pet Choosing Help! Fish vs. Hamsters?

Question

Hi, I want to get a golden hamster and a few guppy fish. But obviously I can only have one! Help me choose!!!

HAMSTERS:
a physical thing you can actually touch
rather playful
hard to clean cage
rather more expensive
nocturnal
cute and playful
lives very short- 1-2 yrs than dies.....
GUPPIES:
breeds once a month :)
very beautiful to watch
relaxing hobby
rather boring in the end
not physical (obviously)
easier to take care of
more expensive to set up tank and maintain it

each have their ups and downs....and so which would you choose? hamsters are adorable and physically playful but they die quickly and you might get emotionally attached.....fish also die pretty quick, obviously, but you might not get too upset over that.... so help??

Answer 1

Which do YOU like better? I've had both, and personally I would much rather have fish.



Hamsters (like most rodents) smell. Even if you religiously toss out all of their bedding, take their cage apart, and scrub it every week, they still smell. That was definitely something that I didn't care for. They can also be escape artists, sending you into panic mode when you realize that they're not in their (seemingly secure) cage. They can be held, but the larger varieties tend to be biters.



I like fish more because they're beautiful and interesting. I've kept guppies though, and I'm not terribly fond of them. They're not the most exciting of fish, though you can find some with gorgeous tails. What size tank would you be setting up? If you were willing to go with, say, a 55 gallon tank, that's cooler than a hamster any day. You could have all sorts of neat species of fish. Fish tanks are, of course, more expensive to set up than a cage for a hamster.



There are tons of youngsters hanging around here that will say "Hamster!" simply because that's what they would want, but what matters is what you like better. If you really want the colorful guppies, which will definitely breed for you, then go with them. If you'd rather have a hamster that you can hold, then that's the choice for you. Perhaps taking a trip to the pet store to look at the hamsters and fish would help you decide. :)

Answer 2

Hamsters need alot more attetction then fish.



Hamsters can live alot longer than 2 years, i had a rat that lived 4-5 years and usally only live 2-3 years.

If the heater blows in the tank and you dont know for a couple of days then the fish are likely to die then you will have no fish left. Also the Fishes tank is a lot harder to clean out then a hamsters and it takes time.



You have to keep the fish warm ect and fill and defill the tank.



Hamsters cages can be cleaned out in 30 minutes while a fish tank could take hours.



Hamsters cost less and you dont have to buy every so often to keep the Tank Full.



Food can be really expensive for fish bu8t do get a lot for your money.



Hamsters can eat vegatbles so you can keep healthly as well.



Fish can get boring if you have nothing to do.



Hamsters you can take out and buy Play Balls for your hamster to go inside.



Fish are good if you are out most of the day and will not mind, But the hamster might get lonliy at times if it has nothing to do then might start to chew its cage ect.



If a fishes Tank cracks it can cost a lot of money to replace.



Overall i would get a hamster but still love fish all the same. Get a Hamster then a year later get Fish!

Answer 3

I think that you should probably get the hamster. Although, I've never had a hamster, so i'm not sure if they're hard to take care of. But, I have had some guppies before and, in my case, they died very quick. Well, anyways, the hamster you may want to get because you can actually touch it and not just watch it swim in a glass tank all day. (:



The guppies i had lived for about 6 months and although you may get attached to the hamster, if it did die, you could always say that he's in a way better place than here. haha (:

Answer 4

Personally, fish are easier to take care of, as you mentioned.. but I would get a hamster if I were you. They are more fun and you can actually hold them and play with them. Even if you wanted an animal you could hold that awake during the day you try a guinea pig, a gerbil or even a mouse. Those are just some options. Have fun choosing your pet!

Answer 5

I'd go for a hamster - guppies are more of a decoration for a room and something pretty to look at whereas a hamster is more of an actual pet you can enjoy and build a relationship with.

Answer 6

Here's my list of pros and cons for you:



FISH:

Pros:

~Tank is much easier to maintain (I clean mine about once every 3 months and change the filter once every 3 weeks.)

~They're so cute and beautiful - especially when they play.

~You can put a small frog in with your fish and they're very cute and you can hold them occasionally.



The expenses are about equal. For fish you have to but a tank, filters, plants, a few structures, rocks, food, water conditioner, a filtering system, and a heater. Depending on the size of your tank, the price will vary extremely. I got a 10 gallon and supplies for about 40 bucks on craigslist. If you but it new, your price will easily reach over $100. But, the only things you need to continue buying are water conditioner (maybe), and filters. The food, depending on the size you buy, will not likely run out.



Cons:

~Fish aren't little furry creatures that you can play and snuggle with.

~It can he difficult to clean the tank.



HAMPSTERS:

Pros:

~They're tangible.

~They're cute.

~They cost less at first.



Cons:

~Hamsters cost less the day you start, but over time, they will cost much more. You have to buy more things continuously.

~Their cages stink up whatever room they're in.

~You have to clean up their pee and poop ALL THE TIME if you don't want a stench.



There ya go!

Answer 7

Hey

I have kept both and i would say go for a hamster,

I still keep fish but not guppies, their intersting at first but then they get boring, it depends if you have time or not.

both are really good, but i think a hamster makes a better pet :)

Answer 8

I've kep both and would advise you go for hamster !!

they are easier to maintain and much more fun!!



if you want other fishes .. try rosy barbs or iridescent sharks (that can give lots of pleasure looking after them cause they can grow very big )



but if you keep hampsters .. be sure not to feed them too much cause they can grow big and laZY !!

Answer 9

I would say fish but look into a cooler species than guppies. look into dwarf puffers. there cooler than regular guppies and are fun to watch feeding snails.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YDUpfXplMs

Answer 10

Fish suck lol.