What kind of fish should i get?

Question

I have a 55 gallon aquarium and i know that my boyfriend wants goldfish. So...What goes with goldfish?

Answer 1

Just to correct this goldfish business, goldfish are labeled a coldwater species because they are naturally found in and can live in colder water than tropical species. Their ideal temperature is anywhere within 70-75 degrees F but they CAN adapt to and live in water that is warmer (as well as colder) without adverse effects provided the change is gradual. They are one of the most adaptable and hardy species of aquarium fish.

As mentioned, the dissolved oxygen level is far lower in warmer water than in cooler water. This has more to do with the number of fish you can successfully house in your aquarium. This does not mean that goldfish can not live in warmer water. For those of you who don't believe me I'll insert this study:

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/38/1/93.pdf#search=%22dissolved%20oxygen%20goldfish%22

if you don't want to read it let me direct you to the results: "Blood from Goldfish acclimatized to temperatures near the extremes of their thermal range shows no difference from normal blood in oxygen capacity."

The experiment used 30 degrees C or 86 F as the max. Therefore, it shows that they can successfully adapt to a warmer temperature with no significant change in oxygen capacity in their blood. A temperature between 76-78 F would be fine to house both goldfish and tropicals.

Also, the oxygen affinity of carp blood (a relative of the goldfish) is far higher than most fish. Goldfish are adapted to changes in oxygen level of the water and can easily be acclimatized to warmer temperatures.

Goldfish, as mentioned, are also poo machines. They have a relatively poor digestive system which will foul the water faster than most tropicals (I say most because plecos, for example, poo a lot too).

The main issue when housing goldfish with other species are the temperments and stricter requirements for most tropicals. However, a well maintained tank can successfully house goldfish with certain species of tropicals.

If you (the one asking the question) do want to house goldfish with tropicals, your best bet would be to go with peaceful tropicals that stay at a size large enough that your goldfish won't eat them. So you're pretty much restritcted to medium sized livebearers, hardier tetras, or similar peacful cyprinids. I base this suggestion on the size of your tank and because I don't believe you'll have top notch filtration and maintenance of your tank

(Though I've seen Koi successfully housed with larger predatory fish)
If you're looking for something else it's going to be a trial and error thing. Some "aggressive" fish are less aggressive than others and may live fine with a goldfish. Also some tropicals, like white clouds, weatherloaches, bloodfin tetras, danios, and some barbs can adapt to lower temps better.

Answer 2

Well, goldfish thrive in cold water so there isn't much you can do. Lets see, for one thing you need to know if they're fancy goldfish or the more common kind. Fancy goldfish are somewhat attractive but more slow, so they don't do good many other fish at feeding time. Common goldfish are speedy, so they can handle a variety of companions. You can try catfish, like a pleco. Also look into minnows or "tench" fish. Check this website out.

Answer 3

Goldfish are cold-water fish, so you can't really get a whole lot of other stuff that will go good with them. I suggest you get a heater for your tank and then get some tropical fish. Some good tropical starter fish are guppies, mollies, platies, tetras, swordfish...Make sure you know what fish are compatible. Or you might want to go for something bigger, but make sure you find out maximum size first. A general rule of thumb for freshwater is 1 inch of fish per gallon. Or you could just get a tank of goldfish, but remember, they get pretty big and are fairly dirty fish!

Answer 4

I am not sure but I don't think goldfish and other fish mix well due to the amuount of ammonia goldfish produce. Go to a reputable fish store and ask them.

Answer 5

Ideally, a tank with goldfish has...just goldfish. They should not be mixed with tropicals because tropicals have different requirements, particularly goldfish like colder temperatures. Also, many fancy goldfish have long fins and bubble eyes and such and get picked on and damaged by faster moving tropicals.

Answer 6

Plecos should not be housed with goldfish. Plecos are from south america and need heaters, goldfish need cooler water temps because they need more dissolved oxygen. Colder water holds more dissolved oxygen then what warmer water does. Plecos need alot of green algae, aswell as supplementation with algae wafers, cucumbers, zuccini, romaine lettuce, shrimp pellets, broccoli, driftwood or bogwood for fiber and they develop a taste for the slimecoat on goldfish and will KILL goldfish. It has happened in the large indoor pond at the place i work at. Like goldfish, plecos excrete ALOT off ammonia.

Bettas, are tropical fish needing warmer water then what goldfish need. Bettas CANNOT handle the amount of ammonia goldfish excrete. Bettas are prone to fin rot and dropsy because of poor water quality. Bettas are carnivores and have different dietary needs then what goldfish do. Goldfish also get big enough to eat small fish such as female bettas.

Tri-color sharks are from the cyprinid family same with goldfish. They are a type of minnow. However, they need a heated tank and need to be in groups of 3-5 because they are a schooling fish. THey also grow to be 13 inches and need 70 gallons PER fish. They are skittish fish and it isnt uncommon for one to get startled and bust through a tank when it gets bigger.

Irridescent sharks GROW TO BE 4 FT LONG and are not suitable aquarium fish. They are a migrating catfish and need to be in groups also, they also will SWALLOW anything that they think they can. They too need heaters since they are warmwater tropicals.

GOLDFISH CAN ONLY BE HOUSED WITH GOLDFISH.
The rule for baby-juvenile fancy goldfish is 10 gallons PER fish. (ryukins, moors, orandas, fantails, ect.)
For baby-juvenile long bodied goldfish, its 20 gallons PER fish. (comets, commons, shubunkins) Adults need atleast 50 gallons PER fish. They need ALOT of filtration because they excrete so much ammonia aswell as regular partial waterchanges. THey grow to be 12-14 inches and will swallow smaller fish.

That being said, people have gotten away with house weather loaches and white cloud mountain minnows with goldfish. However the white clouds will most certainly become food as the goldfish grows and the people that have housed these fish with goldfish had large tanks and took EXCELLENT care of the fish. They did weekly partial waterchanges and fed once a day and tested their water and were awesome fish keepers. If only more people were like them.
Source(s):

edit- Guppies are WARM WATER tropicals people, quit suggesting them. ALso they will be eaten by the goldfish.

Bettas CAN be kept with other community warmwater tropical fish aslong as the tank is atleast 5 gallons or larger with a filter and a heater. Bettas are generally only aggressive with themselves. They should not be housed with fin nipping fish and gouramis. The fin nipping fish will have a field day nipping the male bettas tail and gouramis are from the same family as bettas and gouramis always win the battle.

Answer 7

Neon tetra's are a shiny fish, but they only grow to be a around 2". I like the Fancy Tail Guppies their colors are great and they give birth to live babies (You would need a place for the babies to hide or the parents will eat them). Another beautiful Fish is a red tail black shark, they grow to about 3-4" (they are not man eating sharks) Have fun with setting up the aquarium!

Answer 8

I wouldnt get a gold fish. the best fish to get for that fishtank would have to be an Oscar. I had an Oscar and it grew to be a foot long. It was black with very pretty orange spots on it. and I fed him goldfish. Go to this site to find out more.

http://www.oscarfish.com/

Answer 9

I think that gold fish cant go with everything because they are small so I think you should ask at a pet store petco or petsmart one of them they will probably tell you