Goldfish care

Water temperature

60–74°F

Keep goldfish at 60–74°F with a pH of 7–8, in a tank of at least 40 gallons. Good tank mates include koi, crayfish, dojo loaches.

Coldwater, messy and big. Eats any fish small enough to swallow.

Carassius auratus

pH

7–8

Minimum tank

40 gal

Adult size

10.0 in

Temperament

Peaceful

Group

Alone or in pairs

Lifespan

10–20 years

Swims at

All levels

Diet

Omnivore

Best tank mates

• KoiYes
• CrayfishYes
• Dojo loachYes
• Paradise fishYes
• Gold barbYes
• Rosy barbYes
• Fancy goldfishYes
• Odessa barbYes

Full goldfish tank mate chart: 8 yes, 9 with care, 81 no

Goldfish water compared

Fish to keep away from goldfish

• Axolotl Fish nibble at axolotl gills, and axolotls swallow small fish. Keep axolotls on their own.
• Betta Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); bettas need 76–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Cherry shrimp A goldfish is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Ghost shrimp A goldfish is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• Guppy Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); guppies need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Oscar Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); oscars need 74–81°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Pea puffer Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Angelfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); angelfish need 76–84°F. No temperature suits both.

More barbs, danios, rasboras and sharks

• Koi59–77°F
• Tiger barb72–81°F
• Red tail shark72–79°F
• Rainbow shark72–80°F
• Bala shark72–82°F
• Celestial pearl danio72–79°F
• Zebra danio65–77°F
• Fancy goldfish65–74°F