By Jamie Boyle
Well this goldfish question “How Long Do Goldfish Live” is one I’ve been asked many many times. The lifespan of a goldfish differs greatly as it all depends on how well people take care of their goldfish. If people provide proper goldfish care they should live a long healthy life.
The true fact of the matter is that we are the ones truly responsible for how long goldfish live for. What we feed our goldfish, how big their aquarium is, having proper equipment such as filters and air pumps and not overcrowding their tank can increase how long goldfish live. 
By doing the following can drastically reduce the chance of goldfish diseases occurring as well as increase the years that your goldfish live.
Goldfish can live up to be 20 years old or older but the above mentioned goldfish tips need to be carried out if you want your pet to live a good life. Most goldfish I would say don’t live to be 20 years old as they are just too many factors to consider. The lifespan of a goldfish reduces drastically when one attempts to keep fish in a goldfish bowl. Taking care of goldfish in a bowl is not recommended and people shouldn’t expect their goldfish to live for years and years in such a small environment with usually no filter or air. If people want their goldfish to live long lives provide the essential care required for healthy goldfish.
So how long have your goldfish lived for you? Lets here some comments and ages and type of some of your goldfish. How old are your goldfish?
31 replies on “How Long Do Goldfish Live?”
I am really enjoying your goldfish blog. I’ve put you on my blogroll so I don’t loose you. Thanks for the info on black spots and ammonia levels. I’ve started doing a partial water change weekly and I think all the fish are happier! 🙂
I would love to buy Frankie some real goldfish (not the crackers) soon :). Thanks for the visit.
Thanks Betsy!
I’m really glad that you do enjoy my goldfish blog. It’s always nice to hear back from readers.
Your very welcome for the info. Glad to hear your goldfish are much happier.
If you ever need anymore help, please feel free to stop by anytime.
Sincerely,
Jamie Boyle
Merydith thanks for stopping by. Yeah I thought that picture was cute and funny all at the same time. When kids are quite you really need to wonder what the heck are they up too 🙂
I’m sure Frankie would love for you to have an aquarium set up as he watches his little goldfish swim around. I know my daughter enjoyed it a lot and sure Frankie would too. Someday eh 🙂
Thanks for the visit!
Sincerely,
Jamie Boyle
@ Betsy – I forgot to ask you, how long have you had your goldfish now? Are they pretty old? What do you have just regular goldfish or fancy? Nice to know how long some people’s goldfish have lived for.
My sons put several goldfish in our under porch 1000+ gallon cistern in 1989 and 1990. Two are still alive. I just saw a gold one today, 5/27/2009 and it was about 4″ long. I have never fed them, and they are there all year long, with the top frozen over in the winter. I couldn’t believe they lasted that long. Bob in Bexley Ohio
In 1993 and 1994 our sons put several goldfish they “won” from the elementary school funfest in our cistern under our front porch. I just saw one today, 5/27/2009, it was about 5″ long and orange. I saw a tanish one last summer also. This tank is dark, about 1000G, and I have never fed them. Those are some tough little fish. Bob in Bexley Ohio
i have had my goldfish for at least 7 years. they have grown to a point where i needed new tanks. and i added a koi with him who also seems to be doing well.
My gold fish are at least seven years old, if not older. I got them as "rescued" feeders, and we love them all. I think one of them must be a koi, because he has a slightly different head and "whiskers" at the corners of his mouth.
this has been really helpful. But i would like to ask what goldfish for my 6 year old sister?
This has been really helpful, but i would like to ask you. What would be the best fish for my 6 year old sister?
Rashel,
The best fish for your 6 year old sister would be a regular goldfish. For beginners getting into the hobby start off getting common goldfish and then later on get more fancy goldfish.
Start small and grow as your experience does.
If your already comfortable in the overall aspect in taking care of fish then it's really up to you. If not start with a few goldfish and grow from there as you become more comfortable.
Goldfish are very hardy and are the #1 beginner fish for people to start with.
Best of luck with whatever fish your sister decides on getting.
Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
I wondered how long they lived! Thanks for the info!
We wanted to "test out our waters" and bought… feeder fish, as in, the fish used to feed other fish! Tiny little goldfish for only 15 cents! I had 5 (jerry, elaine, george, kramer, and newman) but unfortunately one (newman) died within the first week… Besides that its been a year and a half and they are HUGE!
Whenever people stop over they always compliment my fish. I hope to enjoy them for years to come!
My old goldfish lived alone in a 20 gallon tank. I tried making him have friends but apparently, he likes it alone. He was a tad aggressive. He loved me though. He always had to have his eyes on me. He lived over 5 years. He was a "carnival fish" that I had won as a prize at a game. I loved that fishy. 🙂
I have a goldfish that started off as a classroom project and ended up in a 55 gallon tank. She will be eleven this year as she was bought back in 1999. There were three others but during the years they just started dieing off. So Bubbles is almost eleven and I've been saying almost ten. Wow. I have pictures also.
Hi!
I love your site! Thank you for posting all the great information. I have a question…not necessarily regarding their lifespan.
I have 2 goldfish in a 55 gallon aquarium. Both are about 4 inches in length and fairly large in girth. One being a gold fancy, the other a black moor. I also have another goldfish in a 3 gallon tank which I rescued from my ex-husbands home. This one is a common goldfish about 2 inches in length and much smaller in overall size. I'd like to consolidate tanks by adding the common fish to the larger aquarium with the larger fish, however I've read many horror stories of larger goldfish eating or bullying smaller ones. I've had the common goldfish for almost 3 years and I would hate to just "throw him to the sharks"! What are your thoughts? Should I not take the chance? Any info would be helpful!
