Can goldfish live with firemouth cichlids?

Verdict

No. Goldfish and firemouth cichlids should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); firemouth cichlids need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.

Goldfish60–74°F · pH 7–8

Firemouth cichlid75–86°F · pH 6.5–8

What to watch

Deal breakerGoldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); firemouth cichlids need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.

What works

pH 7–8 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

	Goldfish	Firemouth cichlid
Temperature	60–74 °F	75–86 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–8
Adult size	10.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	40 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for goldfish

All goldfish tank mates

Better tank mates for firemouth cichlids

All firemouth cichlid tank mates

Questions

Can goldfish live with firemouth cichlids?

No. Goldfish and firemouth cichlids should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); firemouth cichlids need 75–86°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both goldfish and firemouth cichlids?

None. Goldfish need 60–74 °F and firemouth cichlids need 75–86 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do goldfish and firemouth cichlids need together?

At least 40 gal, set by the goldfish. Add space for each extra fish.