Goldfish have been, are and continue to be one of the most misunderstood pets…
… But not in the way you might think.
It’s true:
Goldfish can – and have – grown to the size of their environment by self-limiting their growth (talking about bowls and small tanks here)…
… And they can thrive at that smaller size!
It’s all because of something called STUNTING.
Stunting can be environmental or genetic.
This ability is one of the major reasons why goldfish have been the most popular aquarium fish worldwide – because they don’t have to be given massive areas to live in.
It makes them accessible to the hobbyist who doesn’t have much money or a lot of space for a big tank.
(People who say otherwise don’t understand how this really works.)
In fact:
The evidence is showing that small, stunted goldfish are actually more resilient and longer-lived than those that are grown to be large sizes.
It is true that goldfish CAN get huge.
But only if conditions favor that, and if not they are able to inhibit their own growth, which is pretty amazing.
Concentration of the growth inhibiting hormone somatostatin goldfish limit the fish’s growth in a smaller environment (without large frequent water changes).
This keeps a fish that can grow 12″ in a big space around 3-5″ in a smaller space.
And lest you think this is “cruel…”
So far I have yet to see any evidence to support the notion that the organs of the fish keep growing when the fish does not.
And real life examples indicate stunted goldfish actually have a longer lifespan than average.
Read More: World’s 9 Oldest Goldfish have 4 Weird Things in Common
On the flip side:
And some goldfish never get to be a tenth of what is considered full size no matter HOW much room and fresh water they get, because it comes down to genetics.
I’ve seen many people go out and buy a huge tank expecting their fish to become a whale…
… And you know what?
It NEVER happens.
They feed them well, they change the water, they give them lots of room, and nada.
Perpetually small fish.
Why?
A goldfish does most of its growing in the first year of its life, and if its going to be a big one that’s usually when the growth happens.
Much of it comes down to genetics.
Those fish that don’t grow much are genetically stunted.
Runts.
Midgets.
Whatever you want to call them.
Whether a fish is environmentally or genetically stunted, there is NO evidence that this has a negative impact on their health or lifespan – quite the contrary.
The world’s oldest goldfish are consistently stunts kept in small aquaria.
Read more: Stunted Goldfish Growth: How it Happens (and is it Harmful)
1. Groundless Tank Size Requirements Used to Create Guilt – And Make a Profit
I’m letting loose on something that really bothers me.
Something that happens especially at pet stores, online forums and groups.
And its needlessly discouraging caring, would-be goldfish owners from joining the hobby – as well as leaving countless goldfish who would be rescued from horrible conditions to be doomed to a sad fate.
You might have heard something like this before at a pet store:
“Hi, I’m here to buy a feeder goldfish for a pet for my 5 year old.”
“Oh no, don’t you know that all goldfish grow huge? And those little feeder fish get to be over a foot long! They have to have a big tank. 40 gallons minimum, ideally a pond. If not they will be stunted and harmed for life. Right this way ma’am, I’ll show you our 40 gallon breeder tanks. You’ll need a filter that turns over 10x the water volume for that, and for water changes this hose kit that connects to your sink will need to remove 50% of the water weekly.”
“So, you’re telling me this $0.14 feeder fish needs over $100 worth of housing equipment to take care of if – not including the water bill?”
“Yep that’s right.“
“Umm…”
This results in 2 common outcomes:
- Some people see how ridiculous this is and go somewhere else. But the sad thing is those folks never learn what goldfish REALLY need to stay happy and healthy, and if they try to keep fish their own way many times (not all the time but many times) they fail and give up – all because they were never told the truth. So they never buy any more goldfish.
- Others feel guilted into thinking if they can’t afford or don’t have space for a huge aquarium, they’ll be an animal abuser and it’s time to head over to the betta fish section.
The bottom line?
Poor feeder goldfish that have battled to stay alive this far and could have been rescued remain at the store until some bearded dragon owner brings them home just to eaten alive.
And on the flip side, many folks never get to know the joy of keeping goldfish.
People who could have gone on to explore more of the exotic varieties miss out on a whole world, never realize how great, easy, relatively inexpensive pets they can be.
They are misled into thinking they can’t care for them right…
… Because these little pet store goldfish can (and have been) cared for for decades without big expensive tanks and filters and lived long, healthy lives.
You just have to know what their REAL needs are – and how to achieve them.
Instead:
Teach them how to keep their little fish healthy through good water quality and proper feeding habits (even if they never achieve whale status).
Related Post: Why Goldfish Tank Size Isn’t as Important as You Think
Sadly, using false information to create guilt and make massive up-sells on expensive products is dealing a heavy blow to the hobby as it excludes those with smaller incomes or living areas.
But this practice is nothing new.
Goldfish bowls have been slandered by aquarium manufacturers since the late 1800’s (coincidence?).
But the oldest documented goldfish in recent history lived in one just fine for 43 years.
Hmm….
Read More: Goldfish Bowls
2. Pet Store Feeder Goldfish Left to Die Without Homes
Many of these people truly believe – and convince others to believe – that its better for a fish to end up destroyed than put in anything less than x gallons of water in a forever home.
Think about this:
Pet stores claim their crowded conditions are temporary.
But have you ever looked in those tanks and noticed how many dead fish are there?
You don’t even see all the casualties, as employees have to remove the dead fish daily – sometimes PILES of them.
This is insane:
Image source: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/1kzrl4/years_ago_when_i_worked_at_petco_i_took_this_pic/
As if it couldn’t get any worse, add in the rampant disease problems in these setups contaminating most of them.
It’s like a concentration camp for fish! 🙁
How many fish die slow, miserable deaths before ever making it to their final digested destination?
