‘How long do goldfish live?’ is a great question with a very surprising answer!

The goldfish lifespan is actually very long. A lot longer than most people think!

However, there is a big difference between how long goldfish can live and how long most actually do live.

In this article, we explore the topic of goldfish lifespan. We look at how long goldfish can live, how long they usually do live, and what you can do to give your goldfish the best chance of living a long life.

We also find out:

How long different types of goldfish live

How long goldfish live in different conditions (including out of water!)

The results of our BIG goldfish lifespan survey

How long do goldfish live?

On average, goldfish live for 5 to 10 years. But with proper care, goldfish can live much longer.

One goldfish even lived to be 45 years old.

It’s important to remember this when you decide to keep a pet goldfish. Don’t assume that a goldfish is a short-term pet that won’t live very long.

You could have your goldfish for many years, so be prepared to look after them for a long time.

But how long do most goldfish live?

In order to live a long time, pet goldfish need to be cared for properly. Sadly, most goldfish are not cared for properly. Therefore, most goldfish don’t live anywhere close to their full potential lifespan.

Many pet goldfish don’t live past a few years. Instead, they die within a matter of months or even weeks. This is because a lot of people don’t take the time to learn how to care for goldfish properly.

We recommend reading our article on why goldfish die. It will help you to understand the reasons goldfish don’t survive, so you can avoid making those mistakes.

To give your goldfish the best chance of living a long time, you should:

But good care isn’t the only factor. Genetics and your fish’s life before you bought it also affect the chances of your goldfish living a long life.

Buying your goldfish from a quality independent pet shop or private breeder will make sure you get a good, healthy fish.

Lifespan of different goldfish types

How long do Common, Comet and Shubunkin goldfish live?

Common goldfish, Comets and Shubunkins are the longest-living types of goldfish.

These slim-bodied goldfish have the potential to live for many years. And with the right care, potentially even decades.

What is the lifespan of fancy goldfish?

Fancy goldfish tend to live shorter lives than slim-bodied goldfish.

As fancy goldfish have been selectively bred to display certain traits – such as round bodies, flowing fins and bulging eyes – they are often more susceptible to health problems. For instance, swim bladder problems are more common in fancy goldfish.

Fancy goldfish also tend to be more delicate and less hardy than common goldfish. You will need to be extra careful about water quality if you want your fancy goldfish to live a long time.

Don’t be disheartened though! It is certainly still possible for fancy goldfish to live for several years. With good care, age 10 is certainly achievable, and some fancy goldfish may even make it to 15 years old.

How long do carnival goldfish live?

Carnival goldfish aren’t a distinct variety of goldfish. The type of goldfish that you win at a fair or carnival is usually a common goldfish.

This type of goldfish has the potential to live for decades. But that is far less likely for carnival goldfish than it is for fish bought at a reputable pet store or from a breeder.

There are a few reasons for this:

Carnival goldfish are often kept in poor conditions prior to being won. For instance, they have usually spent a long time in a tank with lots of other fish, before being moved to a small bag. This is very bad and stressful for the fish.

Carnival goldfish are unlikely to have been bought from a quality pet store. They are therefore likely to be weaker genetically than well-bred goldfish.

As carnival goldfish are an unexpected prize, the new owner is usually unprepared for keeping goldfish. Most winners of carnival goldfish do not have a cycled tank or pond ready for the fish, and most don’t know the basics of goldfish care. By the time they learn and get a bigger tank, it is often too late for the fish.

How lifespan is affected by water volume

You are more likely to be able to maintain good water quality in a large body of water.

Larger tanks and ponds are also more likely to be well cycled and have more oxygen in the water. All of this can greatly increase your goldfish’s chance of living a long life.

How long do goldfish live in a bag?

How long goldfish can live in a bag very much depends on the type of bag.

Some goldfish are shipped from stores to new owners by mail, meaning they often have to survive in a bag for around 2 days. Stores use special packaging and ‘breather bags’ to make this possible.

A goldfish may survive around 8 to 12 hours in a normal bag. The length of time they survive depends on how quickly they use up all the oxygen.

We recommend introducing your goldfish to your tank or pond as quickly as possible. This minimises the amount of time they spend in a bag. However, do be careful to introduce your goldfish safely and gradually.

How long do goldfish live in a bowl?

It’s very unlikely that a goldfish will live for more than a few months in a bowl. Assuming the bowl is small and unfiltered – like most goldfish bowls – a goldfish would be doing extremely well to make it to one year in such poor conditions.

Goldfish produce a lot of waste. In a small bowl, no amount of water changes is going to get rid of it all.

The waste will therefore build up in your bowl and eventually poison your goldfish.

To keep goldfish properly and have them live longer, healthier lives, you need a big tank or a pond.

How long do goldfish live in a pond?

A pond is the ideal place for goldfish to live a long time. Ponds offer a large water volume and a big surface area, which is great for getting lots of oxygen into the water.

There is no reason why your goldfish shouldn’t survive for over 10 years, potentially 20 years or more, in a pond. You just need to keep them safe from predators, such as birds, and make sure temperatures stay within an acceptable range, even in the winter.

How long can goldfish survive without food or water?

Obviously, goldfish need food and water.

A goldfish that has no access to food will eventually die of starvation. While goldfish out of water will suffocate in a short space of time.

However, you may be surprised by just how long goldfish can live without food or water.

How long do goldfish live without food?

Goldfish can survive for at least two weeks without any food at all. Though this isn’t recommended.

If you’re going away on a short holiday, there is likely more risk of your goldfish being over-fed than there is of starvation. Automated feeders, or well-meaning pet-sitters who don’t know better, often feed goldfish too much.

One goldfish survived for 134 days without being fed. Though it wasn’t entirely without food. The fish survived on algae and scraps of leftover food still present in the tank from previous meals.

How long do goldfish live out of water?

For obvious reasons, water is pretty important to goldfish! As you would expect, a goldfish out of water will not survive very long.

However, if you’ve assumed they would die within seconds or minutes – you may be surprised.

Goldfish can actually live for up to an hour out of water.

This could be stretched even further is there is at least some water – a small puddle for example. Some goldfish have survived up to three hours on the floor, because some water came with them when they jumped out of the tank.

Of course, being out of water is extremely dangerous for a goldfish. You should never deliberately remove your goldfish from water.

If your fish jumps out of their tank accidentally, you should put them back as quickly as possible.

How long have your goldfish lived?

An incredible 20,000 people have responded to our goldfish lifespan survey.

Here are the results:

20% of people said they’d never kept a goldfish alive for longer than a year

of people said they’d never kept a goldfish alive for longer than a year 43% said they’d had a goldfish live for between 1 and 6 years

said they’d had a goldfish live for between 1 and 6 years 17% said 6 to 10 years

said 6 to 10 years 20% said their goldfish had lived for over 10 years

So 20% report keeping a goldfish alive for less than one year… and another 20% say they have kept a goldfish alive for 10 years or more!

This is the difference that good goldfish care can make.

How long has your oldest goldfish lived? Less than 6 months

6 months to 1 year

1 to 2 years

2 to 4 years

4 to 6 years

6 to 8 years

8 to 10 years

Over 10 years View Results

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Check out the latest results to see how long our readers have managed to keep their goldfish alive. How does this compare to your oldest goldfish?

What is the average lifespan of a goldfish?

In conclusion, a number of different factors affect the lifespan of a goldfish. This makes it very difficult to identify an average goldfish life span or an exact goldfish life expectancy.

Based on our survey of more than 20,000 goldfish keepers, we can say that the average lifespan of a pet goldfish is around 4 years.

However, we now know that – with better care – this number could be a lot higher.