Many of us keep goldfish at home, but if we can keep other fish with goldfish, the beauty of our aquarium will increase. Having different types of fish in our aquarium will make the aquarium look more full and beautiful.
Whenever we think about goldfish tank mates we have to keep in mind that, our goldfish are very calm fish, so we cannot keep any aggressive fish with goldfish. Not only that, we have to adopt some proper methods to keep other fish with goldfish.
We always have to choose the right mates to keep the goldfish with. So today our topic is about goldfish tank mates or what fish can live with goldfish.
What fish can live with goldfish ?
We can keep those fish in the goldfish tank whose characteristics are very similar to goldfish. The fish should be calm and not aggressive, but fish that swim too fast should not be kept with goldfish. However, before keeping other fish with goldfish it is very important to know about goldfish care. Let us discuss about goldfish tank mates,
Rosy Barb :
Rosy barb is one of the most popular aquarium fish. These fish have a single black spot on the lower part of their body which adds to the beauty of these fish, but the male fish is much brighter in color than the female fish.
This rosy barb fish is native to South Asia, so it is most commonly found in India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan. Rosy barb fish are highly social so they always like to be in groups. Rosy barb fish like to stay by themselves and do not attack other fish in the tank, so Rosy barb fish are ideal companions for our goldfish.
- Rosy barb fish require a tank that can hold at least 20 gallons of water.
- A rosy barb fish is 2 to 3 inches in size.
- The ideal water pH for rosy barb fish is 6.5 to 7.8.
- Ideal water temperature for rosy barb fish is 64° to 75° F.
- Rosy barb fish has a life span of 4 to 5 years.
Rasbora :
Rasbora fishes are native to Southeast Asia, so these fishes are very common in China and India. Rasbora fishes are of different species depending on the color and pattern of the skin. Like, Harlequin Rasbora, Chilli Rasbora, Clown Rasbora, Brilliant Rasbora and Rummy Nose Rasbora etc.
Rasbora fish usually like to live in groups. Not only this, Rasbora fish are calm in nature and do not attack other fish very much. So we can keep rasbora fish in the same tank as goldfish. But in this case it is very important to have a large goldfish tank.
- Rasbora fish require a tank that can hold at least 5 to 10 gallons of water.
- Rasbora fish are much smaller in size than other fish, their normal size being around 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
- Rasbora fish generally prefer slightly more acidic water so their ideal water pH is between 6.2 and 7.
- Ideal water temperature for Rasbora fish is 72° to 80° F.
- Generally the lifespan of Rasbora fish is 5 to 7 years.
Platy Fish :
Platy Fish are native to Mexico and Central America. Platy Fish generally prefer to live in groups. They are usually two to three inches in size. Generally they are peaceful fish, but many times it has been observed that these fish become aggressive due to lack of food.
Platy fish are usually of different colors so they are very beautiful to look at. If we keep platy fish in our aquarium then the beauty of our aquarium increases a lot. Platy fish are an ideal companion group for our goldfish if we can correctly determine the amount of food for our aquarium.
- Platy fish need a tank that holds at least 10 to 15 gallons of water.
- Ideal water pH for platy fish is 6.7 to 8.5.
- Ideal water temperature for platy fish is 70° to 85° F.
- Platy fish can live up to 3 to 4 years if properly cared for.
Cory Catfish :
Cory catfish is native to South America. This fish usually likes to stay at the bottom of our aquarium. Because they are very calm in nature and small in size, this Cory catfish is ideal for our goldfish tanks.
There are some advantages to keeping Cory Catfish in our aquarium. Cory Catfish lives on the bottom of our aquarium and survives by consuming the extra food that falls to the bottom of our tank. Keeping Cory Catfish keeps our aquarium much cleaner, and reduces the chance of ammonia build-up in our aquarium, which improves our aquarium environment. Cory Catfish, however, tend to be more hardy than other fish.
- Cory catfish generally like to live in alkaline water so the ideal water pH for them is 7 to 8.
- The ideal water temperature for these fish is 72° to 75° Fahrenheit.
- These fish can live up to 5 to 10 years if properly cared for.
- Cory Catfish are usually about 1 inch in size and can easily be housed in a goldfish tank.
Zebra Danio :
This fish called Zebra Danio or Zebra Fish is most commonly found in South Asian countries like India and Bangladesh. These fish are very beautiful to look at, with horizontal slits all over their bodies, by which these fishes can be identified easily.
These fish are generally very peaceful and like to live in groups, so we can easily keep zebra danio fish in the same tank with our goldfish. Adequate amounts of food are essential for them, or they may become mildly aggressive in the absence of food.
- Zebra Danio fish are 1.5 to 2 inches in size.
- These fish need a tank that holds at least 10 gallons of water.
- These fish like to live in slightly alkaline water so the ideal water pH for them is 7 to 8.
- Ideal water temperature for zebra danio fish is 65° to 75° F.
- The average lifespan of zebra danio fish is 3 to 5 years.
Tetra Fish :
Tetra fish is a very popular aquarium fish. These fish are of different species, such as Black Tetra, Cardinal Tetra, Congo Tetra, Neon Tetra etc. Because tetra species of fish are very beautiful and colorful, they are very attractive to most people.
Generally these fish like to live in groups.Tetra fish are freshwater fish, and are native to Africa, Central America, and South America. Tetra fish can easily coexist with other fish in the aquarium. Not only this, these fish are of different colors, so their presence adds to the beauty of our aquarium.
