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7 Best Places to Buy Goldfish Online in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Sarah Psaradelis

By Sarah Psaradelis

goldfish in a fish tank

If you are looking for quality and healthy goldfish, then purchasing them online from dedicated goldfish breeders is recommended. Most pet stores don’t stock the highest quality or rare goldfish that you might be looking for, so shopping online to have a quality goldfish delivered to your door is convenient.

Instead of searching through pet stores for a goldfish you like, you can browse through a variety of different goldfish that have been bred for quality, health, and a better appearance than the typical pet store goldfish. You won’t have to drive around or search through hundreds of goldfish in a store for one that is healthy or up to your standard, which is a bonus for many people.

With this in mind, we have reviewed some of the most popular and best online vendors that sell and breed goldfish.

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Coast Gem USA Coast Gem USA
  • High-quality goldfish
  • Goldfish are quarantined
  • Good shipping
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Live Aquaria Live Aquaria
  • Affordable
  • Good customer satisfaction
  • Low shipping costs
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    King Koi and Goldfish King Koi and Goldfish
  • High-quality goldfish
  • Affordable
  • Good shipping
  • East Coast Ranchu’s East Coast Ranchu’s
  • Less likely to have parasites and diseases
  • Bred for quality
  • Fairly priced
  • Goldfish Kingdom Goldfish Kingdom
  • Healthy goldfish
  • Large goldfish
  • Show-quality
  • The 7 Best Places to Buy Goldfish Online

    1. Coast Gem USA – Best Overall

    Coast Gem USA logo

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States, Hawaii, Alaska
    Shipping period: 2–12 days

    The best overall place to buy goldfish online is Coast Gem USA. This is an online fish breeder that sells quality and rare fancy goldfish. Each fish is bred and selected to be of the highest quality on the market and sold at decent prices for the quality you are receiving. They have a selection of fancy goldfish such as Orandas, Thailand goldfish, Ranchu’s, telescope, and Ryukin goldfish. You can choose from baby and juvenile goldfish ranging from 6 months of age.

    They ship via courier services in the continental United States, as well as in Alaska and Hawaii. Coast Gem USA quarantines each goldfish before they are listed for sale to make sure that each fish is healthy before being shipped.

    All fish are shipped in thick plastic bags and the water is bottled water. They do add methylene blue into the water as a preventative measure. The bags are then tied with a rubber band and stored in a styrofoam box and sealed before being shipped.

    Pros
    • High-quality goldfish
    • Goldfish are quarantined
    • Good shipping

    Cons
    • Poor customer service is occasionally reported


    2. Live Aquaria – Best Value

    liveaquaria

    Types of goldfish: Fancy and common
    Shipping location: United States
    Shipping period: Unspecified

    Live Aquaria has the best goldfish for the money. This site sells a variety of fancy goldfish, from black moors, Wakin, Ryukin, and Oranda goldfish. The starting price for each goldfish is fairly low, yet the quality of the goldfish is decent. The shipping schedule of their fish is not specified, as it depends on when the order can be fulfilled and whether the weather conditions are ideal for live shipping.

    They do not have the most uncommon goldfish for sale, and the types of specialty goldfish they have are limited, but they do sell many favorite breeds amongst goldfish lovers. They ship in the United States and have sales and discounts on their fish and products now and then.

    Pros
    • Affordable
    • Good customer satisfaction
    • Low shipping costs

    Cons
    • Unpredictable shipping period


    3. King Koi and Goldfish – Premium Choice

    King Koi and Goldfish logo

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States
    Shipping period: 7 business days

    Our premium choice is the King Koi and Goldfish website if you are looking for affordable yet specialty fancy goldfish. They have a wide selection of top-quality goldfish that are fairly priced, with a variety of different Thai goldfish to choose from. The types of goldfish they breed and sell include Orandas, Ranchu, Ryukins, and Pearlscale goldfish. These goldfish are available in different color patterns that you won’t easily find in a pet store.

    They specialize in rare and exotic goldfish from China, and they select their goldfish from over 20 different farms throughout the country. This allows them to sell rare goldfish at a fair price throughout the United States.

    Orders of their goldfish take 2 days to process, and then the parcel will be shipped between Monday and Wednesday unless there is a holiday. King Koi and Goldfish have a live-on-arrival guarantee, or they will replace the fish if it dies during shipping if you email them within 2 hours of receiving the fish.

    They take care in ensuring each goldfish is packed safely and securely in the shipping container to prevent anything going wrong as the goldfish is being shipped to you.

    Pros
    • Live-on-arrival guarantee
    • High-quality goldfish
    • Affordable
    • Good shipping

    Cons
    • Long shipping process during the holidays


    4. East Coast Ranchu

    East Coast Ranchu

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States, Hawaii
    Shipping period: Every Tuesday

    East Coast Ranchu is an independent and small goldfish business that breeds quality Ranchu and Oranda goldfish. Their goldfish are bred in the United States, but the goldfish have Thai and Chinese bloodlines. Since East Coast Ranchu’s goldfish are bred in the fish room by a goldfish breeder and hobbyist, they are less likely to carry diseases or parasites like imported goldfish sometimes can.

