It seems like one large body of water when viewed from the shore. Ask those who call it their home. It will surprise you to learn that not all water is created equal. Even though they are made from the same “earth”, plains and hills can differ from each other.
Simply put, there are two types of water on the planet Earth: freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater is low in salt, but saltwater, as its moniker implies, is salty.
Different fish species have evolved over thousands to survive in their own water bodies. What happens if they are kept in the wrong water?
In a matter of seconds, will they survive or die? What about goldfish? What about goldfish?
Let’s see!
Can Goldfish Live in Saltwater?
Goldfish can be coldwater or freshwater fish. Therefore, no. They cannot live in saltwater. Saltwater can cause their cells to evaporate if they are exposed. They will then die from dehydration.
Goldfish can only be found in freshwater. Their kidneys are only able to function in freshwater.
Research has shown that goldfish can tolerate less than 20ppt salt. Saltwater has a natural salt content of 35ppt. This means that each kg of saltwater contains 35gm of dissolved sodium.
Semra Kucuk, Adnan Menderes University in Turkey, conducted research that showed that goldfish can tolerate salt up to 8ppt without adverse consequences.
The 35-8 is 27. This is an additional 27 ppt. This is a saline environment that goldfish cannot survive in.
To find out what hobbyists had to say about the subject, I searched through various forums. These are their answers, unfiltered!
Can Goldfish Live In Saltwater? Real Answers!
“LOL. “LOL. I would guess that they can live in saltwater for around 30 seconds strong>
“Goldfish would be tasty food for fish in saltwater =D.”
“Goldfish can live – they often live for a few minutes in saltwater.”
These are freshwater fish and not saltwater fish. Don’t torture him like that. They are freshwater fish for good reasons. I’m not trying to be rude, but .”
It seems like it’s also a no from fellow hobbyists.
Before we get into the jargon and details of why goldfish can’t live in saltwater let’s take a look at some ideal conditions for goldfish.
Ideal Parameters For Goldfish
- Temperature 68-74 degrees F
- pH 7.4-8.4
- Salinity 10 PPT
- General Hardness 70 – 140 PPM
- Carbonate Hardness 80 – 120 PPM
- Ammonia 0 PPM
- Nitrite 0. PPM
- Nitrate below 20 PPM
All fish are not created equal. They are not all capable of handling all levels of saltiness.
Stenohaline fish are fish that cannot handle large salt concentration changes.
They prefer a tiny amount of salt concentration to be physiologically adapted.
As you can see, goldfish are stenohaline animals.
Freshwater bodies also have a lower salt content than 1%, while seawater averages over 3.5%.
BE AWARE OF A FEW TERMINOLOGIES. Before I explain why saltwater is not suitable for goldfish, it’s important to understand a few terms. Let’s start!
What is Osmosis?
It is the movement of water through semipermeable membranes to create a concentrated solution from a lower-concentration solution.
What is Osmotic Pressure?
Osmotic Pressure refers to the pressure applied to stop water molecules from flowing across the semipermeable membrane.
As water moves across a semipermeable membrane, it increases the osmotic pressure to reach a higher concentration solution.
What is Tonicity?
Tonicity refers to the level of osmotic pressure. To understand why certain water bodies are not suitable for fish, one must first recognize the three types of tonicities.
They are:
- Hypotonicity
- Hypertonicity
- Isotonicity
Let’s take a closer look at their meanings.
Hypotonicity
Hypotonicity occurs when the cell has a higher concentration of water. This causes the cell to burst and bloat.
Hypertonicity
Hypertonicity, on the other hand is caused by higher concentrations outside of the cell than within it. The cell shrinks as water escapes the cell to reduce the content.
Isotonicity
Isotonicity is the equilibrium of the solute concentrations inside and outside a cell. There is no change in cell volume or water movement between membranes.
Let’s now answer one of the most common questions.
Why Can’t Goldfish Live In Saltwater?
The isotonic nature of goldfish is similar to freshwater. This means their bodies contain the same amount of ions as freshwater. However, saltwater has a higher level of ions than freshwater. The saltwater is hypotonic, meaning that the cytoplasts of the cells in the body of the goldfish are hypotonic.
The plasma membrane then converts the water in the cytoplasm into saltwater. This will continue until both saltwater and cytoplasm have equal ion levels.
Your goldfish’s body will turn to saltwater. This could lead to severe dehydration, which may cause the fish to die.
Simply put, goldfish need less salt to maintain their body’s osmotic pressure. Saltwater has a higher salt content than any other water body.
To maintain equilibrium, they release a lot water from their bodies.
To maintain the structure, organs such as the liver, kidney, and intestine are used. The kidney’s function is to eliminate waste materials and ions.
Fish will feel extreme stress if there is a change in the salinity. Fish will need to use a lot of energy in order to adjust their bodies to the new environment.
However, goldfish are sensitive and can’t maintain their structure in salt water. They can’t live in high salt environments for more than five minutes.
Are Goldfish Adapting To Saltwater?
Saltwater is not the best environment for goldfish. Evolution is exciting, however. Australian scientists discovered that goldfish are now an invasive species in the Vasse and Wonnerup estuaries of southwestern Australia.
Estuary is an area where freshwater from rivers and saltwater from the seas combine. Its salinity is therefore higher than that of a river and lower than that of the ocean.
Our home aquariums with house goldfish have a low salinity of 0 salinity. These estuaries have a salinity of about 17. Researchers were also shocked to discover that goldfish can thrive in such harsh conditions.
The goldfish could cause more problems if they continue to invade the environment. They have so far encouraged algae bloom and stirred up sediments.
If you are interested, here’s a Link to the Journal.
Frequently Asked Question
What Type Of Fish Can Live In Both Fresh And Saltwater?
Certain species of fish can survive in both saltwater and freshwater bodies. They are known as euryhaline or saltwater fish. They can migrate and tolerate both freshwater and saltwater bodies for a period of time.
The Euryhaline fish can be divided again into catadromous or anadromous parts.
Catadromous fish spend their whole lives in freshwater, but then migrate to the sea via rivers to spawn or produce offspring. The European eel is an example.
Anadromous fish, on the other hand, are born in freshwater and spend most of their lives in the ocean. They then return to freshwater to lay eggs. Examples include salmon, smelt and striped bass.
Will Goldfish Die In Saltwater?
Freshwater fish, such as goldfish, are known to be freshwater fish. Their bodies are not designed to withstand saltwater for extended periods. So, saltwater will cause death for goldfish.
Saltwater: How long can goldfish live in saltwater?
It all depends on the saltiness of the water. Salty water can sustain Goldfish for a few minutes up to several hours.
Can Goldfish Survive In A Lake?
Goldfish prefer lakes and rivers as their natural habitats. They can therefore live in lakes.
Does Goldfish Need Salt Water?
Goldfish do not require saltwater. It is actually fatal for them in many ways.
Final Words: Can Goldfish Live In Saltwater?
No. No. Goldfish are freshwater fish. They can’t tolerate saltwater tanks with high salinity levels. 8ppt is the maximum salt level that goldfish can tolerate with no adverse consequences.
Saltwater will cause the water in your fish to evaporate from their cells. They will then die from dehydration.