Goldfish and other species of fish have been kept as pets for a very long time. Pet fish are popular for their colorful skins and graceful swimming. Having a beautiful aquarium with a lot of vibrant species of fish moving around is a very relaxing and pleasurable hobby.
Take the case of goldfish. There are about 150 varieties available in the market. For other species also, numerous choices are available.
For the beginners, I would advise goldfish as your best choice. It is one of the few species which can happily reside in a cold-water aquarium. Its maintenance requirements are not complicated. It is considered to be the best bet for your kids to teach them how to take responsibility.
You cannot bring goldfish home with a plan to keep it in a bowl, using tap water! In the natural habitat, fish and get a lot of open space to swim around and the flow of water also provides them a lot of oxygen. They will get suffocated in a bowl.
You may be uncomfortable with the idea of bringing home a big tank. But you need not worry about that. There are options of small tanks available. These small tanks can successfully accommodate fish. The only thing is - they require frequent maintenance.