Can goldfish live with zebra plecos?

Verdict

No. Goldfish and zebra plecos should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); zebra plecos need 79–88°F. No temperature suits both.

Goldfish60–74°F · pH 7–8

Zebra pleco79–88°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerGoldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°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

	Goldfish	Zebra pleco
Temperature	60–74 °F	79–88 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	10.0 in	3.5 in
Minimum tank	40 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 goldfish

All goldfish tank mates

Better tank mates for zebra plecos

All zebra pleco tank mates

Questions

Can goldfish live with zebra plecos?

No. Goldfish and zebra plecos should not share a tank. Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); zebra plecos need 79–88°F. No temperature suits both.

What temperature suits both goldfish and zebra plecos?

None. Goldfish need 60–74 °F and zebra plecos need 79–88 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do goldfish and zebra plecos need together?

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