What Is the Average Life Span for a Carnival Fish?

Many carnivals allow you to win "carnival fish" -- usually goldfish, but sometimes bettas and other species -- as prizes. Unfortunately, this practice promotes poor health for fish. Fish exposed to cramped conditions and poor care typically do not live their full life span. Most fish in this situation do not last more than a few weeks, and may only survive a few years.

  1. Goldfish From Carnivals

    • Goldfish are the archetypal carnival fish. Indeed the image of a goldfish in a bowl is emblematic of the aquarium hobby. Unfortunately, carnivals tend to get cheap feeder goldfish and put them in tiny bowls. Goldfish from overcrowded conditions in tiny bowls tend to live curtailed life spans and don't reach their full size. Many carnival goldfish only live for a few weeks -- maybe a few years at most -- and never grow anywhere near their full size. Additionally, goldfish exposed to these unhealthy conditions can spread disease to other fish.

    Healthy Goldfish

    • Under ideal conditions, goldfish will grow large and live for a long lives. A well-maintained goldfish with an adequate aquarium can live for 20 years. Additionally, most goldfish will grow larger than 10 inches. The key to keeping goldfish is to keep them in a real aquarium, with a minimum of 30 gallons of aquarium volume per fish. Cramped conditions like bowls tend to stunt goldfish's growth, shorten their lifespan and make them more prone to disease.

    Bettas

    • Sometimes, the common betta or Siamese fighting fish shows up in carnivals in lieu of the traditional goldfish. The betta has an organ in the gills that allows breathing of air in addition to water, making them slightly more suited to life in a bowl. However, the practice is neglectful. At the least, a bowl should hold several gallons of heated water. Like goldfish, bettas kept in less-than-ideal conditions do not live their full life spans and are more prone to disease.

    Other Fish

    • While goldfish and bettas tend to dominate the carnival scene, occasionally other fish show up as booth prizes. Goldfish and bettas may survive under such conditions in the short term, but most other aquarium fish will succumb even more quickly to the poor conditions found fish bowls. Most aquarium fish need a real tank to thrive, the larger the better. Most carnival fish will not live long.