Fancy goldfish Tank Mates
Short answer: the best fancy goldfish tank mates are Mystery snail. Goldfish need 68–73 °F (20–23 °C), pH 7–8 and at least 20 gallons.
Fancy goldfish care at a glance
| Adult size | 7.9 in (20 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 20 US gallons |
| Temperature | 68–73 °F (20–23 °C) |
| pH | 7–8 |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Swims in | All levels |
| Group size | Can be kept singly or in pairs |
| Care level | Easy |
gallon tank
✅ Compatible tank mates (1)
⚠️ Possible with caution (22)
- Guppy — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller guppy (6 cm), especially at night.
- Bristlenose pleco — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Molly — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Platy — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller platy (6 cm), especially at night.
- Tiger barb — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller tiger barb (7 cm), especially at night.
- Nerite snail — Very narrow shared temperature range: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Nerite snail 22–25 °C (72–77 °F).
- Black skirt tetra — Black skirt tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like fancy goldfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Bronze cory — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller bronze cory (7.5 cm), especially at night.
- Kuhli loach — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Swordtail — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Rainbow shark — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Red tail shark — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Siamese algae eater — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Bloodfin tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller bloodfin tetra (5.5 cm), especially at night.
- Glass catfish — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller glass catfish (6.5 cm), especially at night.
- Peppered cory — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller peppered cory (7 cm), especially at night.
- Buenos Aires tetra — Buenos Aires tetra may nip at calmer tankmates like fancy goldfish; keep it in a group of 6+ to spread the nipping within its own school.
- Gold barb — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller gold barb (7.5 cm), especially at night.
- Odessa barb — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) may try to eat smaller Odessa barb (6 cm), especially at night.
- Rosy barb — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Firemouth cichlid — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
- Bala shark — Goldfish are coldwater fish that produce a lot of waste; they are usually kept only with other goldfish.
❌ Not recommended (48)
- Cherry shrimp — Fancy goldfish will hunt and eat cherry shrimp.
- Betta fish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Betta fish 22–30 °C (72–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Dwarf gourami — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Dwarf gourami 22–27 °C (72–81 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Harlequin rasbora — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat harlequin rasbora (5 cm).
- Neon tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat neon tetra (3.5 cm).
- Angelfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Angelfish 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Oscar — Oscar is aggressive and will bully peaceful fancy goldfish.
- Pea puffer — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Pea puffer 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Amano shrimp — Fancy goldfish will hunt and eat Amano shrimp.
- Celestial pearl danio — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat celestial pearl danio (2.5 cm).
- Chili rasbora — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat chili rasbora (2 cm).
- Ember tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat ember tetra (2 cm).
- Endler's livebearer — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Endler's livebearer 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Otocinclus — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat otocinclus (4 cm).
- Panda cory — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Panda cory 22–25 °C (72–77 °F).
- Cardinal tetra — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Cardinal tetra 23–29 °C (73–84 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Cherry barb — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat cherry barb (5 cm).
- German blue ram — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: German blue ram 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Glowlight tetra — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Glowlight tetra 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Honey gourami — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Honey gourami 22–27 °C (72–81 °F).
- Rummy nose tetra — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Rummy nose tetra 23–26 °C (73–79 °F).
- Serpae tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat serpae tetra (4.5 cm).
- White cloud mountain minnow — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat white cloud mountain minnow (4 cm).
- Zebra danio — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat zebra danio (5 cm).
- Kribensis — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Kribensis 24–27 °C (75–81 °F).
- Pearl gourami — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Pearl gourami 24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
- Three spot gourami — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Three spot gourami 24–30 °C (75–86 °F).
- Electric yellow cichlid — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Electric yellow cichlid 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Discus — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Discus 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Common pleco — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Common pleco 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Clown loach — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Clown loach 24–30 °C (75–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Pygmy cory — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Pygmy cory 22–26 °C (72–79 °F).
- Sparkling gourami — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Sparkling gourami 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Black neon tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat black neon tetra (4 cm).
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Cockatoo dwarf cichlid 22–29 °C (72–84 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Dwarf neon rainbowfish 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Forktail blue-eye — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Forktail blue-eye 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Lemon tetra — An adult fancy goldfish (up to 20 cm) is big enough to eat lemon tetra (5 cm).
- Paradise fish — Paradise fish is aggressive and will bully peaceful fancy goldfish.
- Sterbai cory — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Sterbai cory 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- X-ray tetra — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs X-ray tetra 22–28 °C (72–82 °F).
- Congo tetra — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Congo tetra 23–28 °C (73–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Convict cichlid — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Convict cichlid 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Upside-down catfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F) vs Upside-down catfish 24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
- Boesemani rainbowfish — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Boesemani rainbowfish 27–30 °C (81–86 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Bolivian ram — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Bolivian ram 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Chinese algae eater — Coldwater and tropical fish don't mix: Chinese algae eater 22–26 °C (72–79 °F) vs Fancy goldfish 20–23 °C (68–73 °F).
- Jack Dempsey — Jack Dempsey is aggressive and will bully peaceful fancy goldfish.
How many goldfish per tank?
20 gal 29 gal 40 gal 55 gal 75 gal — see what else fits with our stocking calculator.
FAQ
What fish can live with goldfish?
Good matches include Mystery snail. They share a temperature range with goldfish (68–73 °F (20–23 °C)), are a similar temperament, and are not big enough to eat each other or nip fins.
What fish should not live with goldfish?
Avoid Cherry shrimp, Betta fish, Dwarf gourami, Harlequin rasbora, Neon tetra, Angelfish.
What size tank do goldfish need?
We recommend at least 20 US gallons for one fancy goldfish, more if you add tank mates.
Can goldfish live alone?
Yes. Goldfish do not need a group, though they can be kept with compatible tank mates.
Note: Compatibility depends on individual temperament, tank size, decor and how fish are introduced. Our verdicts use conservative rules applied to published care data (see methodology). They are guidance, not a guarantee. Quarantine new fish and watch for chasing, torn fins or hiding.