Can african cichlids live with fancy goldfish?

Verdict

No. African cichlids and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); african cichlids need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.

African cichlid75–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

Fancy goldfish65–74°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerFancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); african cichlids need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.
Deal breakerAfrican cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful fancy goldfish.

What works

pH 7.8–8 suits both.

Water side by side

The ranges do not meet, so one of them would always be too warm or too cold.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	African cichlid	Fancy goldfish
Temperature	75–82 °F	65–74 °F
pH	7.8–8.6	7–8
Adult size	5.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	All levels
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for african cichlids

All african cichlid tank mates

Better tank mates for fancy goldfish

All fancy goldfish tank mates

Questions

Can african cichlids live with fancy goldfish?

No. African cichlids and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); african cichlids need 75–82°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both african cichlids and fancy goldfish?

None. African cichlids need 75–82 °F and fancy goldfish need 65–74 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do african cichlids and fancy goldfish need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the african cichlid. Add space for each extra fish.