Top 13 Compatible Tank Mates for Goldfish (and 5 Fish Species to Avoid)

Goldfish are temperate species that tend to form social groups within their tank. While housing them together with members of their own species is ideal, it may also be enjoyable introducing other types of aquatic creatures provided that the relationship works well.

Goldfish have friendly personalities and large tank requirements, which allows you to add other fish into the aquarium for companionship and variety. When adding additional species to a goldfish tank, make sure they share similar living requirements to those of your goldfish and don’t display aggression or large enough size that they could harm or threaten it.

Goldfish aquariums provide an excellent environment for many types of aquatic creatures, but we have compiled a list of some great species you should keep as well as some to avoid.

Can Goldfish Live Together? While goldfish may co-habit successfully with other types of fish, certain factors should be taken into account before adding other varieties into your aquarium. In particular, for optimal conditions it would be wise to provide each goldfish species-only tanks where possible and keep pairs or groups of goldfish together for best results.

However, if you are willing to put in extra maintenance and possess the skills needed to add additional fish into your goldfish tank, this can be quite an enjoyable experience.

Goldfish fish species is well-known to be one of the least aggressive pet fishes, making them ideal for companion fish that don’t nibble and fin nip. You should ensure their chosen tankmates share similar water temperatures and pH requirements – otherwise this could cause issues between species.

Since goldfish are temperate water fish and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, the temperature should be ideal for them as well. If the temperature fluctuates too significantly, an additional heater can be added into the tank to achieve comfort for both goldfish and their tank mates.

If you plan on keeping goldfish as tank mates, you must upgrade the aquarium or ensure it is large enough to provide each individual fish with space while accommodating for additional bioload caused by each addition. If schooling fish are added along with them, adjust tank dimensions accordingly.