Thank you:)
Hi Jamie,
I love your site! Thank you for posting all the great information. I have a question…
I have 2 goldfish in a 55 gallon aquarium. Both are about 4 inches in length and fairly large in girth. One being a gold fancy, the other a black moor. I also have another goldfish in a 3 gallon tank which I rescued from my ex-husbands home. This one is a common goldfish about 2 inches in length and much smaller in overall size. I'd like to consolidate tanks by adding the common fish to the larger aquarium with the larger fish, however I've read many horror stories of larger goldfish eating or bullying smaller ones. I've had the common goldfish for almost 3 years and I would hate to just "throw him to the sharks"! What are your thoughts? Should I not take the chance? Any info would be helpful!
Hello,
I have a question about goldfish i haven't seen answered yet. i recently started taking care of goldfish again (I used to keep them when i was younger) and I woke up one morning to find one of them stuck to the side of the filter. Is it likely that the filter is too powerful for my little fish? I have had the fish three weekd with no other problems, cleaning the tank regularly etc. and the tank I have is specifically a goldfish tank.
My Goldfish – Stephen died today. He was 12 years old and i feel so guilty. Over the years he has seen off several other goldfish, some of which i think he killed. He was a large fish who loved his own company, every morning he would watch me as i put his food in. This last couple of months we have moved house and his biodome was wedged up a corner of a room and desperately needed a clean, time was never on my side hence i kept putting it off and today i find him lying at the bottom dead. I know it sounds stupid but i really did love him….
Our goldfish died yesterday. He lived 9 years and 11 months. Our other goldfish is currently 4 years old.
I have had great luck with my goldfish. I started off with three (Nellie, Jennifer, and Tennah). They were my birthday present when I was 5 years old, I got the tank and everything from my parents. Tennah lived 7 years, Jennifer lived 9 years and Nellie is still alive and kicking. She is now over 18 years old, and my only problem is what to do with her now that I don't have a place to put her tank. No 5 year old thinks what am I going to do with my pet fish when I move out of the house (LOL). For now she is living at my parents : ) I have alwys wonderd how olng they can live but have never looked it up. Most people don't believe me when I tel thim how old she is. I just think it is my claim to fame. Thanks for the info!
i have 4 gold fish and have had 3 of them for 6 yrs, the problem is, is that one of them has lost all of her color except the top fin she was orange now she is white with the one orange fin i thought she would die but that was 7 months ago and i'm still waiting. why did she loose her coloring?
so far my goldfish hav lived 4 bout 5 months now i expect 4 em 2 liv 2 at least 5 yrs old 🙂
my gold fish lasted 8 1/2 months in a rectangular bowl.
Good job people! Goldfish can live a long life as long as we take the proper steps in caring for them right. Good nutrition, proper maintenance schedule, water changes, water quality checks will all help your goldfish live a long healthy life.
I look forward to reading more comments on how old other peoples goldfish are.
Best of luck everyone and keep doing what your doing!
Sincerely,
Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
I have 2 goldfish and 2 red eyed albino fish and i have had 1 of the goldfish for about 15 years and unffortunatly it died last night and my last goldfish that followed it around everywhere looks lost he just keeps sitting in the corner and the 2 red eyed albino ive have for about 5 years im always keeping there tank clean
I LOVE YOUR SIGHT!!!
We have had our goldfish for 10+ years. We bought him for 3 cents… so as you can tell he was a "feeder" goldfish. His name is Glug and has quite the personality. He sits by my computer and if he is hungry and I am not paying attention, he will splash me… yuck!
Years ago we almost lost Glug. He had a rick stuck in his mouth and was unable to get it out. It was after hours in our small town so the vet was closed… Yes I was going to take him to the vet! We decided we had to try to get it out ourselves. Just as I was reaching in to grab him for my husband who had tweezers in hand, Glug spit it out. When it hit the glass it popped so loud I thought it would break the glass. Needless to say, Glug only gets BIG rocks in his tank now.
We hope to have another 10+ years with our little finned friend. Thanks for your blogs in making his life better.
Hello, I have 3 goldfish in a 40 gallon tank. One of the fish is 2.5 years old. For the past 2 days, he is just sitting on the bottom and doesn’t eat. He swims around alittle but just stays on the bottom and when he swims he looks like he is off balance and leaning to one side. He looks normal and all his fins look fine except the one on top of him looks pushed back. I checked all the levels and everything is fine. I also just completed a water change. Any help would be great.
Thanks,
John
We have a carnival goldfish who has been in a plastic 2 gallon tank for 10 years, rarely has clean water, lives by himself and is always happy! We feel guilty about his conditions but it keeps him going. We have thought about putting him in a “luxury tank” with filters, air bubbles, a scuba scene, etc. but don’t want to throw off what seems to be a good thing for him. 10 years!
Wow, just goes to show people just how hardy are goldfish! I know your goldfish has lived for 10 years in that small goldfish bowl but you really should be put in a larger fish tank with proper equipment. If you give your goldfish a better place to live your goldfish could live another 10+ years. Your goldfish lifespan will increase and I’m sure he’d love you for it.
Who ever said that winning a goldfish at a carnival can’t live a long life. Your goldfish has.
Your goldfish appears to be stressed or sick by his clamped fins. Have you done anything recently to your tank or added anything. When doing water testing, what do you actually test for? Maybe you need to test other things? Hope to hear from you soon.
My son’s goldfish was won at a school carnival…….Goldie the goldfish is now 12 years old! A normal goldfish,happy healthy and in a normal type bowl, which of course I had to enlarge through time. But Goldie has no filtration system, and seems to be going strong still! 🙂