12 Reasons You Really Need a Pet Goldfish in Your Life

Updated on Jan 29, 2024

Thinking about getting a goldfish? Great! You have no idea what you’re in for. While they aren’t perfect (what pet is?), out of all the kinds of pets you can have, a goldfish has got to be one of the BEST.

Here’s my take on what I’ve discovered during my years of keeping goldfish as pets. Keep on reading to find out!

Unique Advantages of Having a Pet Goldfish

Do goldfish make good pets? I think so! And I’m not alone.

To prove it, these are just SOME of the reasons you’ll enjoy the goldfish experience!

1. Come in a huge variety of colors & styles

Goldfish Ryukin_Moo teaforthree_shutterstock — Image Credit: Moo teaforthree, Shutterstock

There’s something for everyone in the world of goldfish.

Thanks to heavy selective breeding, all kinds of beautiful and unusual color patterns, scale types, and body shapes are possible in the goldfish world!

Whether you like the stocky-bodied, long-finned fancy kind or the fast, athletic slim-bodied fish—there’s a goldfish that’s perfect for your personality!

2. Make quiet pets

Carassius auratus Goldfish_gunungkawi_shutterstock — Image credit: gunungkawi, Shutterstock

Annoyed by obnoxious barking or incessant, irritating meows? A fish is as quiet as it gets.

Seriously, the only noise you’ll ever be bothered by will be from your equipment (if you choose loud equipment). This means they are fantastic for an office, bedroom, or living room.

3. Can grow to the size of their tank

You heard it right, folks. Goldfish actually CAN grow to the size of their tank. So, if you’re short on space or can’t afford a big fish tank, that doesn’t mean you have to head over to the tropical fish isle.

Now, if your goldfish is already big, it will obviously need more swimming space.

But if you start out with a young fish, they can do quite well in a smaller area thanks to their ability to grow to the size of their environment.

4. Get along well with each other

do goldfish need a filter — Image credit: Pixabay

In general (not speaking to spawning season here), goldfish get along GREAT with other goldfish. There are even some people who keep peaceful tanks comprised of certain tropical and goldfish.

Not all fish make good tank mates for goldfish, so research is required before pairing certain species.

But goldfish are a fantastic community fish, especially when kept with those of their own kind.

5. Are one of the least expensive pets

goldfish in bag — Image Credit: Alex Violet, Shutterstock

While the yearly price of owning a dog, cat, or *gasp* horse will be enough to make your jaw drop, a cute little pet goldfish won’t break the bank.

For under $50, you can keep a pet that can bring you years of enjoyment without a ton of financial investment.

6. Can live a very long time

goldfish-pixabay — Image Credit: epicioci, Pixabay

It’s true: goldfish have a reputation for being short-lived for a reason.

But it’s not really their fault. By the time you bring them home, they’ve been through an extreme amount of stress. So most don’t survive.

BUT sometimes they do, and when they do, they can stick around for decades!

20–30 years is considered long-lived, but some even make it into their 40’s.

7. Can be easy to maintain

water testing strip — Image Credit: Dmitri Ma, Shutterstock

If you can set aside 20 minutes each week, you can keep a fish.

Honestly, you don’t have to count feeding time if you use an automatic aquarium feeder.

If you really know what you’re doing, you might be lucky enough to set up a no-maintenance tank that requires 0 water changes or cleaning.

Neat, right?

Less work than taking Fido for a walk every day or breaking your back cleaning the litter box.

If you're new to the world of goldfish or are an experienced goldfish keeper that loves to learn more, we recommend you check out our best-selling book, The Truth About Goldfish, on Amazon.

From diagnosing illnesses and providing correct treatments to ensuring your goldies are happy with their setup and your maintenance, this book brings our blog to life in color and will help you to be the best goldfishkeeper you can be.

8. Don’t do a lot of annoying things

eggfish goldfish_seaonweb_shutterstock — Image Credit: seaonweb, Shutterstock

Let’s face it: we love our furry friends, but they can be a bit ornery.

Here’s a list of destructive/annoying/stupid things a goldfish will NEVER do:

Shred, chew, or destroy furniture
Soil carpet
Require you to let them outside every day to walk and go to the bathroom
Get Animal Control knocking on your door
Create a dirty, smelly litterbox
Bite/scratch people or hurt small children
Require expensive spay/neuter procedures
Eat you out of house and home
Get stuck in a tree
Make lots of loud sounds that annoy the neighbors
Run away from home
Shed all over
Demand frequent attention
Do embarrassing things in front of guests & spectators
Wake you up in the night or too early
etc.

9. You will learn a lot

goldfish ryuikin diving underwater_Kateryna Mostova_shutterstock — Image Credit: Kateryn Mostova, Shutterstock

Get this: you won’t believe how educational keeping goldfish will be!

There is SO much to learn. Even after all this time of keeping goldfish and researching, I’m STILL learning new things

They’re a fascinating learning tool for children, too. Children can learn responsibility when you teach them how to care for their pets.

10. They will capture your heart, full of personality

fish food goldfish — Image credit: Pixabay

So many people are really surprised when they learn how full of character their little goldfish friends really are.

This leads to some pretty deep emotional attachment. Yes, if you have a heart, you will feel the loss when they pass.

But you will also enjoy lots of happy times with them where they make you smile. No two fish are the same, and each has its own personality quirks.

11. Companionship

Image Credit: Yuli4kaSergeevna, Shutterstock

It goes without saying that a goldfish is a faithful little friend. They’re there to greet you when you come home.

They’ll always be happy to see you. And they’ll give you a little company, which is great if you live alone or don’t have many friends.

12. Beautiful slice of nature in your home

clean fish — Image By: satit_srihin, Shutterstock

This goes without saying: having a goldfish means it will have to have a place to live.

But that’s a big part of the fun!

You get to decorate their home however you please, and you can even create a little slice of nature with live plants to be a relaxing underwater garden if you like.

Did I mention watching your aquarium is so relaxing?

Final Thoughts

Keeping goldfish is rewarding, relaxing, and a fun pastime. But more than that, they make fantastic pets.

Oh, I forgot to mention a warning:

They are like potato chips. You can’t have just one once you get the “goldfish bug.”

Related Reads:

Featured Image Credit: iordani, Shutterstock