Can bichirs live with fancy goldfish?

Verdict

No. Bichirs and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); bichirs need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.

Bichir72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Fancy goldfish65–74°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerFancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); bichirs need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
Deal breakerAn adult bichir is twice the size of a fancy goldfish and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
Watch outBichirs are much bigger and pushier than fancy goldfish, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.

What works

pH 7–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

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

	Bichir	Fancy goldfish
Temperature	72–82 °F	65–74 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7–8
Adult size	12.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	75 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	All levels
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bichirs

All bichir tank mates

Better tank mates for fancy goldfish

All fancy goldfish tank mates

Questions

Can bichirs live with fancy goldfish?

No. Bichirs and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); bichirs need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.

What temperature suits both bichirs and fancy goldfish?

72–74 °F. Bichirs need 72–82 °F, fancy goldfish need 65–74 °F.

What size tank do bichirs and fancy goldfish need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the bichir. Add space for each extra fish.