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How to choose fancy goldfish tank mates

Last updated 2019-08-14 by The Goldfish Tank 25 Comments

In this article, we discuss the tricky issue of goldfish tank mates. Should you keep other fish with goldfish? Can you keep them with all goldfish or only fancy goldfish? And what makes some fish suitable tank mates while other fish are not?

To discover species of fish that can live with goldfish, check out our ultimate guide: ‘What fish can live with goldfish?’.

The thing to realise when choosing goldfish tank mates is that goldfish have very specific needs. Any other fish you keep must be able to survive and thrive in the same living conditions.

It’s like finding a room mate. If one person works nights and the other likes to play loud music all day, it isn’t going to work.

Similarly, if one fish likes warm water and another likes cold water, they’re not going to like living in the same tank.

So, when deciding which fish would make a suitable tank mate for a goldfish, we first need to ask ourselves: what kind of tank conditions do goldfish like?

What do goldfish like?

Relatively low temperatures. Goldfish are not tropical fish and will not be comfortable in high temperature environments.
A lot of space, as they grow to be very large. You should never keep goldfish in a bowl, in a tank that is too small for them, or in a tank that is overcrowded. This is particularly true for slim-bodied goldfish. Fancy goldfish are slightly smaller and slower swimmers, so you can get away with a little less space.
Lots of food. They will try to eat anything that will fit in their mouths… including smaller fish!
Producing a lot of waste! This waste pollutes the tank water and more than one fish puts even more strain on your aquarium filter.
To have healthy scales. And these scales are protected by a ‘slimy’ coating.
To be left in peace. They will get stressed if other fish nip at their tails, or in the case of some fancy goldfish, bite at their delicate “bubble eyes”.

What must goldfish tank mates like?

To keep other fish with goldfish you’d need to find a type of fish that:

Likes similar temperatures
Doesn’t take up too much space
Is big or quick enough for your goldfish not to eat them
Can cope with the large amount of waste your goldfish generates
Will not do any harm to your goldfish
Will not harass your goldfish – particularly fancy goldfish with their long flowing fins – causing them to become stressed

That’s quite a lot to ask! So – unless you have a very big tank – we generally recommend keeping goldfish on their own. This is particularly true for slim-bodied goldfish – such as Common goldfish, Comets and Shubunkins – which grow to a large size and need a lot of room.

However, there are some fish that are compatible with slower-swimming fancy goldfish.

Tank mates for fancy goldfish

It is possible to keep other fish with fancy goldfish. You’ll just need to make sure that the fancy goldfish, and their tank mates, get access to food, and that you make the right choice for your goldfish tank.

To help you make an informed choice, here are 8 key questions to ask yourself, and consider for your particular goldfish tank, when choosing tank mates for fancy goldfish.

8 questions to ask when choosing fancy goldfish tank mates

Is your tank big enough?

Fancy goldfish grow to be large fish, so you will need a big tank even for just one goldfish. If you start to add tank mates too, you’re going to need an even bigger tank. Are you sure you have enough space?

Will the other fish nip your fancy goldfish’s fins?

Because of the amount of space slim-bodied goldfish need (we’re talking about Common goldfish, Comets and Shubunkins) we only recommend keeping other fish with fancy goldfish. However, this comes with its own problems…

Fancy goldfish usually have long, flowing fins. And lots of other fish like to nip at them!

Will the other fish suck on your fancy goldfish’s scales?

Another potential issue is some fish, such as Plecos, sucking on your goldfish. While this is unlikely to be immediately fatal, it is very distressing for your goldfish and can lead to injuries that get infected. This can all add up to your goldfish having an unhappy and short life.

Will the fish chase each other around the tank?

Some fish are more active than others and bigger fish often see smaller fish as food. Equally, smaller fish, attracted to the fins of fancy goldfish, may start chasing them around the tank.

If either your goldfish or their tank mates start chasing each other, it can lead to a lot of stress, which causes your fish getting sick.

