Goldfish With Tropical

[fishguy2727]

Water changes are a bigger issue than volume. Volume is obviously a factor, but without the water changes it is pointless.

The usual guide is 20 gallons for one fancy goldfish and an additional ten gallons for every additional goldfish. So for 4-5 fancy goldfish a 55 is ideal. This assumes you do enough water changes to keep the nitrate concentration under 20ppm.

 

[Greg_DS]

Thank you!!

 

[snake007]

Just to add, why would you want to add goldfish to tropical anyway, If you want goldfish go with coldwater, if you want tropical go with tropical, I dont think you should mix these type, even if they can SURVIVE in it.
In the wild would you see a goldfish hanging around with a convict in central America? I think not.

 

[nurglespuss]

LOL I'm not saying it should be done, but there's nothing wrong with it, its not a case of 'surviving' gold fish as a generalised species are perfectly adapted to it...

 

[onidrase]

In the wild would you see a goldfish hanging around with a convict in central America? I think not.

Genius

I'm gonna get a fancy goldfish for my convict tank now

they're gonna be best friends

He might hate everyone, but I think the goldfish will be just fine

On a serious note, I think the OP was looking for tank mates for tiger barbs, and I think the goldfish is one of his considerations. Given, I don't think that's a good idea, but I'm not very fond of goldfish, and therefore I've never kept them or researched them or anything.

 

[fishguy2727]

Actually you may find them in the same waters as convict cichlids now. They are found in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Just because the myth of goldfish being coldwater keeps being blindly regurgitated doesn't make it any more true. They do not merely survive, but thrive, well enough to establish populations all over the world. In the right tank with the right tankmates it is no different than keeping tinfoil barbs or bala sharks, both of which are Cyprinids from Southeast Asia, just like goldfish.

 

[shi24137]

not to mention, goldfish are more prone to dropsy and will really make a mess out of a tank...

 

[onidrase]

Actually you may find them in the same waters as convict cichlids now. They are found in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Just because the myth of goldfish being coldwater keeps being blindly regurgitated doesn't make it any more true. They do not merely survive, but thrive, well enough to establish populations all over the world. In the right tank with the right tankmates it is no different than keeping tinfoil barbs or bala sharks, both of which are Cyprinids from Southeast Asia, just like goldfish.

That's in the wild, though. Not in a 36 inch long aquarium. The convict would rip it up in no time.

Plenty of fish thrive outside of their desired habitat. Look at the giant snakehead intrusion of the US.

Aside from the point, I don't find what they cooperate with in nature to be reflective of what they cooperate with in domestication. In nature they have miles and miles of space to run away from predators and find shelter and more appropriate living conditions and the like. In a controlled domestic environment, they have what you give them.

I believe now that they can live in warm water now, yes, but I still wouldn't do it, because of the fecal matter issues and constant feeding needed.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I think I am going to be a smartypants. In another thread i was told that two Ps.Demosanis, a Jewel, and 7 green tiger barbs were going well together....KIDDING! DO NOT DO THIS

For the fact that goldfish are pigs, and they are messy, I agree with keeping them as a coldwater species, jsut for the slower metabolism. They are poo machines.

 

[fishguy2727]

But again, this depends on the temp. In many cases room temp is only 4-6F cooler than tropical. Some people keep tropical at 76, some at 82. If room temp is 72-74, it is not a significant difference.

I agree that in most cases it is not ideal or even close to a good idea, but it is not a rule that goldfish can't go in tropical temps.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

My friend has a couple of goldfish and decided to put a heater in with one large very round Oranda that lives on its own (due to it's health issues), set to 23c. This goldfish has always had swim balder problems and recurring issues with constipation, despite trying every piece of advise under the sun. Since having a heater in the fish's tank it's constipation issues have completely cleared up, and she only rarely suffers from swim balder issues nowadays. So there might be something to be said for having the more fancy round bodied goldfish at higher temperatures.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

My friend has a couple of goldfish and decided to put a heater in with one large very round Oranda that lives on its own (due to it's health issues), set to 23c. This goldfish has always had swim balder problems and recurring issues with constipation, despite trying every piece of advise under the sun. Since having a heater in the fish's tank it's constipation issues have completely cleared up, and she only rarely suffers from swim balder issues nowadays. So there might be something to be said for having the more fancy round bodied goldfish at higher temperatures.

That is cool to hear, but in a sense, aren't swim bladder issues usually due to overfeeding? Of course heat took care of the problem. It sped up the metabolism. But normally those issues can be prevented by light feeding and the occasional fasting.

 

[friendlyfishy777]

She tried to feed only every other day, and tried fasting the fish too. She also brought bottled stuff for the fish and simply nothing seemed to work. She actually seriously considered humanely killing the fish after it stayed belly up for a week despite not feeding it, and the heater was the last resort and thankfully it appears to have worked wonders. She has kept goldfish for years, so I'm guessing she doesn't over feed, as none of the others have ever had these issues.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

i had a betta that had swim bladder issues. I started feeding him 3x a week and it cleared up

 

[willowstwin]

I hope this thread doesn't get out to general public... it's bad enough people seem to love staying uneducated and putting 1 (or more) goldfish in a little bowl... pets at home recently sold my friend 1 zebra danio and 2 platies to go with her 2 goldfish (in an already small tank) - before you say anything, it doesn't matter what I say to her, she takes what the crappy lfs says as gospel.. so if people thought they could mix fish willy nilly god knows what they'd put together

If at higher temps a goldfish morphs into a koi, surely that means they would need a way bigger tank than a coldwater tank?