07/30/2025
Carnival season is in full swing and I can tell just from the amount of new customers we’re getting. The first interaction typically starts with something along the lines of “we won a/some goldfish at the carnival and we didn’t expect them to live and now we have no idea what we’re doing with them” or “we won a/some goldfish at the carnival so we ran out to Walmart and picked up a tank since they were the only place open that late and they died and I don’t know why.”
I totally get it. My journey also started with goldfish in a bowl when I was about five years old and I would strap them into the seatbelt to make sure they got home safely. Unfortunately, bowls are not a good setup for these guys. Neither are 2, 5, or 10 gallon tanks. “But I’ve kept goldfish in small tanks for years and they lived.” Yes, you could also live in a closet for years. We have to remember that there’s a difference between surviving and thriving and a lot of people unfortunately don’t think about that when it comes to fish.
Goldfish have the potential to reach a whopping 14”! To put that into perspective, that’s about the same size as a full grown Oscar. Not only that, but they are very messy fish and produce a lot of waste. Adequate space and filtration along with frequent water changes is a must if you want them to live full, happy lives. The fish you’re winning at a carnival have already had not so great lives as they’re feeder fish that you can pick up at any pet store for less than $0.50 compared to the $5.00 or so that you’re paying to play the game. As feeder fish, they’re typically kept in terrible conditions and are often sick since most places don’t treat their feeders. We treat all of our feeders with the same meds as the rest of our new fish.
Obviously the first part of this post won’t deter most people from winning carnival fish anyways, so here’s what you need to keep in mind when getting one. First of all, if you know you’re going to the carnival and know you’re going to try and win a fish, PLEASE have something already set up. So many people have already come in this season and just filled up a bowl or tank with tap water, threw the fish in, and are asking me why it died overnight. Unless you’re on a well, your tap water has chlorine and chloramines in it which are toxic to fish. You should get a tap water conditioner to make that water safe. Along with that, tanks need to be cycled. With having a new tank, it’s a good idea to get something like API Quick Start to get your nitrifying bacteria colony going. Goldfish are very hardy and can usually survive what is called a “fish in cycle”, but the ones you’re getting from the carnival are already going to be super stressed out from going from a feeder tank, to a bowl or bag, then sitting in the heat all day (or days) when they’re cold water fish, and then going home with an inexperienced fish keeper.
While they will be small when you get them, they will grow. It’s ok to keep them in a smaller tank temporarily, but you’ll definitely want to consider upgrading to a larger tank down the road or putting them in some sort of outdoor pond if possible. I usually recommend at bare minimum a 30 gallon for decent sized goldfish, but the more you add the larger the tank will need to be. Make sure to feed them a good quality goldfish food. They’re messy enough as it is and feeding the cheapest food you can find will make them even messier because cheap foods are mainly filler that they aren’t utilizing. Make sure to add filtration that is rated higher than the tank you’re keeping them in and keep up with water changes. I recommend 25% a week. Other than that, they’re very easy to care for. As long as you provide adequate space and filtration, they can easily live well over ten years. A goldfish living a week, month, or year is not “good for a carnival fish”. It’s a very shortened life on a fish that can live an exceptional amount of time. So, if you want to get goldfish, I highly encourage you to go to your local pet shop and get them there. You’ll spend less money on healthier fish and get the proper guidance needed to care for them. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
