Can fancy goldfish live with zebra plecos?

Verdict

No. Fancy goldfish and zebra plecos should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); zebra plecos need 79–88°F. No temperature suits both.

Fancy goldfish65–74°F · pH 7–8

Zebra pleco79–88°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerFancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); zebra plecos need 79–88°F. No temperature suits both.

What works

pH 7–7.5 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

	Fancy goldfish	Zebra pleco
Temperature	65–74 °F	79–88 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	3.5 in
Minimum tank	30 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for fancy goldfish

All fancy goldfish tank mates

Better tank mates for zebra plecos

All zebra pleco tank mates

Questions

Can fancy goldfish live with zebra plecos?

No. Fancy goldfish and zebra plecos should not share a tank. Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); zebra plecos need 79–88°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both fancy goldfish and zebra plecos?

None. Fancy goldfish need 65–74 °F and zebra plecos need 79–88 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do fancy goldfish and zebra plecos need together?

At least 30 gal, set by the fancy goldfish. Add space for each extra fish.