Out of the thousands of species of fish out there, there is arguably none that we humans love more than goldfish.

Goldfish have been kept as pets for over 2,000 years, and as anyone who has caught them in Animal Crossing before knows, goldfish are a type of crucian carp, much like how koi are a type of "regular" carp.
(The main differences being in both the size and the crucian's/goldfish's lack of barbels.)

Most people think of a goldfish as a little fish that is kept in a small fishbowl (like they are in Animal Crossing, which is kinda cool IMO how they have a uniquely shaped aquarium) and that doesn't live for very long, and that they're a good "starter pet" for young children similar to a hamster, but is this true?

Unfortunately, the way that many people raise their goldfish may be good for the people raising them, but it is TERRIBLE for the goldfish themselves, and drives them to an early death.

My dad told me about how goldfish were given as prizes for winning games at carnivals and stuff, and how they'd just hand you one in a little plastic bag, and you'd go home and put it in a fishbowl, but did you know that that same little goldfish could (if treated better) potentially for decades, and grow to be over a foot long?
(The same goes for all of those "feeder goldfish" that people buy to feed to carnivorous fish and such, as well.)

Now IMO this is a tragedy, because goldfish are some of the most beautiful fish of all, and many people fondly remember having goldfish as pets during their childhood, and to think that that little goldfish you had as a kid could potentially still be alive today (or if you are still a kid that your beloved pet didn't have to die as a baby in a tiny fishbowl) probably brings tears to your eyes.

I strongly encourage those more interested in this subject to do their own research into it, and I highly recommend that y'all read "Aquarium Care of Goldfish" by David E. Boruchowitz, as it is an excellent book about this subject, and he does an excellent job of explaining how to ensure that your goldfish will live long, happy lives.
(And some of the information in the book can be applied to other fish and aquatic organisms as well, although it is intended specifically for goldfish keepers.)

I certainly won't cover everything covered in that book in this blog, but I will focus on 3 of the most important points when it comes to helping our goldfish friends to live long, happy lives.

1. Aquarium Size

According to Boruchuwitz, the minimum aquarium size for a single goldfish is 20 gallons, and that for a tank with multiple goldfish, 10-20 gallons per goldfish would be appropriate.

Boruchowitz's book, however, is primarily focused on "fancy goldfish", and a Google search of "What is the appropriate aquarium size for a single-tailed goldfish?" will bring up at the top of the search results:

"Single-tailed fish need far more room, and at least 40 gallons for the first fish and 20 for each additional fish."

Now, one needs to bear in mind that these are assuming that your goldfish tank has adequate filtration, and that regular water changes are done as well.
(I'm not going to get into all of that stuff in this blog though, but it is EXTREMELY important to say the least.)

Obviously all of these aquariums I'm talking about are WAY bigger than those cute little fishbowls that many people use, and while that fishbowl might seem roomy for a baby goldfish, once you have a 1 or 2 foot long goldfish swimming in your regular aquarium you'll quickly realize just how cruel putting them in a little fishbowl without any filtration truly is.
(Best to leave those fishbowls in Animal Crossing where they belong.)

2. Feeder Goldfish and Carnival Goldfish

In Boruchowitz's book, he points out the terrible conditions that those goldfish given as carnival prizes are kept in, and also the equally terrible conditions "feeder goldfish" at pet stores are typically kept in.

Now, IK this is going to sound a little preachy (then again this whole blog already does), but the carnival prize goldfish thing NEEDS to stop.

I'm not opposed to them giving away goldfish as prizes for winning games in and of itself, mind you, but they way they do it now is inhumane, and if they are determined to keep doing this, they need to make some drastic changes to how they keep their goldfish, and also to how they educate those who take them home as pets.

As for feeder goldfish, I've personally always had a love of both carnivorous fish and aquatic turtles, which are commonly fed feeder goldfish by their owners, but (and this is my own personal opinion here) in my mind feeding a turtle or a fish a baby goldfish that could live for as long as they could (or significantly longer in many cases) is morally questionable, and I would advise people who feel the same way that I do to stop using goldfish as feeders, and look for other fish to feed their aquatic predators instead.
(Feeder goldfish aren't exactly the most nutritious food for aquatic predators anyway.)

3. Overfeeding

This particular problem is not specific to goldfish, and putting too much food in aquariums has been the cause of death for countless pet fish (and other aquatic animals) of all kinds over the years.

There are all sorts of conflicting ideas out there about how much/how long you should feed different types of fish, and goldfish are no exception to this.
(I'd advise that y'all do your own research, and form your own opinions about it.)

Goldfish in particular have more of a tendency to overeat compared to many types of tropical fish (and tropical fish should NOT be housed in the same aquariums as goldfish BTW), and they are pretty messy fish, as well.

As I mentioned before, filtration and frequent water changes are important, but if you're constantly overfeeding your goldfish no amount of filtration or water changes can make up for the detrimental effect it will have on your aquarium's water quality, and by extension on the health of your goldfish.

In his book, Boruchowitz says the he has never seen a goldfish that died from being underfed, so it is always better to underfeed than to overfeed, and feeding less food than you think is appropriate would almost always be advisable.

You obviously shouldn't neglect to feed your goldfish, as they can starve to death like any other living creature can, but as long as you're remembering to feed your goldfish every day they are not going to starve.

I'm not saying that underfeeding goldfish is impossible mind you, but it's extraordinarily unlikely that you'll do it as almost nobody ever does, so you shouldn't be worried about it.
(But you should be VERY worried about overfeeding them, and also about maintaining good clean aquarium water for your fish.)

Anyway, those are the 3 main things that cause goldfish to suffer and die early deaths,.

If you already have a pet goldfish or are considering getting one for yourself or your kids, or if you actually are a kid yourself and you want your parents to get you a pet goldfish, then hopefully this blog gave you a better idea of just how much care goldfish need to live happy fulfilling lives.

Goldfish make great pets, and they're friendly, cute, lovable creatures, and by doing just a little bit of research (which is a good idea to do before getting any pet BTW), you can give them the love and care that they deserve from us humans.

Also, although this is not recommended for beginning goldfish keepers, you might want to buy one of those poor "feeder goldfish" from the pet store some day and try to save it from being eaten as a baby.
(I personally like the idea of doing that, anyway.)

Remember though: This is NOT a comprehensive guide to proper goldfish care, and you'll need to do your own research (either online, or by reading books like the one I mentioned, or even by talking to experienced goldfish keepers themselves), and for those who're REALLY interested in goldfish there are a number of goldfish clubs and societies out there made up of people who (like you) love goldfish, and if you're both interested and able to, joining such a club would be a GREAT idea to learn about keeping goldfish.

Anyway, that's it for this blog. Happy fishkeeping everyone!