9 Best Aquarium Decorations For Goldfish – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

You can’t control everything that needs to go into your goldfish tank. However, what you can control is how you decorate the tank. Decorations can be used to bring interest to your tank and disguise unsightly equipment. Choosing decorations can be overwhelming, though! There are thousands of different decorative options, so it’s difficult to find a starting point. It’s important to choose decorations that suit your preferences but are also safe for your goldfish. Using these reviews, you’ll find a great starting point with high-quality products for your goldfish tank.

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The 9 Best Aquarium Decorations for Goldfish

1. Penn-Plax Sunken Battleship Aquarium Ornament – Best Overall

The best overall aquarium decoration for goldfish is the Penn-Plax Sunken Battleship Aquarium Ornament. This ornament is made from non-toxic resin and is painted with fish safe paint. It’s highly detailed and is large enough for medium to large tanks. This decoration is hollow and has multiple openings, allowing your fish to swim through or shelter inside. It comes at an affordable price and will last for years in your goldfish tank.

Although there are openings in this decoration, they measure between 0.5 – 1 inch, so they are too small for most goldfish that aren’t juveniles. Some fish may get stuck or injure fins or scales if they attempt to force their way through.

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 2. CC Pet Solano Fish Aquarium Ornament – Best Value

The best aquarium decoration for goldfish for the money is the CC Pet Solano Fish Aquarium Ornament. This simplistic rock-look ornament has a nice swim through for your goldfish and is small enough for nano and small tanks. It’s made from marine-grade resin and is built to last. The color is embedded throughout the decoration, so it’s resistant to fading over time. As an added bonus, this decoration can be washed in the dishwasher if needed.

This ornament is on the small side, so the swim through may be too small for goldfish that aren’t juveniles to swim through. The small size means it isn’t ideal for medium to large tanks, but it can be used effectively in smaller tanks or in conjunction with other ornaments.

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3. biOrb Shipwreck Aquarium Ornament – Premium Choice

The biOrb Shipwreck Aquarium Ornament is the premium aquarium decoration choice for your goldfish tank. It’s large enough for medium tanks, but it is made to slip over biOrb bubble tubes, disguising them within the tank. It’s made from premium resin that’s resistant to fading, and it’s highly detailed but unique enough to not seem boring. It doesn’t provide swim-throughs, so there’s no concern that your fish will get stuck or injured.

This decoration comes at a premium price and while it can work for many types of tanks, it works best for biOrb tanks since it fits over the bubble tube.

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4. Sporn Ancient Vase 2 Aquarium Ornament

The Sporn Ancient Vase 2 Aquarium Ornament is a great decoration for an ancient tank design. Although it’s made from aquarium safe resin, it looks like it’s made from ancient pottery. It’s easy to wipe clean and it provides shelter to your fish. It can also provide shelter to fry to keep them safe from adult goldfish. It can be used to disguise tank equipment effectively as well.

Some people have found the edges of the holes in the vase to be somewhat jagged, so they may require sanding or smoothing to prevent injury to fins and scales. It is also a slightly thin ornament, so handle it with care to prevent breaking.

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5. GloFish Gloria Aquarium Ornament

The GloFish Gloria Aquarium Ornament is a cute option for a nano or small tank, especially for a children’s room. Gloria is a vibrant shade of neon green that is made to glow under blue or black lights. This ornament features a joyful fish that adds to the appearance of your tank and can be used to disguise tank equipment. It’s available in two sizes, guaranteeing a perfect fit for your smaller tank.

This ornament doesn’t provide shelter or swim-throughs for fish. It’s bright and cutesy, so it isn’t suitable for the tastes of many people. It will show most effectively under GloFish lighting, although it will still glow under other lighting.

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6. Penn-Plax Action Air Diver

The Penn-Plax Action Air Diver is a fun addition to your tank if you need a bubbler. This ornament connects to an air pump and creates bubbles from the diver’s helmet. It’s small enough for nano and small tanks, and it comes at an affordable price. It’s available in multiple colors and is playful enough for many types of tanks.

Although it’s available in multiple colors, you can’t choose the color. It’s too small for most medium and large tanks, although it can be used as a bubbler for any tank. The air pump is sold separately, and the ornament is lightweight, so it may float if not held down with rocks or other heavy objects in the tank.

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7. Zoo Med Mopani Wood

The Zoo Med Mopani Wood ornament is available in two sizes and is a piece of solid Mopani wood. It’s dense enough to sink quickly and adds a natural touch to your goldfish tank. It can be used to attach mosses or other plants to, and it contains no artificial products. It’s smooth enough to avoid injuring your goldfish. Driftwood releases tannins, which have been shown to improve the overall health of aquatic animals.

Although not as high in tannins as some other driftwoods, this wood may discolor your tank water due to tannin release if not boiled or soaked prior to use. It also may slightly alter your water’s pH over time, lowering it, so make sure you are routinely checking your water parameters. You aren’t able to choose the piece of wood you receive and since it is a natural product, appearances are variable.

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8. Sporn 6-Piece Corner Column Aquarium Ornament

The Sporn 6-Piece Corner Column Aquarium Ornament is a good pick if you need to hide equipment or fill up a corner of your goldfish tank. It’s made from aquarium safe resin that can easily be wiped clean if needed. It allows your fish to swim through the columns, and it is tall enough to block equipment that is higher up in the tank.

This item is hand painted, so it may vary in color and design from the pictured item. It is a premium price, so it’s not the best option for everyone’s budget. Due to the right angle cut of this item, it may look out of place if not placed in the corner of a tank.

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9. Penn-Plax Bonsai Aquarium Ornament

The Penn-Plax Bonsai Aquarium Ornament is a nice option if you like the look of faux plants in your tank. This resin bonsai tree has fabric leaves, giving it a more realistic appearance. It’s a nice size for most tanks, and it can block out equipment slightly higher up in the tank since it’s 8 inches tall. It’s highly detailed, making for a realistic plant look.

Faux plants aren’t always recommended for goldfish since they may have sharp plastic edges in the stems. They also are prone to being bitten and tugged on by goldfish, which may tear them up faster or lead to accidental ingestion. The appearance of faux plants isn’t for everyone, and they do not enhance the overall health of your tank like live plants do.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Aquarium Decorations for Your Goldfish Tank

When it comes to choosing decorations for your tank, the sky is the limit. You have the power to choose how you want your tank to look, whether you’re interested in a natural look, a cohesive design, or a random collection of objects. Choosing the best decorations is a matter of finding items that are high quality and won’t tear up quickly. Goldfish are notoriously messy fish that can be hard on aquarium decorations and plants, so finding things they won’t tear up can be a challenge.

There are seasonal decorations available, so you can change out décor as the seasons change or holidays pass. You can also get natural items, like driftwood, or natural looking items made from aquarium safe resin. Aim to find decorations that do not have sharp edges, especially if you have goldfish with long fins as these are prone to damage from snags. Scales can be knocked loose, and fish can become stuck in objects, so choose items cautiously based on the size, shape, and age of your fish.

Conclusion

Out of all the products out there, the best overall aquarium decoration for your goldfish tank is the Penn-Plax Sunken Battleship, which is large, has realistic details and provides shelter and hiding places for smaller fish. On a tight budget, the CC Pet Solano Fish Aquarium Ornament won’t disappoint due to its high quality and low price. If you are planning to splurge, then check out the biOrb Shipwreck, especially if you have a biOrb tank. All of these are great options, along with the other products in these reviews. This has barely scratched the surface of aquarium decorations that are suitable for your goldfish tank, but it is a wonderful starting point.

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Featured Photo Credit: Pixabay