It’s not just relocating overseas when the time comes that you have to worry about what to do with your goldfish. You could be moving house, going on a holiday, an emergency could pop up or for whatever reason there might just be an extended period of time where you simply won’t be home.

Sometime over the next few months I plan to relocate overseas and unfortunately this means there are certain things I can’t take with me.

The car, cats, furniture and obviously, my goldfish.

Whilst I’ve found suitable solutions to all my other items my goldfish and their tank was still something I haven’t finalised.

Unlike cats or a car, goldfish do need some extra care knowledge to look after them. A goldfish keeper needs to have a basic understanding of aquarium water chemistry or at least the ability to hit the internet for answers if something goes wrong.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been considering my options and thought I’d put up some suggestions for anyone else in a similar situation.

1. Family and friends

Family and friends are the obvious choice when it comes to relocating your goldfish. Often there’s that one family member or friend who comments positively whenever they see your aquarium or goes on about how one day they wouldn’t mind setting their own up.

Now is the perfect time!

For me this was my dad and I’m currently waiting on him to make a decision if he wants to take over caring for them while I’m gone.

To make the deal sweeter offer to ‘train’ them up and get them involved with the moving process so that they’re familiar with all the different bits and pieces that come with a fish tank.

Oh and obviously offer to set the aquarium up for them too.

The basics you should teach a family member who is taking over your fish tank are

• Cleaning the filter
• Cleaning the tank. Gravel vacuum, water changes, cleaning the glass etc. Obviously this will vary depending on your tank setup.
• Establishing a feeding schedule
• How to dose water conditioner


Those are the absolute basics someone needs to know to maintain a goldfish aquarium. For anything else there’s always the internet or like I’m doing, mention that your expertise is just a phone call away.

Currently I run a Walstad type setup and despite how relatively low maintenance it is, if I leave the goldfish with my dad I’m probably going to convert to a barebottom while I’m away. Although you’re reintroducing a filter, barebottom minimises the plant aspect of goldfish keeping and with a decent filter is quite straightforward.

The key here is to make it sound as straightforward and appealing as possible. The last thing you want is a family member to lose interest after a few months and neglect your goldfish!

2. Donating to a local aquarium

If your goldfish are healthy and happy then I see no reason why a local fish shop wouldn’t take them off your hands. Unfortunately if you have single tail goldfish they might be a bit more reluctant.

I keep fancy goldfish and whilst they certainly aren’t show pieces or anything, I have become very attached to them and their sentimental value is quite high to me.

A good local aquarium will quarantine your goldfish before releasing them into their stocks for sale and for this reason they might knock you back. As an incentive try offering them a bit of money.

It might seem strange to offer a shop money so that they take your fish and then make more money re-selling them, but remember they are doing you a favour in the end. I have a few aquariums local to me and if things don’t work out with my dad plan to offer $50 as compensation for taking my goldfish off my hands.

Obviously the problem here is after you give up your goldfish there’s no way of ensuring some customer will rockup and take them home for their fish bowl where they’ll live a miserable existence.

I’m not 100% keen on this but I feel at least you did your best while you looked after them. I suppose you could minimise the chance of this happening by trying the more reputable local aquariums over the more dodgier looking ones.

3. Euthanasia

I definitely don’t advocate euthanizing your goldfish just because you can’t look after them anymore but I can also appreciate the need as an absolute last resort.

If you live in a remote area or simply don’t have any family nearby then sometimes it’s the only option available to you. I guess it’s the dog/cat equivalent of surrendering your pet to the pound and knowing in the back of your head it’s probably going to be put down.

It’s not an easy decision to make (well if you’re attached to your pets anyway) but if you do have to go down this path I only ask that you euthanize your goldfish humanely and painlessly.

Clove oil is relatively cheap so there’s no excuse not to.


Either of the above options have their ups and downs and without doubt getting a family member or friend to look after your fish is the most ideal. In my particular case I’m storing the aquarium at my dad’s house in any case so really it’s just a choice between storing the tank empty with boxes of equipment inside it or running stocked with fish.

Hopefully he decides to look after them otherwise it’s off the the local fish shops with $50 to see who will take them. Good luck to anyone else in this situation, it’s not a nice or easy decision to make but hopefully you get some ideas from what I’ve shared.

1. Filtering a Goldfish Tank or Aquarium: Undergravel Filters
2. Choosing a filter for your Goldfish Aquarium or Tank
3. Why do I need to cycle my goldfish tank?
4. Choosing a Goldfish Tank or Aquarium
5. What size gravel should I use in my goldfish aquarium?