• Out of 54 million pets in the UK, 33 million are aquatic
• Over half of Brits believe keeping fish calms children whilst boosting cognitive development
• Children with pets are more likely to exceed teacher’s expectations

Fsh are the most popular pet in the UK with around 33 million fish making up some  of the 54 million pet owning households across the country, according to research by leading aquatics company Tetra.

This isn’t surprising when you consider the positive impacts fish can have on children including creating a relaxing environment, boosting development at school and improving social skills.

The Tetra research has found that children with pets perform swimmingly in school, meeting or exceeding teacher’s expectations by almost 10% vs children without any pets. When it comes to interacting with others, those with pets are also more confident and friendly.

The type of pet also has an impact on children’s performance outside of school with over half of parents believing that keeping fish had a calming effect on their child, whilst teaching them responsibility, developing social skills and encouraging cognitive development.

With SATS season around the corner, fish can make a particularly great pet for providing a relaxing environment in the home. Especially when you consider that the most common age for stress in children is between nine and 11-years-old, coinciding with exams in year six.

7.5 years old is the average age that children in the UK are given the responsibility for the day-to-day care of pets, with one in ten children owning a fish^. Fishkeeping has doubled in popularity from 10 years ago, where only one in twenty pet households had fish. Brits are most likely to take up fishkeeping as they believe aquariums look good in the home, require little maintenance and create a relaxing environment.

Ashleigh Foster, Aquatics Marketing Manager at Tetra, comments: “It’s great to see how fishkeeping has grown in popularity over the years, especially with young children.

"At Tetra we’re dedicated to developing easy-to-use care products and solutions to help make maintenance easier than ever to allow fish fans to spend more time enjoying their aquarium whilst encouraging others to learn more about the fascinating hobby.”

With the two main reasons for not owning a pet being lifestyle - such as long working hours - and living in rented accommodation, fish make great, low-maintenance companions. Tetra provides a range of affordable aquariums from Peppa Pig themed tanks to introductory starter kits which include everything families need to kick start their new hobby.

For more information about Tetra, visit http://www.tetra.net/en