Could the goldfish try to eat the other fish?

If your goldfish’s tank mates are significantly smaller than your goldfish, it is likely that the goldfish will at least try to eat them.

This is dangerous for two reasons. Obviously, it could lead to one fish getting eaten. But it could also lead to your goldfish choking on a smaller fish.

Will either fish out-compete the other for food?

If one fish is a much faster swimmer than the other (for example Zebra Danios, which are fast swimmers, with fancy goldfish, which are slow swimmers) you may find that the fast fish always gets to food before the slow fish.

There are usually tricks to get around this, but it will mean extra effort to make sure all of your fish are well fed.

What are the risks of adding new fish to a tank?

If you already have a healthy and stable goldfish tank then it’s worth considering the fact that adding new fish comes with risks.

Not only are all the issues described above a potential problem, but new goldfish tank mates could introduce diseases to your aquarium. This is why you should always quarantine new fish before adding them to your tank.

Will the fish look good together?

A minor consideration really – especially compared to the other matters of life and death! – but it’s worth thinking about how new tank mates will change your tank’s look and feel.

Do you want colorful fish? Are you interested in keeping different kinds of fish, such as catfish or sucker fish? Maybe you want to add a type of fish that swims in a different area of your tank to your goldfish? Or a small slender fish with a very different appearance to your round-bodied fancy goldfish?

All of these decisions will affect the appearance of your tank.

Recommended fancy goldfish tank mates

Every tank is different and you should always make choices based on research and your own particular situation.

That said, we’re here to help and our experts have put together a list of potential fancy goldfish tank mates you should consider.

What if you get it wrong?

Keeping the wrong types of fish with goldfish is one of the most common mistakes new goldfish keepers make!

Putting your goldfish alongside, say, betta fish, may make your tank look nice, but they have very different requirements and will probably act very aggressively towards each other.

Whenever you add new tank mates to your goldfish tank, you should be prepared to reverse the decision and remove the fish at the first sign of serious trouble.

What fish can live with goldfish? 21 goldfish tank mates

Last updated 2019-09-22 by The Goldfish Tank Leave a Comment

Minnows are a fish that can live with goldfish — Some types of fish can live quite happily with goldfish

There are hundreds of fish that can live with goldfish, so if you’re looking for new fish to add to your goldfish tank, there are plenty to choose from.

However, not all fish will make the best goldfish tank mates.

Every type of fish has different needs. For instance, some fish like warm water, others like cold water, some like saltwater, others don’t. Because you’ll want all of your fish to be healthy and happy, it’s important to choose tank mates that like similar tank conditions.

Tank conditions for fish to live with goldfish

Goldfish are freshwater fish that like a temperature of 65 – 80 °F, so fish that live with goldfish should like this setup too. But temperature is just one factor to consider.

In addition, some things to think about include:

Is your tank big enough for all the fish? You can find the minimum tank size needed for the goldfish alone, using our goldfish tank size calculator.
Will the other fish nip your goldfish’s fins?
Could the other fish suck on your goldfish’s scales?
Might the fish chase each other around the tank?
Could the goldfish try to eat the other fish?
Will either fish out-compete the other for food?
What are the risks of adding new fish to a tank?
Will the fish look good together?

We look at all of these factors more closely in our guide to keeping other fish with goldfish.

What fish can live with goldfish?

Our experts have given this some serious thought and have come up with an ultimate list of 21 possible goldfish tank mates.

This list generally assumes that we are talking about fancy goldfish, living in an aquarium. This is because fancy goldfish are slower moving and therefore less likely to bother their tank mates.

However, some fish on this list may also live with small (i.e. young) slim-bodied goldfish, as they are less likely to be able to eat their tank mates due to their small mouths.

Larger slim-bodied goldfish are best kept in a pond, which presents different challenges and requirements.

So, what fish can live with goldfish? We’ll start with our top two choices, then list fifteen other options. And finally, for those of you looking for something a bit different, we suggest four tank mates that aren’t even fish!

