What can I keep in a tank with large goldfish?
I just got a 55 gallon tank and I want to get a couple big goldfish to keep in it. I have had many kinds of fish before, but never tried goldfish. Do they do well with small fish like guppies or would the be best alone? If so, what kind of fish would you suggest for a community tank? thanks!
Tags: community tank, Gallon Tank, Goldfish, guppies, kind of fish, kinds of fish, small fish
January 31st, 2010 at 12:16
first answer so wrong!!!!!! no gold fish can only live with gold fish take my advice kid keep only gold fish with gold if you have any tropical fish the gold fish will be unhappy
stugeon or how ever you spell it are commonly called piracu and can reach up to 15 feet a fish like that would need a bigger set up than a shark!so no .if you doing a gold fish tank you can try it like my tank i have the same set up a 55 gallon
1x oranda ryukin
1x red cap oranda
1x pearl scale
1x black more
1x oranda
or for a nice fresh water tropical tank:
3x angel fish-no breeding
1x blue gourmie
1x gold gourmie
1x flame gourmie
2x bala shark
the tank is at it’s maximum fish rate so the tank will be kinda colorful really. you’ll need 10 bushes of amazon sword plants for this tank to be it’s nicest
January 31st, 2010 at 12:16
you could either try flag fish, mosquito fish, or even a really small sturgeon! these are allfish that can withstand cold temperature. remember SMALL sturgeon. and if you go to the max water a goldie can handle, you could add a prehistoric dragon goby or other medium tempd. fish
January 31st, 2010 at 12:16
Goldfish are best with other goldfish!
Gold fish are not TROPICAL fish..they are cold water (ideally a pond fish) ONLY. This means all those colorfull fish in the TROPICAL section of the store should be off limits! Goldfish shouldn’t eat tropical fish food because Tropical fish eat high calorie, high carbohydrate, high protien diets that can cause liver failure and digestive problems in your goldfish…. Goldfish are like underwater cows, they don’t need all the high protien, and when kept in a warmer tank with tropical fish their metabolisms go into overdrive.. Tropical fish also shouldn’t be fed goldfish diets because they will loose their color, become listless, and die from mal nutrition.
As tempting as it is, and because so many people are misinformed, DO NOT add a pleco or other "algae" eatting fish to your tank. Plecos actually have more complex care requirments than what people in pet stores will tell you, also they grow almost two feet long, and are TROPICAL. It is best that you use an algae scrubbing pad on your glass once a week.
When you stock your tank remember for GOLDFISH you use the ratio "Two gallons of water for every inch of fish"– for every one inch of the body (including fins) you need two gallons of water. Gold fish are Verry dirty fish, and tank maintanence is a must! You’ll need to change 25% of the water weekly, or biweekly depending no how you stock your tank.
There are several different types of gold fish out there stay away from the larger varieties as they will quickly out grow your tank such as Koi that grow to three feet long! Or Sarassa Comets (feeder goldfish) that grow 16 inches long.
Don’t combine visually impaired Goldfish like Moors and bubble eyes with other goldfish or they will be bullied, and can suffer from severe eye injuries…
A good small schooling fish that live in cold water and are compatable with Goldfish are:
Bitterlings
Mosquito fish (looks like an all grey guppy)
Rosey Red Minnow (commonly sold as a feeder fish)
Goldfish are best with other goldfish!
January 31st, 2010 at 12:16
The only fish I have ever successfully kept with goldfish are bettas. I don’t know why, but they always ignore each other, no matter what the size difference. The bettas don’t bother them, and they don’t prey on the bettas. Goldfish with wild-type bodies (Common Goldfish/Comets/Shubunkins) will also live with Koi just fine.
With tropical fish, there will be problems…either the tropical fish will damage the goldfish, or the other way around. Guppies in goldfish tanks are a snack waiting to happen…goldfish can and do eat any guppy they can catch. Plecos (suckerfish) will try to feed on their slime coat eventually, which will weaken the goldfish’s immune system and make it sick. They also have spines in their fins that they spear goldfish with in self defense when they get too close.
Temperature is not a problem…it is a myth that goldfish only thrive in cold water. In fact, warmer water is better for them. 72F to 85F is the ideal range, and they can tolerate temperatures up to 90F. They will live in cold water, but it isn’t good for them. They can live in the same conditions as most tropical fish.
Goldfish are not any messier than tropical fish if properly fed. The myth that they are messy comes from people who overfeed them. If you see poop ropes, that is a sign of overfeeding. If they are not overfed, they are not any messier than tropical fish.
The problems with mixing them with tropical fish are entirely behavioral. They will either get picked on by aggressive fish, or they will prey on passive fish. So it is best to keep them only with other goldfish.