Great starter fish — skip the bowl

Goldfish are wonderful, but please don't buy the tiny bowl the pet shop tries to sell you. I made that mistake with my first fish and he lasted only a few months. Once I upgraded to a 30-gallon with a canister filter, my current two fancy goldfish have been thriving for four years. They eat out of my hand now. Four stars because the ammonia levels can spike fast if you're not vigilant.