The best goldfish tank mates

Our top two fish that can live with goldfish are

Bristlenose Plecos

and

Platies

These are two very different types of fish, so whatever you’re looking for – and however your tank is set up – chances are one of these will work for you.

Let’s look at them more closely.

Bristlenose Pleco

Temp: 70 – 80 °F | Max Size: 5 inches

Bristlenose Plecos are much smaller than Common Plecos, which can grow up to 15 inches. Therefore, Bristlenose Plecos fall into a useful sweet spot of being small enough to fit into many goldfish tanks, without being so small that goldfish can eat them.

Choosing a Pleco to live with your goldfish comes with a big advantage too: Plecos love to eat algae, so will keep your tank nice and clean!

And while some Plecos have been known to suck on goldfish scales – often causing serious injury – this issue is very rarely reported with the Bristlenose Pleco.

Pros of keeping Bristlenose Plecos with goldfish:

☑ Unlike other Plecos, Bristlenoses don’t usually suck on goldfish scales.

☑ Bristlenose Plecos will eat algae from your tank, which keeps it clean.

☑ They generally stay near the bottom of the tank, adding interest to an area that might otherwise be empty.

Cons of keeping Bristlenose Plecos with goldfish:

✖ Bristlenose Plecos don’t usually suck on goldfish scales. However, there is always a risk that your particular Pleco may decide to!

✖ Bristlenose Plecos are pretty big fish – up to 5 inches – so you will need plenty of room for both your Plecos and your goldfish.

Platy

Temp: 64 – 77 °F | Max Size: 3 inches

Platies (or ‘Platy Fish’) are small livebearers that come in a wide range of colours.

Platies breed relatively easily and can give birth to dozens of fry (babies) at a time. However, you won’t need to worry about your goldfish tank becoming overrun. This is because all of the fry are likely to be eaten by your goldfish and the Platies themselves. (Needless to say, if you can’t bear to see this happen, you need to stop them breeding or accept that Platies may not be the fish for you!)

Though it might seem strange to recommend a small livebearer for a goldfish tank, Platies are chunky enough to avoid being eaten. They’re also placid and unlikely to nip at your goldfish.

Pros of keeping Platy Fish with goldfish:

☑ Platy Fish are peaceful, so very unlikely to nip at your goldfish.

☑ They are small, but usually big enough to not get eaten.

☑ Platies are easy to care for.

☑ Platies are available in lots of patterns and colors.

Cons of keeping Platy Fish with goldfish:

✖ Platies grow to a maximum size of 3 inches, so they are just about big enough for most goldfish to not view them as a potential snack. However, if you have large goldfish and small Platies, please do be careful!

Good goldfish tank mates

Generally speaking, the fish listed below will live quite happily in an aquarium with fancy goldfish.

That’s why we’ve called them “good” goldfish tank makes. In other words, they’re not perfect, but they should be fine.

Please do read carefully though. Choose the best fish for your own situation, and be ready to remove the new fish from the tank if there are any problems.

Black Skirt Tetra

Temp: 68 – 78 °F | Max Size: 3 inches

Pros of keeping Black Skirt Tetras with goldfish:

☑ Black Skirt Tetras are hardy and easy to care for.

☑ They’re fast, so can out-run goldfish if necessary.

☑ Like the Platy, Black Skirt Tetras are usually too big for goldfish to try to eat.

Cons of keeping Black Skirt Tetras with goldfish:

✖ You’ll need room in your goldfish tank for a school of six or more Black Skirt Tetras.

✖ They’re not always the most lively fish.

✖ There is some risk of Black Skirt Tetras nipping goldfish fins.

Bloodfin Tetra

Temp: 64 – 82 °F | Max Size: Just over 2 inches

Pros of keeping Bloodfin Tetras with goldfish:

☑ Bloodfin Tetras are hardy, so good for beginners.

☑ They’re also fast, so can out-run goldfish if necessary .

