Tank Mates of Goldfish: 9 Best Picks for Beginners
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Goldfish are the most common freshwater ornamental fish in the fishkeeping hobby. Almost every hobbyist knows goldfish and wants to keep them.
However, some of them want to make a dedicated community goldfish tank. If you are one of them then you should know about the suitable tank mates of goldfish.
This article has discussed thoroughly the top 9 goldfish tank mates. From this list, you can choose any fish for your community tank. So without wasting time let’s dive deep into the topic.
Best 9 tank mates of goldfish for a community fish tank
1. Giant Danios
Comparison between Giant danios & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Giant Danios |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 30 – 55 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | Medium |
| Aggression | Low | Medium |
| How many goldfish with Giant danios | 2 goldfish with 5 giant danios are good for a 55-gallon tank | |
Giant danios are probably the best fit in a goldfish tank due to their behavior & size. They are the cousins of zebra danios. However, don’t make a mistake by keeping zebra danios with goldfish.
Giant danios grow up to approximately 4 inches long when they attain adulthood. This length is good enough to escape from the goldfish’s mouth. Not only that but they are quick and don’t bother much about other fish in the same tank.
Giant danios should be kept in a group. 5-6 numbers of giant danios are good for a large goldfish tank. Smaller tanks may increase aggression among them.
Read More:- Is goldfish compatible with cichlids?
2. White Cloud Mountain Minnow
Comparison between White Cloud Mountain Minnow & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish |
White Cloud Mountain Minnow |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 10 – 20 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | No |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with minnow | 2 goldfish with 8-10 minnows are good for a 20-gallon tank | |
One of the best tank mates of goldfish is the white cloud mountain minnow. They are one of the best fits if some factors are maintained well.
Goldfish & cloud mountain minnows both are cold-water fish. So it will not be a captivity problem if they are kept together. In this case, you must maintain the temperature range between 64°F to 72°F in the tank.
However, you must not keep white mountain minnows with adult goldfish or comet goldfish. It is because they are too big for minnows. Minnows can become prey to goldfish in this case.
To keep goldfish & cloud mountain minnows together a large tank is required with plenty of vegetation. Otherwise, fin nipping activities or aggression may increase inside the tank.
Read More:- How many goldfish you can put in a tank?
3. Bloodfin Tetra
Comparison between Bloodfin Tetra & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Bloodfin Tetras |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 20 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | Medium |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with bloodfin tetras | 2 goldfish with 3-5 bloodfin tetras are good for a 20-gallon tank | |
Bloodfin tetras are another most compatible fish with the goldfish. Lots of people say that tetras are not suitable for goldfish. However, according to our experience, Bloodfin Tetra did well with goldfish.
Bloodfin tetras are good and active swimmers. They are the tiny ones. Maximum 2 inches of length they attain in adulthood. They should be kept in a school. Minimum 5-6 bloodfins are good to keep together with goldfish.
To keep them healthy, it is recommended to build a heavily planted tank. However, any type of plant isn’t suitable for a goldfish tank because goldfish love to nibble on leaves.
You have to choose plants that cover the ground & the middle portion of the tank and those plants shouldn’t be eaten by goldfish. Anubias & Java fern could be two great options for Bloodfin Tetra & goldfish.
Read More:- Starter Fish For Beginners: 9 Best Recommendations
4. Platy Fish
Comparison between Platy fish & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Platy Fish |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 10 – 20 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | Low (only males) |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with platy fish | 2 goldfish with 8-10 platies are good for a 20-gallon tank | |
Platy fish is considered a great companion to goldfish. They should be chosen for a goldfish tank due to their behavior, size, & appearance.
Platy fish are not too small so they can escape easily from goldfish. Not only that, but they are chunky types also. They are docile in nature and they don’t have the bad habit of fin nipping like other fin nippers. Due to the nature of platy fish, they can be kept with fancy goldfish also.
Platy fish can be found in various patterns & colors. So they can embellish the tank well with goldfish. However, aggressive & big goldfish are strictly not allowed to keep with platies. Juvenile platies are also incompatible with goldfish.
5. Gold Barbs
Comparison between Gold Barb & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Gold Barb |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 20 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | High |
| Aggression | Low | Medium |
| How many goldfish with gold barb | 2 goldfish with 3 gold barb are good for a 20-gallon tank | |
Among all barb species, gold barbs are considered less aggressive or semi-aggressive species. So you can keep gold barbs with goldfish together in the same tank.