Speaking of cruelty…
Ever seen what can happen to fish who are put in the same tank as a sharp-toothed predator?
This image was shared in our Facebook group by someone who rescued this fish from a piranha tank. He survived.
This shows how much pet stores REALLY care about these fish and creates a lot of confusion.
If you don’t buy the expensive gear, they’ll just sell that fish to a more “caring pet owner” – a carnivorous pet, that is.
While turning down owners who would do their best to give their fish a loving home with all their needs met, believing the fish is going to outgrow the small tank and that all goldfish will get big (which is a lame reason in my opinion, as even if it did outgrow the tank due to lots of water changes the owners can just upgrade).
But I don’t blame the pet stores entirely.
No, because well-meaning but misguided fish owners have helped to pour gasoline on this fire.
- They get angry when they see a small tank advertised with goldfish in it at the pet store, then proceed to try to “educate” employees or complain to managers using information pulled up through a quick internet search.
- They verbally thrash new fish owners who have their fish in anything under x number of gallons.
- They fight against fish being given away at fairs and make petitions against small homes for goldfish
What they don’t realize is they are actually killing more fish than they are helping by causing a lot of false panic and false guilt.
Instead, focusing on the real threats to goldfish health would get us much farther.
3. Untreated Disease a REAL Problem
What pet stores and these internet warriors DON’T tell you is what these fish need more important than a fancy fish mansion is health care.
Because frankly, most workers have no idea how parasite-ridden the majority of these poor fish actually are.
In fact:
Training veterinarians use them to study fish disease, they’re so contaminated!
People guilt-trip unsuspecting owners-to-be into giving them what they consider to be “proper care,” when in fact many of those things aren’t necessary at all.
They don’t inform them that their pet is actually likely to die from disease they got in those cramped, stress conditions at those facilities – where NO proper quarantine was performed to ensure your fish are healthy when you buy them.
(And that goes for all of their fish, not just the throwaway feeders.)
They’re selling you sick fish, people!
If people are going to spend money on these fish, shouldn’t it be (first and foremost) for something they really need to survive, such as quarantine treatments?
Tell me this:
Who cares if they have an ocean to swim in with a high-tech filter and colorful decorations…
… If they only end up dying a month or two later from one of many parasitic infections?
Related Post: How Big Can Goldfish Get?
Conclusion
No folks – we need to focus on the real problems here if we want to help fish.
- Stop worrying about fish having x number of gallons of water and emphasize clean water over more water. More dirty water never helped any fish.
- Start emphasizing the importance of proper quarantine procedures for all fish who do not come from trusted breeders.
This is my take.
Maybe you have a different opinion.
If so, you are invited to *respectfully* share it below.
Its funny I have just posted a vid of my 50 litre mini pond. Just waiting for the gallon gestapo to show up with their machine guns….but I am ready for them.
I was going to do a vid on what you said here basically….that many goldfish are being overlooked because of the huge expense of keeping them, so they end up as feeder fish. Nice.
Due to the shaming, flaming and guilting, not only do these fish keepers take away the joy of having goldfish, they contribute to people feeling sooo bad about their fish that if there is no pet store or pond to take them, they release them into the wild. Of course the self appointed experts have a hissy fit about that as well.
Genetics do play a part. So does breeding….some just will not make it and some just will not grow. But as long as the fish swims, looks happy, has a great environment (like mine do if I do say so myself) clean balanced water, good filtration, then smaller size is not the abuse its made out to be. Get tank conditions/levels right, planted right then add really young small goldfish and this deforming stunting myth will fade with each passing year you have your fin babes 🙂
People love goldfish (theyre my fave) and its so sad to see loved pets be passed over because of wrong information, even if well meaning. This well meaning ‘advice’ is causing more harm than good as you rightly pointed out in your article.
Its not just the money but smaller ponds are good for people with physical impairments like myself. I can manage this pond, its spot on. Money wise I can afford to get the best products for the health of my babies because filter and/or heater electricity usage and water meter cost are a factor on someone of low means right now. So even a stock pond soon adds up money and labour wise.
But these water angels have given me so much therapy I will do whats right for them and I know they are happy and healthy.
I
Thanks to you and the comments from people owning smaller goldfish for years, Ive learnt to re-trust my own instincts about my own fish’s health and happiness and I am no longer stressed about their welfare.
Theyre cool…. ❤
Thanks for your supportive comments! So true about the gallon gestapo LOL
I really like goldfish, but I don’t have much room. The biggest tank I could keep is 20 gal. So, if I get 3 fish, how much water do I change out per week to keep them healthy? I’m a little confused about the science – keeping them from outgrowing the tank and making sure the tank is chemically sound.
So there is no formula for water changes based on # of fish and tank size. There’s just too many factors like your filter media, feeding routine, etc. Experimentation is key. Try the 3 fish and use water testing to figure out when you need to clean the tank. Experiment with different setups until you find one that works for you. Some filters are better than others.
I have a common goldfish a friend won at a carnival. I got him in Aug of 2019 and he’s still living as of Feb 2020.
He’s getting larger but all I’ve read is not to feed them more than twice a day and not much at a time. I’ve been feeding him more often because he begs every time he sees me. I give him larger amounts of food morning and night but I do give him smaller amounts during the day. I wouldn’t turn down anyone or anything begging for more food. Am I hurting him by feeding him more?
More feed generally equals more growth. It depends on what your goals are for your fish. Generally underfeeding is better than overfeeding. I recommend providing foraging materials instead of processed fish food snacks so the fish doesn’t beg out of boredom.