Cons of keeping Bloodfin Tetras with goldfish:

✖ You’ll need enough room in your goldfish tank for a school of at least 5 Bloodfin Tetras.

✖ There is some risk of Bloodfin Tetras nipping goldfish.

✖ At just over 2 inches, Bloodfin Tetras are only just large enough to safely live with goldfish.

Checker Barb

Temp: 68 – 75 °F | Max Size: 2 inches

Pros of keeping Checker Barbs with goldfish:

☑ Checker Barbs are a placid fish that is a good fit for community tanks.

☑ They are fast, so can out-run fancy goldfish, which tend to be slow swimmers.

Cons of keeping Checker Barbs with goldfish:

✖ At around 2 inches, Checker Barbs are only just large enough to safely live with goldfish. Therefore, there is some risk of larger goldfish attempting to eat Checker Barbs.

✖ You will need enough room for not just one, but a school of Checker Barbs.

Corydoras Catfish

Temp: 60 – 75 °F | Max Size: 2.5 inches

Corydoras will help to keep your goldfish tank clean — Corydoras are a popular, and relatively easy-to-care-for, type of catfish. Photo credit: Matthew Mannell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Pros of keeping Corydoras Catfish with goldfish:

☑ Corydoras will hunt out food scraps at the bottom of the tank, eating them rather than leaving them to rot, which helps keep your tank clean

☑ They are very peaceful and certainly won’t give your goldfish any trouble. However, the reverse may not necessarily be true.

Cons of keeping Corydoras Catfish with goldfish:

✖ As your Corydoras live at the bottom of the tank, you may struggle to feed them without their food being grabbed by your goldfish first.

✖ Corydoras are a schooling fish, so you will need room to keep a small group together.

✖ As with other smaller fish on this list, there is a chance that goldfish will attempt to eat them.

Giant Danio

Temp: 72 – 75 °F | Max Size: 4 inches

Pros of keeping Giant Danios with goldfish:

☑ Giant Danios are large enough to avoid being eaten by goldfish.

☑ They are fast and active, which means they will stay out of trouble and add plenty of interesting activity to your tank.

Cons of keeping Giant Danios with goldfish:

✖ Giant Danios grow to 4 inches and should be kept with other Giant Danios, so you will need a large tank.

Gold Barb

Temp: 64 – 75 °F | Max Size: 3 inches

Pros of keeping Gold Barbs with goldfish:

☑ Gold Barbs are hardy and easy to care for

☑ They have a fantastic golden color that will brighten up any aquarium.

Cons of keeping Gold Barbs with goldfish:

✖ Barbs can have a tendency to be territorial and nip goldfish fins. This is usually less of a problem with Gold Barbs than with some other types (such as Tiger Barbs), but it is still a risk.

✖ You will need room for at least 5 Gold Barbs, as well as your goldfish.

Hillstream Loach

Temp: 61 – 75 °F | Max Size: 3 inches

Pros of keeping Hillstream Loaches with goldfish:

☑ Hillstream loaches are generally peaceful, though may defend their territory or source of food.

☑ Loaches will help to keep your tank clear of algae.

Cons of keeping Hillstream Loaches with goldfish:

✖ It may be difficult to ensure your loaches get enough food without it being snapped up by the goldfish first.

✖ Your tank will need an area of fast-flowing water. Your loaches will enjoy this, but your goldfish might not!

Japanese Rice Fish

Temp: 65 – 75 °F | Max Size: 1.5 inches

Pros of keeping Japanese Rice Fish with goldfish:

☑ Japanese Rice Fish are an ideal ‘starter fish’ for beginners, similar to the White Cloud Mountain Minnow.

☑ Although you should keep Japanese Rice Fish in groups of six or more, they are small enough to not take up a huge amount of tank space

Cons of keeping Japanese Rice Fish with goldfish:

✖ At just one and a half inches long, Japanese Rice Fish are at risk of getting eaten by goldfish – if the goldfish can catch them.

Murray River Rainbow Fish

Temp: 71 – 78 °F | Max Size: 4 inches

Pros of keeping Murray River Rainbow Fish with goldfish:

☑ Murray River Rainbow Fish are a very colorful fish that will brighten up any goldfish tank.

☑ They are very hardy and therefore low maintenance.

☑ They are peaceful fish and therefore unlikely to harass goldfish or any other tank mates.

Cons of keeping Murray River Rainbow Fish with goldfish:

✖ You will need enough space for at least three, preferably more, Murray River Rainbow Fish in your tank.

Rosy Barb

Temp: 64 – 72 °F | Max Size: 6 inches

Pros of keeping Rosy Barbs with goldfish:

☑ Rosy Barbs are another great choice for any goldfish-keeper looking to add color to their aquarium.

☑ Rosy Barbs are very active fish and will provide plenty of interest and entertainment.

Cons of keeping Rosy Barbs with goldfish:

✖ At up to six inches long – and as a schooling fish – you will need a very large tank to keep both Rosy Barbs and goldfish.

Rubberlip Pleco

Temp: 70 – 78 °F | Max Size: 4 inches

This video by Savannah Davis shows how a Rubberlip Pleco will clean algae in your tank.

Pros of keeping Rubberlip Plecos with goldfish:

☑ Rubberlip Plecos are much smaller than the Common Pleco, which makes them far better suited to a community tank.

☑ They have similar environmental requirements to goldfish.

☑ Rubberlip Plecos are quite placid, non-aggressive fish.

Cons of keeping Rubberlip Plecos with goldfish:

✖ While they are generally not aggressive, Rubberlip Plecos are physically capable of sucking on goldfish scales, which means there’s always a risk of serious injury to your goldfish.

Scissortail Rasbora

Temp: 73 – 77 °F | Max Size: 5 inches

Pros of keeping Scissortail Rasboras with goldfish:

☑ Scissortail Rasboras are a placid fish that does well in community tanks.

☑ Their streamlined bodies contrast well with fuller-bodied fancy goldfish, so they are a good aesthetic choice.

☑ Scissortail Rasboras have interesting tail patterns and a brilliant silver sheen.

Cons of keeping Scissortail Rasboras with goldfish:

✖ Your tank will be need to be quite warm, in the region of 73 – 77 °F.

✖ Scissortail Rasboras are a five-inch-long schooling fish, so a large tank will be required to keep six or more with goldfish.

Weather Loach (aka Dojo Loach)

Temp: 45 – 77 °F | Max Size: 11 inches

Only the biggest goldfish tanks - or more likely ponds - could be home to goldfish and Weather Loaches — These eel-like fish can grow to be long! Photo credit: Manoel Jr. [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Pros of keeping Weather Loaches with goldfish:

☑ Weather Loaches are fascinating creatures. For instance, did you know they can survive for HOURS out of water?

☑ Weather Loaches are friendly, social fish that do well in a community, as long as they have enough space and are not housed with aggressive tank mates.

Cons of keeping Weather Loaches with goldfish:

✖ Weather Loaches are BIG – growing up to eleven inches.

✖ You’ll want to keep three or more Weather Loaches so will need a really big tank. Ideally, the tank should be wide as well as long, to give the Weather Loaches plenty of room to explore.

✖ Weather Loaches like to burrow in sand or small round gravel, which you may not want in your goldfish setup.

White Cloud Mountain Minnow

Temp: 45 – 75 °F | Max Size: 1.5 inches

Pros of keeping White Cloud Mountain Minnows with goldfish:

☑ A small fish, but still interesting, with a bit of color. It is easy to keep a group of six or more White Cloud Mountain Minnows without the need for a huge tank.

☑ White Cloud Mountain Minnows are fantastic beginner fish, as they are extremely hardy.

Cons of keeping White Cloud Mountain Minnows with goldfish:

✖ Though we have included White Cloud Mountain Minnows on this list, at just one and a half inches long, there is a real risk that they may get eaten.

✖ Remember – your goldfish attempting to eat a Minnow isn’t just dangerous for the Minnow, it’s dangerous for the goldfish too, as they could choke.

Zebra Danio

Temp: 65 – 78 °F | Max Size: 2 inches

Pros of keeping Zebra Danios with goldfish:

☑ You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Zebra Danios. Colour varieties include Gold, Albino and Blue Danios, and you can get Long-finned Danios too. There are even Leopard Danios which – as the name suggests – have spots instead of stripes!

☑ As a similar fish to White Cloud Mountain Minnows (above), Zebra Danios share the benefits of being a small but interesting fish that can cope with a wide variety of water conditions.

Cons of keeping Zebra Danios with goldfish:

✖ Although they are usually okay, there have been reports of some Zebra Danios nipping goldfish fins.

Animals other than fish that can live with goldfish

We’ve looked at what fish can live with goldfish… but what about tank mates that aren’t fish?

If you’re looking for something a little different, one of these four options might just be for you.

Apple Snail

Temp: 64 – 82 °F | Max Size: 6 inches

Pros of keeping Apple Snails with goldfish:

☑ Their size and shell keeps them safe from goldfish. Usually, goldfish will investigate the Apple Snail but stop bothering it once they realise it’s not food.

Cons of keeping Apple Snails with goldfish:

✖ Apple Snails may not be as active in cooler goldfish tanks.

✖ Apple Snails like to eat a lot and may eat your plants. You may therefore want to use fake plants (or none at all) if you’re going to keep an Apple Snail.

Axolotls

Temp: 60 – 64 °F | Max Size: 10 inches

An Axolotl would be an usual goldfish tank mate - but it is possible — Though sometimes known as the “Mexican Walking Fish”, Axolotls are amphibians, not fish. Photo credit: Stan Shebs [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This is more of a technically possible animal to keep with fancy goldfish, as opposed to a recommendation. We’d generally recommend keeping an axolotl as a pet in a tank of its own.

Pros of keeping an Axolotls with goldfish:

☑ Axolotls won’t usually bother goldfish, and if the goldfish bother them, they will nip back. This often results in a stalemate, where the goldfish and Axolotls live peacefully.

☑ Look at them! Axolotls are fascinating creatures!

Cons of keeping an Axolotls with goldfish:

✖ The ideal temperature range for Axolotls (60 – 64 °F) lies just outside our minimum recommended temperature for goldfish, which is 65 °F.

✖ Any significant water flow in its tank may lead to your Axolotl becoming stressed.

✖ Unlike most fish on this list – which are at risk of being eaten by your goldfish – in this case, smaller goldfish are at risk of being eaten by the Axolotl!

✖ Axolotls are large, so you’ll need a very big tank to keep them with goldfish.

Bamboo shrimp

Temp: 68 – 85 °F | Max Size: 4 inches

Pros of keeping Bamboo Shrimp with goldfish:

☑ Bamboo Shrimp are larger than Ghost Shrimp, below, which will help them to avoid being eaten.

☑ If you provide plenty of hiding places, your shrimp will usually stay hidden and keep well away from your goldfish.

Cons of keeping Bamboo Shrimp with goldfish:

✖ Even if they don’t succeed, there is a chance that your goldfish will try to eat your Bamboo Shrimp, which can cause the shrimp a lot of stress.

Ghost shrimp

Temp: 72 – 82 °F | Max Size: 2 inches

Pros of keeping Ghost Shrimp with goldfish:

☑ Ghost Shrimp’s transparency can help them to hide from goldfish, though you should still provide plenty of good hiding spots too.

Cons of keeping Ghost Shrimp with goldfish:

✖ As with Bamboo Shrimp, above, the main problem with keeping Ghost Shrimp and goldfish together is the risk of your shrimp being eaten by your goldfish.

