Often seen as a 'low maintenance,' alternative to more traditional pets, pet fish in Australia often live lives with little enrichment or stimulation. Some studies show that fish are as smart as a cat or dog and can live for more than a decade, yet it is commonly reported that most pet fish bought from pet shops will die within a year. 

Fish in Pet Shops

In Victoria, the Code of Practice for the Operation of Pet Shops includes no information about the housing and sale of fish. Despite this, fish are commonly sold in pet shops across the state and the country, even when no other live animals are displayed in store. Fish can also be bought online through retailers such as The Fish Farm, who breed and ship fish to people across the country. Fish bought online are packed into boxes and transported by courier. According to their website, fish sent from The Fish Farm "will last for days in their boxes."

Goldfish are the most common species of fish kept as a pet. They are bred in large goldfish farms which supply to pet shops or sell direct to the public. Some goldfish varieties can live for up to 30 years and grow to be 10-20cm long. However, goldfish kept as pets will usually die within a few years due to improper care and neglect. While official advice warns against traditional 'fish bowls' and advises that fish should be kept in large tanks or outdoor ponds, small fish bowls are still available for sale in pet stores and popular online stores.

Fish are often sold in pet shops with little information about their care. Some fish will leave aquariums sick, infecting other fish and causing mass tank die offs. Others may be sent home with species who they should not share tanks with, again causing death. 

Fish Death

The most common causes of death for pet fish are poor water quality, 'new tank syndrome,' rapid water changes, temperature change, unexpected toxins (including cleaning chemicals, perfume or bug spray) and overfeeding. New tank syndrome occurs due to a lack of biological filtration in a new fish tank. It can take four to six weeks for new tanks to become suitable for fish to be introduced. 

Sickness in fish is also often not identified as they display different symptoms to other pets. Many people will choose not to take pet fish to the vet, instead allowing them to die or killing them themselves. Agriculture Victoria advises that "if you no longer want to keep your fish you need to find an alternative home or humanely kill the fish." 'Humane' methods to kill pet fish can be found online and include adding fatal doses of clove oil into tank water or exposing fish to very cold water or ice. Both methods are designed to cause a fish to lose consciousness, after which they will stop breathing and die. This can take several minutes. 

References

https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=19840&id=8249924

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/other-pets/caring-for-your-pet-fish

https://rspcavic.org/learn/fish/