- The ideal water pH value for tetra fish is 7 to 8.
- The ideal water temperature for tetra fish is 75° to 80° F.
- This fish needs a tank that holds at least 10 to 15 gallons of water.
- Tetra fish are 2 to 3 inches in size.
- The lifespan of a tetra fish is usually 4 to 5 years, but if properly cared for, this fish can live up to 7 to 8 years.
Guppy Fish :
Guppies are one of the most popular aquarium fish. Although many people know this fish as rainbow fish. That is because these fishes are most varied in color, which greatly enhances their beauty. Guppy fish are native to South America such as Antigua, Bermuda, Brazil, Venezuela etc.
Guppies are usually 1.5 to 2 inches in size. These fish like to live in groups most of the time. Guppy fishes are very calm and do not appear aggressive at any time. So we can keep guppy fish with our goldfish.
- The ideal water temperature for guppies is 70° to 82° F.
- The ideal water pH for guppy fish is 6.8 to 7.8.
- Since guppies are very small in size, such a tank holding 5 gallons of water is sufficient for these fish.
- The normal lifespan of guppy fish is 1.5 to 2 years.
Kuhli Loach :
Kuhli Loach fish look like small eels. Although the fish is a small eel species. The striped spots on the body of this fish add a lot to its beauty. Kuhli Loach fish is native to the Indonesian island of Java.
Usually this fish spends most of its time at the bottom of the aquarium. Not only that, they live easily by consuming excess food lying at the bottom of our aquarium. As a result, the possibility of ammonia formation in our aquarium is greatly reduced. So this fish indirectly helps to control ammonia in our aquarium. We can choose Kuhli Loach fish as mates of our goldfish.
- Kuhli loaches range in size from 3 to 4 inches.
- Since these fish are quite large in size, such a tank is required to hold at least 20 gallons of water.
- These fish can live up to 10 to 14 years if properly cared for.
- Kuhli Loaches prefer slightly acidic water so ideal water pH for them is 5.5 to 6.6.
- Ideal water temperature for Kuhli Loaches is 75° to 88° Fahrenheit.
Hillstream Loach :
Hillstream Loach fish is native to Southeast Asia. These fish are mostly found at the bottom of our aquarium and on various surfaces.
The Hillstream Loach fish eats the algae that clings to the glass walls of our aquarium, keeping our aquarium much cleaner.
Not only that, this fish eats the extra food lying at the bottom of our aquarium, thereby reducing the possibility of ammonia formation in our aquarium.
The Hillstream Loach fish indirectly helps to improve our aquarium environment a lot. Since the fish are calm and harmless in nature, they like to keep to themselves without disturbing others. So we can take Hillstream Loach fish as a companion to our goldfish.
- The maximum size of the Hillstream Loach fish is 2 to 2.5 inches.
- This fish needs a tank of at least 15 to 20 gallons of water.
- Hillstream loaches can live up to 8 to 10 years if properly cared for.
- The ideal water pH for this fish is between 6.5 and 7.5.
- Ideal water temperature for the Hillstream Loach fish is 65° to 75° F.
Mystery Snail :
Mystery Snail is found in different parts of the Asian continent, such as China, India, Bangladesh etc.
Mystery Snail is very small in size but looks amazing. The Mystery Snail is a very important animal for a plant-based aquarium. Although this animal belongs to the Phylum mollusca group.
Usually the Mystery Snail lives by eating the algae, biofilm and dead plant found in our aquarium. Mystery Snail helps improve our aquarium environment.
- Ideal water temperature for Mystery Snail is 68° to 85° F.
- Ideal water pH for Mystery Snail is 6.5 to 7.5.
- Mystery snails usually live for one to two years in an aquarium.
- An aquarium with at least 5 gallons of water is essential for the Mystery Snail.
A few precautions before adding other fish to the goldfish tank:
If we keep many fishes in the same aquarium, our aquarium looks more full and beautiful. But before keeping many fishes together in the aquarium we need to take some precautions like,
- We can keep such fish in the same tank as those that are calmer, or those that are less aggressive.
- We should not keep aggressive fish such as betta fish, oscar fish, flower horn fish etc. together in the goldfish tank.
- We should first keep the smaller fish in the tank for 4 to 5 days and then add the goldfish.
- Here it is very important for us to be aware of water parameters like proper water temperature control, proper water pH and TDS quality control etc.
- Food is very important to keep many fish together, if we feed less then our fish will try to fight each other for lack of food. Again, if we feed too much, the chances of ammonia formation in our tank will increase. That is, it is very important for us to know about the adequate amount of food for goldfish.
- It is very important to keep some aquatic plants and aquarium ornaments in our tank. That’s because some fish like to hide behind aquatic plants and aquarium ornaments. As a result, the chances of fighting between the fish in the aquarium are greatly reduced.
Special Note: We should always keep an extra tank for our aquarium fish. That’s because if we see that the fish are fighting for some reason, then the fish should be separated for a few days. As a result we can protect the fish from any harm.
Welcome to our website Aquarium Fish Zone. My name is Sagar Ghosh and I live in Kolkata. I am a science graduate.
I have kept fish in aquariums since I was very young. I loved seeing the colorful fish in the aquarium.
I have always tried to maintain and care for the fish properly. So me and my team members have created this website.As a result, we can provide you with accurate information about how aquarium fish are kept.