Fancy goldfish have an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Common goldfish have an average lifespan of 20-30 years.
How long a goldfish lives depends on its genetics, diet, and environment. Goldfish don’t live long in bowls, small tanks, or dirty water.
Common Goldfish Vs. Fancy Goldfish
Common goldfish have larger, more streamlined bodies and moderately-sized fins. Fancy goldfish have various body and tail shapes and brighter colors.
Hobbyists bred many kinds of fancy goldfish for their bright colors and flowing fins. Selective breeding leaves them with poorer genetics and shorter lifespans than common goldfish.
Fancy goldfish often have lowered immunity. Their poor immune systems leave them more susceptible to disease and illness.
Do Goldfish Live Longer In Ponds?
Healthy ponds naturally create ideal ecosystems for goldfish. They boost their immune systems and increase their lifespans.
Ponds are host to algae, aquatic plants, and insect larvae for the goldfish to feast on. The natural sunlight and seasonal fluctuations boost the fish’s digestive function.
Goldfish that live in ponds can often live up to 50 years.
Here’s How To Help Your Goldfish Live Longer
Feeding nutritious foods, keeping the tank clean, and reducing stress often increases lifespans.
Buy A Healthy Goldfish
Start with a healthy goldfish to give them the best chance at a long life. It’s best to buy goldfish in person to see if they appear healthy.
Buy From A Reputable Breeder
Research the breeder before buying to ensure they uphold ethical standards.
Don’t buy goldfish living in an overcrowded tank. The fish are likelier to have poor immune systems. The possibility of disease is more significant.
Watch Their Behavior
Watch the fish as they swim around and observe their appearance.
Healthy fish are alert and moving around. They hold their fins up; the fish should not be lethargic or droopy. Look at the colors; healthy fish have bright and clear skin.
Things To Avoid
Avoid fish with trouble swimming, as they may have swim bladder issues. Fish with swim bladder problems may bob at the top of their tank or sink to the bottom.
Avoid fish with dull colors, clamped fins, lumps, or wounds.
Give Them A Big Tank — Not A Bowl
Most goldfish living in a large tank will live longer than those living in a bowl. Bowls usually cause goldfish to die after about two to three years.
Bowls Are Deadly
Bowls are deadly because they stunt a fish’s growth.
Stunting is unnatural and detrimental to the fish’s organs and skeleton. It is a myth that stunting a goldfish’s growth will have no ill effects.
Bowls don’t allow space for a filter or airstone. Goldfish need lots of oxygen and a clean tank. Bowls are stagnant and hold little water, meaning the water inside has little oxygen.
Filters Are Necessary
Goldfish have fast metabolisms and create a lot of waste. They need a large, high-functioning filter and regular water changes.
A bowl quickly accumulates ammonia, which is toxic to fish.
Tank Size For Baby Goldfish
It’s okay to start with a smaller tank when buying goldfish as babies. A 20 or 30-gallon tank should be okay for two or three baby goldfish for up to a year.
Goldfish grow rapidly; their tank needs upgrading after about a year.
It’s easier to begin with a large tank when possible. It prevents expensive and time-consuming upgrades.
Tank Size For Fancy Goldfish
A 30-gallon tank is large enough for a single adult fancy goldfish. Add 10 gallons for every extra fancy goldfish.
Fancy goldfish don’t grow as large as common goldfish and can live in smaller tanks. Depending on the variety, they usually grow to 5-8 in (12.7-20.3 cm) in length.
Tank Size For Common Goldfish
A 40-gallon tank is necessary for a single adult; 55 gallons is better for those with the space. Add an extra 10-15 gallons for each extra common goldfish.
Common goldfish can grow up to 8-12 in (20.3-30.5 cm).
The Bigger The Tank, The Better
Aim for a larger tank than necessary — the bigger the tank, the better.
A bigger tank provides more space for the fish to swim. It also provides enrichment that prevents them from getting bored.
Larger tanks are easier to care for. The increased volume dilutes the waste and prevents the water from becoming toxic.
Use A Filter & Keep The Tank Clean
Filters are necessary for goldfish because of the amount of waste they produce. Without a filter, the tank quickly accumulates fish poop and leftover food.
Waste breaks down into ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which are toxic for fish. A tank that is too dirty can quickly lead to illness and death.
Goldfish need more cleaning than other species due to the amount of waste they produce.
Choose A Large Filter
We recommend choosing a filter twice as big as is usually necessary. For example, buy a filter made for 100 gallons of water when keeping a goldfish in a 50-gallon tank.
A larger filter is better able to handle the unusually large waste load.
Water Changes & Cleanings
Goldfish need more frequent water changes and cleanings than other species.
We recommend doing a 15-30% water change every one to two weeks for most species. Goldfish often need more frequent cleaning.
It’s best to clean goldfish tanks every week to ensure their water isn’t getting too dirty. Use a gravel vacuum to suck the waste out of the substrate.
Be careful when using a gravel vacuum large enough for the goldfish to fit inside. Goldfish are curious animals that don’t realize the danger of the siphon.
Fish that can get too close to the siphon may be sucked inside. The suction is strong enough to tear fins or skin or even suck out an eyeball.
Provide Lots Of Oxygen
An airstone may be necessary if the filter does not create enough surface agitation. Goldfish need well-oxygenated water due to the large amount of waste they produce.
The current should be manageable for fancy goldfish who have trouble swimming. Moderate flow is enough to produce the oxygen content that goldfish need.
Watch The Water Quality
Regular water testing is necessary to ensure the goldfish’s tank stays healthy. We recommend testing the water with every water change.
