Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
it depends on what type of goldfish it is and is the factor as to how many can fit in the tank. If the fish is a common or a comet, having the torpedo shaped body, it should be the only fish in the tank though you may probably get away with adding just one more. If it is one of the rounder-bodied goldies, you can probably get away with adding 2 more, maybe 3..... but both situations would require that you were meticulous on your water changing/gravel cleaning schedule and on point with your testing the water for ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. When fishy cycling, your aim is to try to get that tank as close to an ammonia level and nitrite level of zero as possible. This may entail a couple of 50% water changes a day or in your case and because it is one goldie, once a day may be sufficient.... but you still need to check. Your aim is to get your ammonia and nitrite levels at zero and nitrate at 20-30 and to sustain that level in a 24 hour period.
As far as keeping anything else with them, there comes the problem. A lot of people assume anything can go with these jolly fellas but this is not the case. You need to keep in mind that these are big fish and provided the upkeep is sufficient and the fish is healthy, it will eat anything that it can fit into it's mouth. This includes fish and plants. There are plants a goldies may not eat but it will always test it anyway. One plant it doesn't eat is the Java fern which I have used with success in my goldie tanks. Another thing is, although goldfish are listed as a coldwater fish, it should have a heater on the tank to maintain a stable temp rather than one that will fluctuate throughout the day. Stability is your goal. Your temp should be set at no higher than 74 degrees F. Along with this issue, a lot of fish that one would want to pair up with the goldies are often "tropical fish" rather than coldwater. Goldfish need the colder water because they need more oxygen and higher temps produce lower amounts of O2 in the water. This will stress the goldie for obvious reasons. Some people try to add other fish to the tank not realizing the bio-load of the goldies and wonder why their tank is just not cycling. The fact is, goldies are massive waste producers, more so than most fish and the levels need to be watched with a fine toothed comb. A lot of times there is no room in the tank it's kept in for error. If you did have a large enough tank, in your case you may get away with it because there is only one, you may be able to get away with adding a school of white cloud minnow as they are also coldwater fish. How the goldie will interact with them, I guess it depends on the fish and whether it is big enough to snack on the minnows. A picture of the fish would help tons as this is still all gray because we are not sure which type of goldie you have.
Another issue with goldies and other types of fish, their dietary needs are different than that of say Angels or guppies.
As you can see, there are lots of no-no's that come with having goldies and trying to mix them with others, You can get away with it but if you do try it, someone suffers.... the goldies or the other fish.
As far as keeping anything else with them, there comes the problem. A lot of people assume anything can go with these jolly fellas but this is not the case. You need to keep in mind that these are big fish and provided the upkeep is sufficient and the fish is healthy, it will eat anything that it can fit into it's mouth. This includes fish and plants. There are plants a goldies may not eat but it will always test it anyway. One plant it doesn't eat is the Java fern which I have used with success in my goldie tanks. Another thing is, although goldfish are listed as a coldwater fish, it should have a heater on the tank to maintain a stable temp rather than one that will fluctuate throughout the day. Stability is your goal. Your temp should be set at no higher than 74 degrees F. Along with this issue, a lot of fish that one would want to pair up with the goldies are often "tropical fish" rather than coldwater. Goldfish need the colder water because they need more oxygen and higher temps produce lower amounts of O2 in the water. This will stress the goldie for obvious reasons. Some people try to add other fish to the tank not realizing the bio-load of the goldies and wonder why their tank is just not cycling. The fact is, goldies are massive waste producers, more so than most fish and the levels need to be watched with a fine toothed comb. A lot of times there is no room in the tank it's kept in for error. If you did have a large enough tank, in your case you may get away with it because there is only one, you may be able to get away with adding a school of white cloud minnow as they are also coldwater fish. How the goldie will interact with them, I guess it depends on the fish and whether it is big enough to snack on the minnows. A picture of the fish would help tons as this is still all gray because we are not sure which type of goldie you have.
Another issue with goldies and other types of fish, their dietary needs are different than that of say Angels or guppies.
As you can see, there are lots of no-no's that come with having goldies and trying to mix them with others, You can get away with it but if you do try it, someone suffers.... the goldies or the other fish.
Last edited:
