(09-04-2012, 02:29 PM)jenb128 Wrote: My very first pet was a goldfish when I was five. Fortunately, my dad kept aquarium fish at the time, so he taught me how to properly care for the little guy, and helped with everything until I was old enough to do the fish chores myself without making a mess. The fish lived about ten years. My first warm-blooded pet was a guinea pig that I got when I was about seven. I didn't do as well with her - she only lived about two years (she ate some plastic). I did much better with my next piggie, who lived about eight years.
Lucky you to have a dad who know the stuff.
My dad didn't know anything about keeping fish. My uncle who gave me the two goldfish also didn't teach me beyond "use water conditioner to neutralize chlorine in the tap water". He gave me dried fish food which would expand once it's wet. I fed too much, dumped dozens pellets into the tank because I thought the fish couldn't possibility have enough by eating such tiny pellets, and the fish died. Then he told me I should have only fed 1 pellet per fish each day. The next two fish also did not last long, although they lived longer than the first batch.
It is expected because nobody told me I need a filter system and the most important of all - a bigger tank. I was keeping two goldfish in a fishbowl of probably only 3 gallon in size with no filter. I had to change water every day to keep it clean. Nobody told me I wasn't supposed to change 100% the water every day. Since there was no filter, there was always toxic ammonia in the water.
Not much I could do since I was just a little kid.
The next two fish also did not last long, although they lived longer than the first batch. 
