Ever Successfully Kept a Goldfish in a Tropical Tank?

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pzuzu

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Sep 23, 2005
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Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has ever successfully kept a goldfish in a tropical community tank (peaceful)? If so, what were some of your maintainance techniques and/or schedule?

Also, do goldfish destroy plants?

Thanks!
Fernando
 
i grew out some koi before. the goldfish do prefer colder waters but having the tank on the low side 70-72 will work for the goldfish and some tropicals that are are ok with cooler waters. goldfish will uproot the plants and eat the ones with finer leaves.
 
it depends on how you measure "success". most goldfish varieties can live for upwards of 30 years. most goldfish kept in home aquaria live about 3-5 years on average. why? mistreatment in the form of insufficient tank space, wrong food, wrong temperature, wrong tankmates, ... the list is lengthy.

goldfish have a large body mass to length ratio. they eat alot. they therefor put out alot of waste. they need clean water which means ZERO ammonia and nitrite and very low nitrate levels. therefor they need water changes weekly and large. they need high oxygen levels which means water temps in the high 60's to low70's.

the bottom line is that if you want to be "successful" keeping goldfish, you need to treat them properly. no, you cannot keep them with 'tropical' fish.
 
also dont forget they arent good for community tanks because they will eat anything that will fit in there mouth including any fish, so with most fancy goldfish growing to about 8inches on average and 12inches on the longer bodied varieties, that will mean they will be able to fit most of the fish in a common community tank into there mouths
 
I had to put to small goldfish into a 10 gal community tank and they did wonderfully. However, I did a lot to try and keep all the fish happy. First I slowly brought the tank temp down into the low seventies before I add the goldfish. Then I did very frequent water changes, used goldfish food and tropical fish food, and after five months was able to move the goldfish into an all goldfish tank. They did chomp on my plant, but they didn't kill the plants of completely.

So, It's possible, but I would do it for any extended period of time
 
In my college years I put gold fish in my tank. They lasted under an hour until my Oscar got them :shark:

I think that it is better not to add a goldfish to a tropical set up. You will just end up with a stressed goldfish from higher water temperature. Besides that the increased bioload from a goldfish (poop machine) severely decreases the amount of room for tropical fish.
 
your poor goldfish! I almost want to laugh. Goldfish and Oscar are defently a bad combo. But I agree a goldfish in a torpical tank will lead to stress all around.
 
Yeah that was back in my naive days. The LFS told me I could keep an oscar in my 10 gallon. He grew to 6 inches before I finally traded him in at my new LFS. I think the only thing that kept him alive were my constant water changes.

Oops - did I hijack this thread. Sorry.
 
I wouldn't consider my tank tropical......I dont think. But I have 2 common goldies that I bought as "tester fish". I know that sounds horrible, but my test kits said the tank was cycled. They were tiny lil buggers, now they are pretty big.

The temp in my tank is right around 72-74°F.

What exactly makes a tank a "tropical tank"?
 
Thanks for the responses so far. I know a goldfish would never work with oscars, and I know they would never work if you put them in a high temperature tank. And I know not to put them in with a school of neons or something about their size. I'm just curious if all I have is like a few bigger tetras, like black skirts, and an algae eater (full grown), some platies, into a tank that's say 75g. Plenty of water changes included. No cichlids, no discus, just larger COMMUNITY & PEACEFUL fish.

Thanks again!
Fernando
 
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