Why are Goldfish so underrated in the fish keeping hobby?

[ShadowP]

Plecos are pooping machines, yet lot of posters on here kept them for just enjoyment.

Really? Read all my posts on this thread and you'll find I complimented goldfish!!!
As to your comment above?
I could have sworn most people keep plecos because 1) For the most part, there isn't a better algae eater/glass cleaner in the hobby. and
2) Many plecos are exceptionally more beautiful as compared to other algae eating fish (ottocinclus, rainbow & redtail sharks, chinese algae eaters, snails, etc).
Granted... Rainbow and Redtail Sharks are beautiful, but they are mostly relegated to cleaning algae off of plants and ornamentation. No fish cleans glass better than a pleco.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I agree with the OP, most people see them as throw away pets and it kind of frustrates me to be honest.. If you buy the poor thing you should try to keep it for its entire life, with goldfish that's an easy 15+ years. I have a 400ltr dedicated to 9 munted goldfish and one with a swim bladder disorder, by the time they've all grown up I'm guna need ALOT of water. And I refuse to kick them outside to a pond, they were originally brought as inside pets and its staying that way! I have a thing for the ones that don't develope properly.. If I see one, it comes home with me.

 

[ShadowP]

For the general public... at around 25 cents they are extremely popular...

Yup, LOL, That price quote (accurate as it may be) helped solidify the OP underrated argument.

You consider the bang for buck a plus for goldfish, and the OP considers it an insult.

Can't win this one.

 

[ShadowP]

This thread just won a limerick!

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/limerick-lounge.647873/

 

[koltsixx]

1) For the most part, there isn't a better algae eater/glass cleaner in the hobby.

There are actually very few plecos that make good algae eaters/glass cleaners. While you may already know that your statement can be taken the wrong way by hobbyists who are inexperienced. Many plecos are omnivores with a preference and need for more meaty foods or other specialized dietary supplementation. I had to clarify because it's a far too often incorrect statement that leads to the deaths of many a pleco. Plecos deserve to be treated as important as any tankmate and not as clean up or algae eating because without any food specific to their individual needs many will die a slow horrible death from starvation.

Yup, LOL, That price quote (accurate as it may be) helped solidify the OP underrated argument.

You consider the bang for buck a plus for goldfish, and the OP considers it an insult.

Can't win this one.

The OP only made one post the first post in this thread. The person you seem to be going back and forth with is MN_Rebel. As far as winning there's no winning or losing what's underrated and overrated is subject to personal opinion. There is no right or wrong answer. On one end of the spectrum many goldfish including fancy goldfish can be had for(when compared to other fish) a very reasonable price. On the other there are people who are willing to pay quite a bit for fancy gold fish and many vendors who are more then happy to oblige by offering a better quality fish for what some would consider a significant price. Truth is it's all subject to personal opinion.

 

[tiger15]

A few facts about color carp:
Koi is the first animal selectively bred for ornamental value.
GF is the first mutant developed to enhance the beauty of deformity
Koi and common GF can tolerate extreme temperature variation from tropical heat to freezing.
The longest living vertebrate is a Koi in Japan that lived to 226, exceeding even Giant Tortoises.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2009/09/the-longest-lived-vertebrate-of-all/

 

[ShadowP]

You are correct koltsixx. Most of this has been back & forth with MN_Rebel. The OP stated they were underrated in their opinion and asked for possible reasons why. I obliged with what I hear as the biggest complaints about them and added a personal observation which imo is "spot-on". As to their messiness, my statement was not exclusive to goldfish. As to their "ability" to eat until their sides rupture... that too is not exclusive to goldfish. Many of the smaller tetras will do the same.
I commented as to their beauty as being on par with many other fish, but referenced the general public opinion that other species are preferred over goldfish, mostly due to goldfish upkeep requirements. As for ponds, there is not much difference in saying "as viewed from above" or "to look down on" and yes, the negative inference could be derived if one wanted to go there...
Since MN_Rebel took up the charge on the OP's comment as to underrated, and started treating my comments as if they were about goldfish exclusively, of course I took offense and responded. Excepting the comments about what I consider outrageously phenomenal prices for Koi, not much if anything was exclusive to goldfish.
The crazy thing is that nowhere did I say the goldfish was underrated. The OP asked. I answered with what I believed he was looking for... one of the main reasons!
And nowhere else did I make any statement that could be viewed as exclusive to goldfish alone, yet that is how my statements were treated.
When I stated, "there is no winning this one", that is exactly what I meant and agrees with you fully. I was saying the argument is futile and illustrated that point by pulling an extract out of Xraycer's comment... something so simple that could be twisted to both extremes of the argument.
If you've taken offense Xraycer, I appologize.