Goldfish need these parameters:
- Ammonia: 0 ppm
- Nitrites: 0 ppm
- Nitrates: <40 ppm
- pH: 7.0-8.4
- Temperature (Fancy Goldfish): 68-74°F (20-23.3°C)
- Temperature (Common Goldfish): 60-70°F (15.6-21.1°C)
Feed Healthy Foods
Goldfish are omnivores that mostly eat plant matter. They need various nutritious foods to boost their health and help them live long lives.
These fish have fast metabolisms that cause them to create lots of waste. They must eat two to three times daily to remain healthy and grow at a normal rate.
Don’t Overfeed
Be careful to only feed goldfish as much as they can eat in two minutes. They have voracious appetites and are easy to overfeed.
Overfeeding can lead to swim bladder issues or make the tank dirty.
Healthy Foods
Offer goldfish live plants to munch on, like Cabomba and anacharis. They also enjoy blanched vegetables like squash and spinach.
Much of their diet should comprise goldfish pellets. Pellets contain the ingredients and nutrients necessary for good health.
The occasional live snack boosts their diets. Some of their favorite snacks are mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, and bloodworms.
Give Goldfish Lots Of Plants
Goldfish are a prey species that feels safest with lots of cover.
Live or artificial plants are excellent for providing hiding spaces for goldfish.
Driftwood, caves, and other similar decorations also work well for shelter.
Fish with many decorations will be more active because they feel safer in their space. Fish that feel safer have less stress, better immune systems, and are less likely to get sick.
Live plants are better than artificial ones because they are also nutritious snacks.
Avoid decorations with sharp edges. They can tear fins and scales, causing injury and infection. Ensure any holes in the decorations are large enough for the fish to swim through.
Decorations may need changing as the fish grow.
Keep Goldfish Safe
Prolong goldfish’s lives by keeping them safe from predators.
In a home aquarium, predators include larger, aggressive fish that will attack them. In outdoor ponds, predators include raccoons, birds, and cats.
Leaf nets are the most effective product for keeping outdoor goldfish safe. They prevent large predators from getting inside the pond. At the same time, they don’t compromise the aesthetic of the pond.
Build shelters inside the pond where the fish can retreat when they feel unsafe. Rocks, driftwood, and caves are excellent for building underwater shelters.
How Long Do Goldfish Live Out Of Water?
Most goldfish can live for up to one hour out of water.
Never remove a goldfish from water for a long time intentionally. Even being out of water for a few minutes can harm their health.
Keep a lid on the tank to prevent the goldfish from jumping out.
How Long Can Goldfish Survive Without Food?
Goldfish can live about two weeks without food, though it isn’t healthy.
Their bodies allow them to survive so long without food because food is not always available in the wild.
Hobbyists should never leave their goldfish without food for two weeks.
Goldfish will be okay without food if their owners must leave for a weekend. Hobbyists should invest in a vacation feeder or a pet sitter for longer vacations.
Who Was The Oldest Living Goldfish?
The oldest goldfish on record was “Tish,” which belonged to Hilda and Gordon Hand. The Guinness World Records put Tish in their books because she lived to be 43 years old.
Tish was likely a common goldfish — her owners won her at a fair in 1956
FAQs
How Long Do Koi Fish Live?
Koi fish grow far larger than goldfish and live longer, up to 50 to 60 years.
Koi fish come from a species of wild carp and are relatives of goldfish.
Some individuals may live to be over 100 years old, though it’s rare. The oldest koi on record was a scarlet red koi that lived to be 226 years old.
How Long Can Goldfish Live In A Bag?
Goldfish can generally survive in bags for eight to twelve hours.
How long a goldfish can live in a bag depends on the size of the bag, the water volume, and the oxygen content.
Most pet stores fill their bags with oxygen so the fish can survive longer.
Supplemental air is necessary for shipped fish, as they may be in the bag for a few days. While some fish survive several days, pet stores aim to deliver their fish within two days. The oxygen usually runs out after two or three days.
Bags are usually smaller when the hobbyist buys the fish from the store. Pet stores typically fill these bags with supplemental oxygen. Leaving the fish in the bag for more than eight to twelve hours remains unsafe.
It’s rare that pet stores don’t fill fish bags with oxygen. Fish usually only survive a few hours in a bag without supplemental oxygen.
How Long Do Carnival Goldfish Live?
Goldfish won at carnivals have the potential to live as long as any other goldfish. Unfortunately, carnival goldfish usually have short lifespans of about one to two years.
Those who win goldfish at fairs usually play for the fish impulsively and don’t know the care they need. Many still believe the myth that goldfish only grow to the size of their tank and that they are okay to live in bowls.
Like betta fish, goldfish in a bowl only live for a year or two.
Carnival goldfish are often in poor health before being won, too. Workers usually keep them in small tanks with many other fish. The overcrowding causes a toxic build-up of waste and stress.
What Fish Lives The Longest?
The Greenland shark is the oldest known fish species in the world. Researchers know that Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) can live at least 250 years. They estimate that the sharks may be able to live for more than 500 years.
The oldest Greenland shark observed was a 400-year-old female. She set a world record as the world’s oldest living vertebrate.
Research on this species is incomplete. They live in the deep ocean, where they are challenging to study.
Do Goldfish Get Lonely?
Goldfish will not get lonely when kept alone, though they enjoy the company of others. They interact with other fish in their tank, especially other goldfish.
Be careful placing other species with goldfish. They are opportunistic and will eat fish that can fit in their mouths.
