Originally Posted by ladyonyx

I think what petlover is referring to is the fact that the perception of goldfish is that they can survive in a mucky fish bowl with no water changes and do just fine. A lot of people buy goldfish because they think they're easy fish to take care of that don't need good water quality and that they'll live through anything. But they require just as much care as other fish do. They eat a lot and consequently produce a lot of waste so their water needs to be changed quite often. They also prefer colder water than you would expect them to like. They like eating leafy greens and prefer them to many other foods, a dietary preference that is often overlooked, so they don't always get the nutrients they need to be healthy.