    Only high-quality goldfish are used for the breeding stock to supply East Coast Ranchu with goldfish to sell, which helps to ensure that the offspring are healthy and have a good bloodline.  Since it is only run by one person, email replies can be slow. You will need to be patient if you want to contact East Coast Ranchu and double-check that your inquiry has not already been answered on the website.

    Pros
    • Less likely to have parasites and diseases
    • Bred for quality
    • Fairly priced

    Cons
    • Only limited to Ranchu and Oranda goldfish


    5. Goldfish Kingdom

    Goldfish Kingdom logo

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States, Hawaii, Canada
    Shipping period: Up to 2 weeks

    Goldfish Kingdom has a small selection of quality goldfish for sale on their online website, and their selection ranges from Oranda goldfish such as Tricolor, Shogun, and Apache varieties. You can choose to shop from the new arrivals or premium selection on the Goldfish Kingdom website, but they do not have as much variety as other online goldfish vendors.

    In comparison to other websites we have reviewed, Goldfish Kingdom is the pricier option. However, they are priced high because of their large size and show-quality appearance. The goldfish are bred for their health, longevity, and appearance.

    The shipping process can be up to 2 weeks depending on when you place your order, as the health of the fish is more important to the seller rather than shipping the fish to you quickly and risking the fish dying due to shipping complications.

    Pros
    • Healthy goldfish
    • Large goldfish
    • Show-quality

    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Limited stock


    6. Chu Chu Goldfish

    Chu Chu Goldfish logo

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States
    Shipping period: Up to 2 weeks

    Chu Chu Goldfish is an online goldfish store that is run by goldfish hobbyists who aim to sell quality goldfish in the United States. They sell fancy goldfish that arrive from China and Thailand and then the goldfish are quarantined to ensure they are healthy before being shipped to you. Each goldfish is priced fairly depending on the rarity and size of the goldfish.

    They have exotic goldfish varieties such as Jumbo Calico Rosetail Orandas or show-grade Sakura Ranchu’s. Most of their goldfish are show quality, and new arrivals are constantly being added to the website.

    Chu Chu goldfish have a live-on-arrival guarantee, and they will reimburse you for any goldfish that died on arrival. Shipping can take a long time since some orders can be held up to 2 weeks as the goldfish need to be shipped when they have the highest chance of surviving the shipment process.

    Pros
    • Live-on-arrival guarantee
    • Fairly priced
    • Goldfish are quarantined before shipping

    Cons
    • Orders can take up to 2 weeks


    7. Zhao’s Fancies

    Zhao’s Fancies logo

    Types of goldfish: Fancy
    Shipping location: United States, Hawaii
    Shipping period: Up to a week

    Zhao’s Fancies sells a variety of fancy goldfish in their online shop. Their goldfish breeds include Orandas, Ranchus, Tosakin, and Lionhead goldfish which are available in a range of patterns, colors, and sizes.

    They have a live-on-arrival guarantee on their goldfish with priority shipping to ensure that the goldfish arrives at your door quickly. Shipping can take a few days as the orders are only processed within a day or two. The customer service is quite good from Zhao’s Fancies, and you can contact them with any questions you have about the goldfish or their service.

    The goldfish themselves are decently priced, although the shipping rates can be quite high depending on your location. Overall, they have a good selection of fancy goldfish for sale and take pride in ensuring their goldfish are healthy before being shipped.

    Pros
    • Large selection
    • Good customer service
    • Healthy goldfish

    Cons
    • Expensive shipping

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    Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Places to Buy Goldfish Online

    Is it safe to buy goldfish online?

    If you buy goldfish from a trusted online store like the ones we have reviewed in this article, then it is safe to buy goldfish online. However, there are still things that could go wrong during the shipping process, such as the goldfish dying or getting lost. These situations are usually rare and you can contact the website for help regarding your order if something has gone wrong.

    Most goldfish from online stores are bred for quality and health, which is something you do not easily find in pet store goldfish. This means that you can expect to receive a healthier goldfish if this is the aim of the online store.

    Tips and info for buying goldfish online

    • Only buy from reputable online stores that have received good reviews.
    • Make sure to read the policies on the website.
    • Check that the website can ship to your location.
    • Ask the online goldfish vendor about any queries you have concerning the buying, shipping process, or stock.
    • Note that the goldfish won’t always look like the advertising pictures and size and pattern placement may vary.
    • Since these websites are shipping live fish, the shipping period can be unpredictable due to weather or courier company complications.

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    Conclusion

    We have chosen two online goldfish websites as our top picks for their variety and service. The first top pick is Coast Gem USA, as they are a well-known fish store that sells a variety of different goldfish. Our second top pick is East Coast Ranchu’s for their healthy selection of Oranda and Ranchu goldfish that are fairly priced.

    Buying goldfish online can be a fun and convenient experience, and hopefully, our reviews have helped you find the best online store for your needs.


    Featured Image Credit: Tinh Nguyen, Unsplash

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