21 Goldfish Tank Mates Listed

Our 21 top goldfish tank mates are:

Bristlenose Plecos
Platies
Black Skirt Tetras
Bloodfin Tetras
Checker Barbs
Corydoras Catfish
Giant Danios
Gold Barbs
Hillstream Loaches
Japanese Rice Fish
Murray River Rainbow Fish
Rosy Barbs
Rubberlip Plecos
Scissortail Rasboras
Weather Loaches
White Cloud Mountain Minnows
Zebra Danios
Apple Snails
Axolotls
Bamboo Shrimp
Ghost Shrimp

Do you agree with our list?

The topic of what fish can live with goldfish can often spark heated debate!

We know that there will be some people who strongly disagree with the suggestions above. Equally, there will be people who have successfully kept all of these fish with goldfish.

Please share your experiences in the comments. We’d love to know about your own successes and failures when it comes to finding goldfish tank mates.

Decoding goldfish behavior

Last updated 2019-09-05 by The Goldfish Tank 4 Comments

If you keep pet goldfish, you have almost certainly spent many hours watching them go about their daily lives, interacting with their surroundings and each other, and doing all of the normal things that goldfish do!

But have you ever watched your goldfish swimming around and wondered exactly why they are doing what they are doing, or what their behavior means? Many of us have!

Goldfish are generally thought of as being fairly simple creatures, and the different behaviors that they exhibit are not difficult to interpret, if you know what you are looking for. Read on to learn about how to decode some of the most common pet goldfish behaviors. [Read more…] about Decoding goldfish behavior

Are your goldfish happy?

Last updated 2019-09-05 by The Goldfish Tank 1 Comment

Something that fish keepers often ask themselves when they watch their goldfish swimming around in their tank is “are my fish happy?”

Of course, goldfish do not purr, wag their tails or have other obvious ways of indicating their mood to us, so it’s not always easy to tell!

However, if you do everything in your power to learn about the proper care of your goldfish, provide for all of their needs and do what you can to avoid stress, your goldfish should be healthy and happy.

All responsible goldfish keepers know the basics of goldfish care, such as not keeping the fish in a bowl, providing the right food, and ensuring adequate aeration and filtration in the tank. But, if you really want to go the extra mile, here are five tips and insights to help you to raise happy fish… [Read more…] about Are your goldfish happy?

Do goldfish get lonely? Should you get another fish?

Last updated 2019-08-07 by The Goldfish Tank 9 Comments

Do goldfish get lonely if kept in a tank by themselves? You might be surprised to learn that, no, they don’t. At least, not as far as we know.

Based on everything we know about goldfish, it is very unlikely that goldfish feel loneliness.

It’s normal to wonder whether your goldfish will get lonely if kept in a tank on their own.

You see your goldfish swimming around the same tank, all day every day, by themselves; looking at the same plants, sticking their noses into the same bits of gravel, swimming under the same ornamental bridge…

You leave for work or school for hours on end, so there’s nothing going on outside the tank for them to look at, they’re not being fed regularly throughout the day, and you just found out that the “three second memory” is a myth.

Surely a goldfish will get bored unless you get another fish for them to live with? Well, actually, no, they probably won’t.

How do we know that goldfish don’t get lonely?

There’s no definite way of knowing whether goldfish get lonely. After all, nobody can enter the mind of a goldfish to make absolutely sure. However, we can say that it is very unlikely that goldfish get lonely.

Goldfish are just not the same as humans – they’re not social animals in the same way that we are, and they don’t have the same capacity to get bored or long for companionship.

In fact, many of the longest living goldfish have been kept alone, with no obvious harm to their well being.

Can goldfish live alone?

So, if goldfish don’t get lonely, does that mean they should be kept alone? Or should you get other fish to live with your goldfish?

As it’s unlikely that goldfish feel loneliness, you certainly don’t have to get more fish just to keep your goldfish company.

However, there may be other reasons why you want to get other fish, in which case, that’s entirely up to you! Just be sure to consider the needs of each fish when choosing suitable tank mates.