Why can't I keep goldfish with tropical fish?

water changes shouldnt regulate ammonia. that's what a cycle is for.


fish might be 'adaptable' but our goal as aquarists (mine, at least) is to simulate as natural an environment as possible for the fish. Last i heard, there weren't goldfish in the congo, or the amazon.
There aren't plastic plants,tubes,and pipes sticking out of the bottom of the amazon river basin either,but that's not the point.GOLD FISH CAN DO VERY WELL IN A TROPICAL TANK,with proper care and food.
 
water changes shouldnt regulate ammonia. that's what a cycle is for.


fish might be 'adaptable' but our goal as aquarists (mine, at least) is to simulate as natural an environment as possible for the fish. Last i heard, there weren't goldfish in the congo, or the amazon.

In the Madagascar region, there is a fish locally known as Dameberry or golden carp. This is actually a comet. The fish lives well in lakes, even in summer. The only threat to them is the introduction of Tilapia.
 
There is also not much natural about all the domesticated breeds of goldfish. So if you are looking for natural you need to either stick with the plain brown feeder goldfish or find a different fish. They are not alone in their natural range, there are many other species of fish where goldfish live. In addition, most people mix species of tropical fish from different continents, so almost all tropical tanks are unnatural in that respect to begin with.

In addition, according to fishbase.org (a VERY good resource for natural paramers, actual max. size, and other information on fish) there are goldifsh living in: Brazil, Norway, Iran, Russia, Puerto Rico, Peru, Uruguay, and MANY other countries (http://www.fishbase.org/Country/Cou...nusName=Carassius&SpeciesName=auratus+auratus).

So apparently they are able to thrive under many more conditions than many people claim and keep regurgitating.
 
You are calling a goldfish a coldwater fish because that is what you were told. In reality, as demonstrated by all of the evidence in this thread, it is not a coldwater fish but actually a wide temperature range fish. It is not limited to coldwater like a trout but can tolerate it. It is not limited to tropical temperatures like discus, but can tolerate them. Just because they are called coldwater does not mean they are. Just because people regurgitate that they are coldwater does not make it true. What would make that true is if when put in tropical temperatures they showed signs of stress and failed to thrive. As shown in this thread that it not the case. For example: when white cloud mountain minnows are placed in tropical temperatures their colors are duller and they fail to do as well as when left in room temperature water. This is an example of a true coldwater/coolwater fish.

They live in the most tropical areas on the planet. In the wild they literally live in the exact same bodies of water as tropical fish. Their native natural range includes Laos, right next to Vietnam. That is quite tropical.
 
You are calling a goldfish a coldwater fish because that is what you were told. In reality, as demonstrated by all of the evidence in this thread, it is not a coldwater fish but actually a wide temperature range fish. It is not limited to coldwater like a trout but can tolerate it. It is not limited to tropical temperatures like discus, but can tolerate them. Just because they are called coldwater does not mean they are. Just because people regurgitate that they are coldwater does not make it true. What would make that true is if when put in tropical temperatures they showed signs of stress and failed to thrive. As shown in this thread that it not the case. For example: when white cloud mountain minnows are placed in tropical temperatures their colors are duller and they fail to do as well as when left in room temperature water. This is an example of a true coldwater/coolwater fish.

They live in the most tropical areas on the planet. In the wild they literally live in the exact same bodies of water as tropical fish. Their native natural range includes Laos, right next to Vietnam. That is quite tropical.


i'll make one more post for the sake of defending one thing:

do not speculate on what you think i "have been told" because it is different from "what you know". :) have a nice day.
 
Please simply review the facts presented in this thread and decide for yourself if it seems like goldfish actually have any problems in tropical temperatures.

If you have experience that could demonstrate a problem with goldfish in tropical temperatures please share it with us so we can all gain from it. Otherwise please share the information you are basing goldfish being coldwater on.

You stated that goldfish are not in the Congo or Amazon and it seems that was not true. Is it possible that the other information you are basing their being coldwater on may also not be completely true?
 
Goldfish keepers in Southeast Asia tend to report much shorter average lifespans than those in Mainland China. Considering that between the regions there are very similar philosophies of goldfish appreciation, and an emphasis on very high bred fish, the difference in lifespan could easily be temperature related. As you've told me before, just because a fish is living and breeding in its environment doesn't mean that it is ideal for it. Beyond that, the fact that their natural range overlaps several tropical/subtropical countries does not necessarily mean that they are found side by side with tropical species.
 
where do the majority of common goldfish and comets come from? they are a domesticated version of a brown carp that is native to asia. there may be lighter and golden colored carp in the congo or amazon as you so state, but those are not the fish that have been introduced to the commercial aquatics market in the US.

as for goldfish having stomachs.. you COULD call it a stomach, but it really isnt a stomach. here's a detailed necropsy of a fancy goldfish. note pictures 8, 9, and 10.

http://thegab.org/Articles/GoldfishInternalAnatomy.html
 
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yea i do agree with them not being true/strictly coldwater just like there are fish that can handle fresh, brackish, and salt
 
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