@Lazer Having a fish tank is supposed to be about stress relief.

— Steven D Marlow (@sd_marlow) August 4, 2016

Zhora the fairground goldfish

I had a goldfish as a kid in elementary school in Alabama, obtained for free when I won it at a school fair. My family and I knew nothing about proper care of any fish - poor Zhora spent two years in a small round bowl with no filter and no heater, us not knowing any better than to change the water every week and feed him flakes daily. We actually thought he had a good life. Only years later when I happend to look into having an aquarium again did I realize how wrong we were and how miserable Zhora must have been. Here is what I (as a complete noob) think is a good overview of why it’s bad to give or receive “free goldfish” at fairgrounds.