Can goldfish live with clown loaches?

Verdict

No. Goldfish and clown loaches should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); clown loaches need 77–86°F. No temperature suits both.

Goldfish60–74°F · pH 7–8

Clown loach77–86°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerGoldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); clown loaches need 77–86°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

	Goldfish	Clown loach
Temperature	60–74 °F	77–86 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	10.0 in	8.0 in
Minimum tank	40 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 5+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for goldfish

All goldfish tank mates

Better tank mates for clown loaches

All clown loach tank mates

Questions

Can goldfish live with clown loaches?

No. Goldfish and clown loaches should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); clown loaches need 77–86°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both goldfish and clown loaches?

None. Goldfish need 60–74 °F and clown loaches need 77–86 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do goldfish and clown loaches need together?

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