Can discus live with fancy goldfish?

Verdict

No. Discus and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); discus need 82–88°F. No temperature suits both.

Discus82–88°F · pH 5.5–7

Fancy goldfish65–74°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerFancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); discus need 82–88°F. No temperature suits both.
Watch outWater chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.

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

	Discus	Fancy goldfish
Temperature	82–88 °F	65–74 °F
pH	5.5–7	7–8
Adult size	6.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	All levels
Group	Groups of 5+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for discus

All discus tank mates

Better tank mates for fancy goldfish

All fancy goldfish tank mates

Questions

Can discus live with fancy goldfish?

No. Discus and fancy goldfish should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); discus need 82–88°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both discus and fancy goldfish?

None. Discus need 82–88 °F and fancy goldfish need 65–74 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do discus and fancy goldfish need together?

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