goldfish are compatible with...?

I've been trying to suppress the MTS but can't help daydreaming about my future goldfish tank.. I am surprised there are no stickies in this section.

I was wondering what other fish some of you keep with goldfish? Also, what about live plants? I read elsewhere that goldfish tend to leave java ferns alone.. I think a nice long goldfish tank decorated with rocks and some java ferns would look nice.

Although plecos are considered tropical fish, their temperature requirements overlap with those of goldfish, so I was wondering if there would be any problems with putting a pleco with goldfish in a tank with a heater set on about 73-74F (just to keep it slightly warmer than my appartment which is normally 71-72F, and also to keep the temp more stable). Feeding shouldn't be a problem, as the foods for each are alot alike and safe for the other, I would think.

Oh, the goldfish I want would be the fancy goldfish.

marine_geek said:

iv been thinking about a goldfish tank too, found a low temp pleco on liveaquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1036

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Check out this goldfish site... http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/comfish.html

I'm not sure I'd take everything they say to heart, because they say 1 goldfish would be good in a 10-20g tank. I personally would not put a goldfish in anything smaller than a 30g for fear of stunting it.

The rest of their info looked pretty good though... and surprisingly, they listed quite a few plecos on their goldfish compatibility page... including the bristlenose pleco (my favorite since it doesn't get big).

marine_geek said:

iv been thinking about a goldfish tank too, found a low temp pleco on liveaquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1036

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That pleco you linked to gets a foot long and requires a mininum of a 70g tank. If you're getting a huge tank, go for it! I wonder though if a pleco that large would suck on your goldfish. What kind of goldfish are you thinking of getting?

lizzies said:

goldfish are fine at higher temperatures... i have my fancy gf in a 50 at 79f (room temperature)... they dont seem to mind at all!!!! you can also get coldwater plecs... i have a hong kong plec in mine and hes doing great. they do look different to tropical plecs but he wont die if your heater breaks...

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How long have you had it in there? I was always under the impression that when not kept in ideal temperature ranges, their lifespans were shortened. They don't necessarily die immediately. For instance, the average lifespan for apple snails is 3+ years when kept at cooler temps (lower 70's and below), and 1-2 years when kept in the upper 70's. I wouldn't keep a goldfish in a 79F tank.