Gold barbs are aesthetically beautiful and very eye-catching. Their golden colors can compliment goldfish in the same tank. However, fancy goldfish that have wavy tails or fins should not be kept with golden barbs. It is because the golden barb has fin nipping habits.
Generally, golden barbs are very easy to take care of. For both of these fish, 70°F is the most suitable temperature in captivity. Moreover, a minimum of five numbers of gold barbs should be kept with goldfish.
Read More:- Why do goldfish die in bowls quickly? Original truth has revealed
6. Bristlenose Pleco
Comparison between Bristlenose Pleco & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Bristlenose Pleco |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 40 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Herbivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | No |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with bristlenose pleco | 3 goldfish with 1 bristlenose pleco is good for a 40-gallon tank | |
Bristlenose Pleco is one of the best tank mates of goldfish. Lots of local fish keepers keep bristlenose pleco in a 55-75 gallon goldfish tank. However, you must not buy a common pleco instead of bristlenose pleco anyhow. It will be a mess for the goldfish tank.
Bristlenose pleco is a very peaceful & timid type of fish. To keep them healthy adding driftwoods to the goldfish tank is a must. They act as scavengers of the tank which is great for goldfish because they create lots of bioloads.
Bristlenose pleco doesn’t have stunning colors & it is not very active too. So lots of fish keepers aren’t fond of them. However, they are actually good for a goldfish tank. To keep both of them a strong filtration system is required the most.
7. Dojo Loaches
Comparison between Dojo Loaches & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Dojo Loaches |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 55 – 75 Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | No |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with dojo loaches | 3-5 goldfish with 1 dojo loaches are good for a 55-gallon tank | |
Dojo loaches or weather loaches are another great tank mates to goldfish. Generally, they are bottom dwellers and eat algae from the goldfish tank.
Dojo loaches prefer cold water to thrive which is very similar to goldfish. 60°F-70°F is the most suitable range for both of these fish. In captivity, both fish need ample swimming spaces.
To keep dojo loaches with goldfish you must build a very large tank. Dojo loaches grow up to 11 inches long approximately. So it should be kept in your mind before choosing this fish.
8. Black skirt tetra
Comparison between Black skirt tetras & Goldfish
| Factors | Goldfish | Black skirt tetra |
| Tank Size | 20 – 75 Gallon (Depending upon species) | 15 – 20 – Gallon |
| Food habit | Omnivores | Omnivores |
| Fin Nipping Activity | No | Medium |
| Aggression | Low | Low |
| How many goldfish with black skirt tetras | 2 goldfish with 4-5 black skirts are good for a 20-gallon tank | |
Black skirt tetras are another recommendation from the tetra family as tank mates of goldfish. Despite coming from tropical countries, they can cope with goldfish easily.
Black skirt tetras are very eye-catching just because of their diamond body shape. They are small but very active. Due to this nature, they can run away from goldfish whenever they want.
Black skirt tetras thrive well when they are kept in school. A minimum of 6-8 tetras are required to keep them together in a goldfish tank. Planted tanks can be a preference to keep both of them happy.
9. Other Goldfish
If you aren’t happy with the fish discussed in this article then you must try other goldfish as tank mates. They can definitely be great tank mates of each other.
Before choosing another goldfish for a previous goldfish tank, you must check the size of both goldfish. Large goldfish are not suitable with small fancy goldfish anyhow. For example, you must not keep black moor goldfish or ranchus in a comet goldfish tank.
Common goldfish can live in dirty tanks also. However, this is not for all goldfish species. Fancy goldfish like black moor goldfish or ranchus or oranda goldfish need crystal clear water. So check this parameter once.
Read More:- Cloudy Goldfish Tank? The Original Causes (Especially THIRD) & Solutions
Final Thoughts
This article has discussed the best 9 tank mates of goldfish for a community fish tank. Now it may become overwhelming if you don’t know much about fish. So in this final section, you can see our recommendation.
If you have a small-medium-sized tank, then platies & bloodfin tetra can be two suitable options. They are very good to see and can change the dynamic of the tank.
For a medium to a large tank, dojo loach suits well. However, you can’t see much coloration or activities in the tank. In this case, bristlenose plecos are also a suitable option. However, they need lots of driftwoods & all.
Best of luck & happy fish keeping.
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