Can goldfish live in the same tank as a bottom feeder?

Question

I have a 10 gallon tank which will soon be home to one small ruykin goldfish. To help with the mess from the goldfish i would like to know if i could get away with adding in a bottom feeder of some kind. I dont know if they live at the same temperature or coexist well. Any help on whether that would work and if so what kind of bottom feeder to get?

Answer 1

First a couple of points...

Your ryukin isn't going to be happy for very long in a 10 gallon tank. He will really need a 20 gallon to have enough swimming space.

No bottom fish ( or any other fish for that matter) is going to help with the mess another fish makes. None of them will eat poop. In fact, they will just make more.

A large snail or two would be about your best bet for a food and algae cleanup crew in your tank.

MM

Answer 2

I'll agree with the answerers who have said no to an algae eater. Most will be too large for a tank your size (the otocinclus catfish would be the only one that's appropriate for a 10 gallon tank), and these are tropical fish, meaning they would need to have a heater, and that would make the water warmer than what the goldfish would prefer.

The only real option you would have is a mystery snail, as these will do better than other snail in room-temperature water. They need to have both a male and female to produce young, so only get one, although a female can continue to lay fertile eggs for up to 6 months after she's mated. If you get a female and you don't want the babies, just remove the eggs from the glass once they're laid - this is easy to do since they're laid above the water level. After 6 months, it won't matter.

Just remember, though, no fish or snail will remove all the algea, so you will still need to do some cleaning yourself. And even snails produce some wastes, and these will add to the overall ammonia produced.

Answer 3

A pleco would get too big for a 10 gallon tank and regular algae eaters are to aggressive for a goldfish tank. The absolute best option for a goldfish tank are snails. They aren't the kind of snails that will over poplulate your tank. They are actually a little large and you can have a couple in your tank. They do well in cold water environments. And they'll eat all over the place just like a bottom feeder. Plus they are cheap. You just have to make sure to feed them algae tablets, they can't just live off of the algae in your tank alone as with any bottom feeder. Plecos reach to 20+ inches, that means they need at least 20 gallons of water to survive- and they live long lives if kept right, however your tank is too small! You can really only keep one goldfish in the tank you have. But a couple of snails will be ok. I worked at petsmart for a year, so I have experience in this.

Answer 4

Gosh, if you go with the majority, it really seems like a pleco is a good idea doesn't it. Ignorance or negligence? I don't know but it makes me sad. :(

The only easy-to-find pleco who will be okay in the coldwater environment you should be keeping a goldfish in is the common plecostomus, which should grow just enormous if given the proper environment, and absolutely should not be put into a 10 gallon tank. When people tell you they've done it and the fish are just fine, ask them HOW LONG the fish have been just fine like that. Goldfish and plecos should both be able to live long enough to require college funds!

Snails are the only good idea I've seen here. I've got olive nerites in all of my tanks. Not only are they wonderful algae eaters, they won't breed in freshwater conditions so you won't end up with a snail infestation.

Answer 5

I agree with the minority. There are a couple of species of plecos that are capable of being compatible with goldfish, that is, they do have lower water tolerances than most other tropicals, and if you had a 50 gallon tank, I'd say sure, go for it. But, as you only have a tiny 10 gallon, there's not going to be enough room for the one goldy after a couple of years, let alone something that grows as huge as a plecostomus. Snails would be your only option. The apple snail, also nicknamed the Mystery Snail is the best bet. It tolerates colder waters and is not hermaphroditic, so you won't have to worry about ten thousand offspring in 6 months time. Because of their ability to reproduce, even with an Apple Snail, and because of the size of your tank, I would suggest only one snail. Don't forget to cycle your water first! Good luck!

Answer 6

Why would you want to put your goldfish into a tank with a lawyer......Just kidding.

Yes It will work fine. Try getting a Pieco, they eat everything that doesn't move and I mean everything.

Answer 7

We had a really cool Rafael Cat Fish that never bothered any size of goldfish we have. He unfortunaley got stuck under one of our ornaments and kept eating there until he was too big to get out. We also have a regular pleco.

Answer 8

I would suggest getting a pleco just an algae eater he will pick up anything including fish poo and fish flakes. He will be fine with the cold water temp. P.S. The pleco will be harder to kill than the ruykin goldfish.

Answer 9

yep. they should work fine. just get a small one because they grow and you'll have to get rid of it or get a bigger tank for it eventually so you can keep it longer if it starts small.

Answer 10

some times but it might not make it for over 2 weeks.