Calling out goldfish keepers!

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K

kurare

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 7, 2010
111
1
48
Toronto
Alright before everyone starts saying things that I shouldn't I ask you just keep it to yourselves, my goldfishes are doing just perfect sitting in 25C water is just as active [if not more] as their tank mates. The tank is very well aerated and filteration is like 5x turn over an hour.

So, now the question, I wanna get some cool interesting to look at fishes that'll go with my fantails, has anyone ever tried anything that works in terms of schooling barbs/tetras or anything of sorts?

Right now they're with:
1 ID shark (yes i know they get really big, i plan to give him away once he gets to about 16-18" or so, dont worry)
and a few Bala sharks.

I threw 12 tiger/green/albino (4 of each), it was working out ok for the first 2hrs, they even swam together, then the barbs got nippy so i returned them. and now i want another bunch that'll nip less, anyone got any successful attempts at getting cool randoms to share with goldfishes? Any suggestions will prolly be tested :)

might try some blackskirt tetras later today and see if things get nippy ^^
Thanks in advance.
 
How big is the tank?
What filtration?
What water change schedule?
What is the current nitrate concentration?
 
Only real problem I see is your ID shark, most of your smaller schooling fish are going to fall prey to it. I would try other barbs like, Puntius semifasciolatus, Puntius padamya and even Puntius denisonii.
 
@ pomatomus: Loaches have spines... should i be worried? :|

reptile guy: 150g tank, sump w/ RDSB, and sand substate. Water gets changed 10-20 gallons everytime I siphon out gunk or when levels hit ~10ppm
My 3 fantails are like 4" long with tail...

anyone tried Odessa/rosey/cherry tetras?
 
10-20 gallons is usually not enough in a 150 gallon long term, but keep a close eye on the nitrate cocnentration with a liquid test kit to check this.

Always check information on fishbase.org for accurate temperature ranges, etc.

In my experience goldfish really shouldn't be treated as being different from tropical fish. They are found in the same river systems as all the other tropical fish we keep. So I apply the same rules as other fish: if it fits in their mouth it will probably end up there. If things aren't getting along (like the nippy tiger barbs you had) then get them out. Otherwise treat them like other fish and just keep in mind that they are slower so they can make easy targets for nippy or aggressive fish.
 
Goldfish do best in species-only tanks. All types of plecos have been known to attack on occasion. Some are safer than others, but none are 100% safe. Check out this article:
http://goldfishconnection.com/articles/details.php?articleId=144&parentId=1

Goldfish do best alone because:
1. They will try to eat anything that fits in their mouths, including smaller fish. Smaller fish often get lodged in the goldfish's mouth causing either or both fish to die.
2. Differing diets. It's difficult to make sure the goldfish get their food and the other fish gets their food.
3. Goldfish are a fairly peaceful species, and other fish are often tail-nippers and cause stress to the goldfish.
4. Water quality. Goldfish are one of the most messy fish out there for their size. Other species of fish who are extra sensitive to water quality should not be kept with them. Also keep in mind that double tail goldfish require at least 10 gallons of space to themselves. Single tails require at least 30 gallons each.

That being said... I have never heard anything bad about keeping Dojo Loaches with goldfish. I believe they require similar temperatures (around 74 F). They are also peaceful, like goldfish, and they are generally not small enough for goldfish to try and eat. The dojo loach is the only other fish I think you could safely keep with your goldfish. Keep in mind though, that each dojo loach requires 10 gallons of space to itself, and they prefer to be in pairs.

Actually now that I think of it, there are also accounts of Platies being okay with goldfish. I guess they tend to be less nippy and more passive. But if your goldfish are very large, they may try to eat the platies and choke...
 
Actually there is A LOT of misinformation out there about goldfish.

They have been introduced all over the world and are now found in places like the Middle East, tropical Africa, South America, etc. (quite tropical and literally the same water systems as so many other aquarium fish). Their native range includes tropical China, Laos, and Thailand. If these places are not tropical then I don't know what is. Check fishbase.org for this information (where they are listed as going as high as 105F (obviously not recommended)).

Diet: I feed and recommend New Life Spectrum, ideal for goldfish and every other fish out there. A goldfish's diet fits right in the range of all the fish we already mix together and feed the same food to, so there is no issue there in general. Low quality diets may cause problems in fancy goldfish before other fish (but the other fish are still suffering long term, just not showing as obviously).

In my experience goldfish are no messier PER WEIGHT than any other fish. However, they do get very large so will still produce a significant amount of waste.

Any fish will try to eat anything that fits in its mouth. This must be considered any time you mix fish (the id shark negates this issue in this situation anyways).

For the record I have never seen a case of bristlenose plecos bothering goldfish. Although I would believe that it has happened ever, that would be an extremely unusual individual and would be like having a goldfish that attacks other goldfish.

Please PM for a link to the article I wrote on goldfish for more info if interested.
 
I get all my information about goldfish either from my personal experience, or when that fails, from the experiences of the goldfish experts here in the US- Ken Fischer of Dandy Orandas and Rick Hess of GoldfishConnection.com. He is also co-author of the authoritative reference book about goldfish called "Fancy Goldfish". Sure there are other experts, but these are just two I know of who both have great reputations. These guys know what they're talking about, they are not spreading mis-information. Rick states in the link I gave about plecos above that he has had reports from customers about even the "docile" plecos attacking their goldfish. So it can happen, but I would agree that with the bristlenose it is more rare. Also, goldfish do attack other goldfish. Ryukins especially are known for chasing other fish down and pecking out their eyes. It does happen. Even in my limited experience, I know of a few goldfish collectors who had to rehome a fish or two because they became aggressive to the other goldfish.
 
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