Do you want to know where to buy rare and high quality goldfish in Canada or have fancy goldfish shipped directly to your home from a vendor in Canada or the US?
If so, please continue reading on…….
I first wrote a similar article back in 2017 and followed up with an updated article in 2020 and here we are again in 2023. Lots of changes have happened over the years including the ability of US goldfish vendors to now be able to ship fish into Canada.
Anyhow, the abundance of high quality goldfish (grade A, AA & AAA) as well as the number of rare varieties and colours of goldfish that are regularly imported into fish stores across the Greater Toronto Area continues to amaze me. Many stores sell high quality goldfish at reasonable prices, although prices have increased substantially since the pandemic. This is primarily due to higher shipping costs that stores now have to incur.
Listed below, is the latest and most up to date compilation of fish stores that frequently import high quality goldfish. Please keep in mind that the best assortment of goldfish is imported from various countries across Asia into Canada during 'goldfish season', which is typically from October – May. I would suggest that you follow their pages on Facebook and Instagram to see what new goldfish stock they have available.
Aquapets/Kowloon Aquarium – 680 Silverstar Blvd, Scarborough, ON
The Fish Sempai – 1268 Kramp Rd RR2, Breslau, ON
Discount Dragon Aquarium – 888 Dundas Street East, Mississauga, ON
Vquatics -585 Middlefield Road, Scarborough, ON
M&J Aquarium – 1494 Midland Road, Scarborough, ON
Markham Aquarium 2 U – 5 Hillcroft Drive, Markham
Kangen Fish Aquatics & Pets - 1400 Aimco Blvd Unit #2, Mississauga, ON L4W 1B2
Magical Aquarium Club – 1911 Kennedy Road, Scarborough, ON
Dragon King Aquarium – 4779 Steeles Avenue East, Scarborough, ON
Aqua House - Denison Centre, 1661 Denison St, Markham, ON
Flourish Aquarium - 9255 Woodbine Ave. Unit:B-7B Markham, ON
For those of you who live outside the Greater Toronto Area or reside elsewhere in Canada, there are several stores/vendors that can ship fancy goldfish and/or supplies directly to you. These include the following vendors:
The Fish Sempai - 1268 Kramp Rd RR2, Breslau, ON – Koi & Goldfish Farm | Waterloo Ontario - The Fish Sempai
Aquapets – 680 Silverstar Blvd, Scarborough, ON - Aquapets (KowloonAquarium) – Aquapets ( KowloonAquarium)
Vquatics - 585 Middlefield Road, Scarborough, ON - Vquatics - Aquarium - Scarborough, Ontario
You can also work with transhippers such as:
April Ross - Westcoast Tranship - WESTCOAST TRANSHIP – Wholesale and Tranship to stores and buyers (wordpress.com)
Farhad Farid Ishmael - Aquatopia - Aquatopia – Home to Freshwater and Saltwater fish (aquatopia.ca)
Currently, there are a number of vendors based in the US that are able to ship live goldfish into Canada, directly to your home. All you need to do is select a vendor that is able to ship to Canada, pay for your purchase in US dollars, select your shipping option and ensure that you have completed the Importer’s Declaration of Ownership for Pet Aquatic Animals form which should be available on each of the vendor's website. There is no inspection fee, although you may have to pay duty prior to receiving your goldfish. This is a seamless process now, thanks to the following vendors.
Goldfish Kingdom - https://www.goldfishkingdom.com/
Goldfish Fairyland - West Las Vegas, NV 89118, United States - Shop | Goldfish Fairyland
King Koi & Goldfish - 11759 Edinger Ave #1208, Fountain Valley, CA 92708, United States - https://kingkoigoldfish.com
Goldfish Island - 60a Billings Rd., Quincy, Massachusetts 02171, United States https://www.goldfishisland.com/
If you are having goldfish shipped to a Post Office in the US, you will need to rent a PO Box at a US Post Office in order for them to accept delivery and hold a box of goldfish for you. Otherwise, your shipment will be returned back to the vendor.
If you happen to be in the US or want to cross the border for a day trip to bring goldfish back into Canada, you can do so by plane or automobile. Either way, you will need to complete the Importer’s Declaration of Ownership for Pet Aquatic Animals form on the CFIA website - Find a form - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca), declare your goldfish at the border and present the form to a Canadian Border Services Agency Officer. Please note that while there is no official limit on the number of goldfish that you can bring into Canada,12 goldfish or less is a reasonable number for a household. As mentioned previously, you do not need to pay an inspection fee but depending on the Canadian Border Services Agency Officer, duty may be applicable.
On Facebook group pages such as The Goldfish Council - Goldfish Chat & Canadian Goldfish Keepers, there are dozens of posts archived from numerous goldfish breeders that reside both in Canada & US. It's a good idea to do a search in the groups to view photos, videos and posts on what goldfish varieties are currently available. Many breeders in Canada are able to send fish directly to your home via Canada Post or through couriers such as Purolator, FedEx, UPS etc. and breeders in the US can mail fish to any US Post Office. Please note that Facebook does not allow the sale of any pets in an attempt to protect the welfare of animals against illicit trade so trigger words such as 'buy, sell, sale, purchase etc.' are always removed from posts.
Lastly, TGC Founder & Former President, Gary Hater has been featuring a monthly blog, The Fish Monger - THE FISH MONGER - Issue 1, March 2023 (thegoldfishcouncil.org) on The Goldfish Council website where he has been sharing information from several goldfish breeders on what goldfish varieties are currently available for sale. This is a great place to find rare and high quality goldfish from breeders in North America. If you have excess stock and want to distribute or sell your goldfish (exclusive only to TGC members/patrons), please reach out to Gary Hater directly so that your information can be included in the next Fish Monger blog.
I hope this article has been helpful for those of you who are looking to acquire rare or high quality goldfish. The process is now seamless for those wanting to purchase fish from local stores, and from breeders or vendors in the US. Wishing you all the best on your search for your dream goldfish!