As to the overall discourse within the thread itself.
Two sides of a coin. The pro's and the cons. The beauty vs the upkeep. Underrated, or Overrated... that question will never be answered about any subject without causing debate.
Sports, Storms, Painters, Singers, Dancers, you name it.
I didn't compile the list of poop generators. I simply stated that goldfish are high on that list. I think everyone knows that. But to condemn the comments when the counterpoints aren't counterpoints at all, but in fact, state the same thing differently?
I rest my case.

 

[justarn]

lol, put your knickers on people, its a forum, text can be taken so many different ways if you apply emotion to it... this should be such an easy going debate yet its getting derailed!-)
we dont need threads griping over fish being un appreciated really, when it gets of course with people not liking others opinions its not really a nice passtime as you check you notifications.

goldfish are just like any other fish, in an awesome setup they can look amazing, an oscar in a bare 75g for example looks crap imo, put him in a 180g shrewn with nice bogwood, sand and exotic plants and he looks amazing. goldfish are the same, they are only underated due to the fact that most people imagine a dirty 1ft bowl with a fish panting at the surface. a nice setup is a nice setup regardless of the fish people choose. would you tell people what dogs to like, prob not, so why have an opinion on other people fish choices. alot of people are too worried about what others will think or having a thread on here showing there amazing new rare caught fish thats just been snatched from the wild and thrown in a glass box, why, fundamentally for bragging rights.
In my opinion the 'commonly' kept species are common for a reason, they are the easiest to keep alive and are the most fun. oscars, jd, gt, red jewels, goldfish, koi, convicts, small shoaling fish, corys ect are all great fun 'fact'. They all swim around, are colourful/interesting and eat food, what more do you expect from a fish!-)

 

[ShadowP]

lol, put your knickers on people, its a forum, text can be taken so many different ways if you apply emotion to it... this should be such an easy going debate yet its getting derailed!-)
we dont need threads griping over fish being un appreciated really, when it gets of course with people not liking others opinions its not really a nice passtime as you check you notifications.

goldfish are just like any other fish, in an awesome setup they can look amazing, an oscar in a bare 75g for example looks crap imo, put him in a 180g shrewn with nice bogwood, sand and exotic plants and he looks amazing. goldfish are the same, they are only underated due to the fact that most people imagine a dirty 1ft bowl with a fish panting at the surface. a nice setup is a nice setup regardless of the fish people choose. would you tell people what dogs to like, prob not, so why have an opinion on other people fish choices. alot of people are too worried about what others will think or having a thread on here showing there amazing new rare caught fish thats just been snatched from the wild and thrown in a glass box, why, fundamentally for bragging rights.
In my opinion the 'commonly' kept species are common for a reason, they are the easiest to keep alive and are the most fun. oscars, jd, gt, red jewels, goldfish, koi, convicts, small shoaling fish, corys ect are all great fun 'fact'. They all swim around, are colourful/interesting and eat food, what more do you expect from a fish!-)

Actually, it's a loaded question, but I didn't see that at the start. I don't think anyone did.
Here's how it's loaded...
If you think goldfish are underrated, then you yourself, in the opinions of many are probably overrating them.
And the opposite is just as true...
If you think goldfish are overrated, then you are probably underrating them.
The only way out of this catch 22 is to rate them perfectly...
So to everyone who has responded on this thread whether pro goldy or against...
THANKS FOR TRYING.

 

[FMA4ME]

I think a lot of it is us as fish keepers wanting the sense of accomplishment. Whether your position is Goldfish are high or low maintenance, guess what? 9 times out of 10, you'll have a 'happy' hungry goldfish regardless of your approach. You almost can't kill these fish. So that makes them an awesome starter fish. Just like anything else you do, people sometimes like to show their progression in their hobbies. We know how much thought you can put put into making a goldfish happy, just as much as lots of other fish, but for some, the wow factor just isn't there, so people move on.