Where to Buy Goldfish Online

Check out the top places below or scroll down for the entire list and more info!

3 Reasons to Shop for Your Goldfish For Sale Online

There’s no doubt about it:

Picking out a goldfish is hands-down the most exciting part of the goldfish hobby!

So, you ready to go shopping? 😀

1. Pet Store Problems: Health Issues, Poor Quality and Poor Help

I get it:

Going to the pet store can be fun.

You get to see all the fish in person and pick out yours to drive home.

But pet stores have a dirty little secret…

The imported fish they sell are often sold the SAME DAY they arrive at the store – no quarantine time at all.

These fish are often very stressed out by being shipped around so much, then crammed together in tanks with one huge filtration unit, and often carry loads of pesky parasites.

This means they can transmit these parasites they pick up to your existing tank and infect entire systems.

Not to mention:

It can be really hard to find a certain variety or color of goldfish for sale based on the limited selection they have in terms of breed diversity.

So if you’re in the market for a panda Oranda or perhaps a Butterfly Telescope from them, you’ll probably have to keep hunting.

Maybe worst of all…

Chain stores – while sometimes well-meaning – are notoriously guilty of giving out inaccurate information to unsuspecting customers.

This means if you have issues with your fish later on, they usually won’t be able to offer any helpful support.

Now:

People who are buying their fish from the pet store don’t always have these bad experiences. Sometimes things go smoothly.

But why risk it?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

Goldfish keeping is hard enough. Why make things more difficult for yourself by potentially getting off to a bad start?

2. Get Your Dream Fish Shipped Right to Your Door

This is crazy:

You can browse through high-quality photos and/or videos of the exact fish you are going to receive, compare prices and selection before you ever decide on that specific one.

And you can do so all from the comfort of your own home. 🙂

One thing I enjoy about shopping online is that I don’t feel pressured to make a quick decision like I would be at a brick and mortar store where you might have people waiting in line behind you or whatever.

Now:

There is the drawback of paying shipping costs on goldfish for sale you’ve purchased, but many sellers and breeders work hard to keep those low and combine it whenever possible if you are ordering multiple fish.

But the quality of the fish is nearly always superior to pet stores.

3. Seller Support

Fly-by-night companies can take advantage of customers by selling them sick fish and then proving to be unresponsive (which is why you should only order from reputable ones like those on this list!).

But good quality sellers are there to help you through the process of getting your fish and beyond.

What happens if your new fish has issues (which DOES happen occasionally)?

You can reach out to them and get reliable advice. 

Feel confident deciding to purchase a fancy goldfish for sale online when they offer a live arrival guarantee.

That way if some freak accident happens during transit…

… You get treated fairly with a replacement or refund.

Important Tips for Getting Your New Fish Settled In

1. Unbag the fish properly

Your new fish will arrive in a plastic bag with part water and part air.

Get them adjusting to the temperature of the tank as quickly as possible, don’t leave them sitting around in the box (who wants to do that after a long trip) 😉

You can do this by floating the bag in the water of the aquarium for 20 minutes.

Once you open the bag, transfer the fish into the tank right away.

The longer they sit in the bag once it has been opened, the more toxic the waste becomes.

2. Always, always, quarantine, quarantine, QUARANTINE!!!

(Sorry, didn’t mean to yell.)

It doesn’t matter if your seller is good and trustworthy or even if they quarantine before shipping their goldfish for sale to you (which is still very important).

Any time you are shipping fish, there will be stress – and stressed fish are susceptible to illness.

It’s impossible to prevent every little pathogen from coming in contact with them. There are even pathogens present in your own tank at all times.

You do NOT want to risk adding a new fish directly into your tank before isolating them for at least 2 weeks in a filtered (with an established filter), properly sized container or tank.

This gives them time to adjust and unwind before coming into contact with others.

I recommend checking with the seller you buy your fish from to see what quarantine procedures (if any) they follow. Quarantine involves at least 3 weeks of treatment for common diseases, examination and careful monitoring before you introduce a new fish in with the others.

If the seller doesn’t do that, you have to do it yourself or you can be putting your entire aquarium at risk.

Learn More: How to Quarantine New Fish

3. Make sure their new tank will be cycled

Look:

Nothing is worse than killing your new fish with New Tank Syndrome because you didn’t cycle it before you got them!

If for whatever reason the tank is not cycled prior to adding the new fish, you will have to do a fish-in cycle with large daily water changes.

This prevents ammonia from getting to dangerous levels and hurting your pets.

4. Do lots of water changes

Even if the tank is cycled, you still will have an adjustment period as the biological systems have to expand to accommodate the waste load of the new fish.

Bonus tip: Don’t feed for the first 24 hours after taking your new fish out of the bag. This will stress their digestive system after going without food and being on a plane. Give them time to acclimate.

>> Check out our Top Places to Buy Koi For Sale List!

Let’s Hear it from You Now

What did you think about getting goldfish in the mail?

Or what is your favorite website to shop on?

I’d love to hear your experience in the comments section below.