When bringing betta fish to your home, the first thing that can come into your mind is what fish can live with my betta fish. We must consider many things like temperament, water parameters requirement, and dietary requirements of both the fish when keeping two different fish species together in the same tank.
Goldfish are the most popular fish; every aquarist loves adding them to their home tanks. So, keeping goldfish in your betta tank can come to your mind. So, Can betta fish live with goldfish? Let us find out.
Betta fish and goldfish cannot live together as they don’t share similar water temperature requirements; also, goldfish are fin nippers and will try to nip your betta’s long fins. Consider keeping fishes like neon tetras, guppies, and cory catfish in your betta tank, as they are bettas’ good mates.
This article will discuss all the factors behind not keeping betta and goldfish together, and also we will discuss the best tankmates for your betta fish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Can we keep betta fish and goldfish together in the same tank?
Keeping betta fish and goldfish together in the same tank is not a good idea.
The main reason behind not keeping them together is the water parameters requirement.
Bettas require a well-heated tank, whereas goldfish require cooler water temperatures to thrive.
If you want your fish to live longer, you must provide them with their ideal water conditions.
Keeping betta fish and goldfish in the same tank will result in one of them not getting their required living conditions, and because of that, it can pass away.
So, consider not keeping your betta fish with a goldfish, as they are incompatible.
There are more reasons which stop us from keeping betta fish and goldfish together in the same tank, which we will discuss now in detail.
Reasons behind not keeping betta fish and goldfish together
All these are the reasons behind not keeping betta fish and goldfish together:
- They don’t share similar water temperature requirements.
- Goldfish are good fin nippers.
- Goldfish are omnivore fish and quick eaters.
- Goldfish require a big-size tank to live.
- Goldfish produce lots of waste, resulting in an ammonia spike.
Water temperature
Goldfish and betta fish don’t have similar water temperature requirements.
Betta fish require warm water temperatures, whereas goldfish like to live in cooler water temperatures.
Betta fish require a water temperature between 78-82 °F.
Goldfish require a water temperature between 68-74 °F.
If your fish don’t get their ideal water temperature, they will become stressed and prone to various diseases and parasites.
Also read: Ideal pH Level For Betta Fish?
Goldfish are fin nippers.
Keeping goldfish and betta fish together will result in betta fish being nipped and suffering from issues.
Bettas have long colorful fins, and goldfish are fin nippers, which means goldfish will try to nip your betta fish fins.
Also, bettas are known to be short-tempered fish and will fight back with the goldfish.
So, whenever you plan to add a tankmate for your betta fish, go for fish that are not fin nippers.
Goldfish are omnivores and quick eaters.
Another important factor that stops us from keeping betta fish and goldfish together is their dietary requirements.
Betta fish are carnivore fish and require only meat-based food in their daily diet.
Goldfish are omnivore fish and require both meat and plant-based food in their daily diet.
Also, feeding betta-based food to a goldfish is not recommended, as this can make your goldfish suffer from issues like kidney failure, swim bladder disorder, and constipation.
Goldfish are quick eaters, meaning they will try to eat the food as soon as you add the food to the tank, resulting in your betta fish being hungry or goldfish being overfed.
Goldfish require a big-size tank to live.
Goldfish require more space to live comfortably.
Bettas require a tank size of 5 gallons and bigger. Keeping betta fish in a small size tank (Smaller than 5 gallons) will not let them swim and live comfortably.
When you plant to keep goldfish, you will need a much bigger tank, as goldfish require a tank size of 10-12 gallons.
So, with every addition to the number of goldfish, you will require an extra 12-gallon size to house them.
You can easily consider keeping them in a different tank as this way, you can provide them with their ideal living conditions, and they will live happily.
Goldfish produce lots of waste.
Goldfish are known to be dirty fish, which produce lots of waste.
Excessive waste in the tank will result in an ammonia spike which will cause ammonia poisoning in the tank.
Betta fish are very sensitive to ammonia, and even a small amount of ammonia in the tank can cause serious issues to betta fish.
So, it is not advisable to keep betta fish with a goldfish.
Also read: Ammonia Poisoning In Goldfish
What are the compatible tankmates of my betta fish?
Whenever we visit the pet shop, we see that many of them, or almost every pet shop, keep betta fish separately in tiny containers or small bowls.
This way of keeping betta fish makes us think of two things:
- Bettas are meant to keep in small-size tanks.
- Bettas like to live alone on their own.
However, you must know that these two things are wrong.
Betta fish require ample space to live and swim comfortably.
Also, keeping them with their compatible tankmates will make them thrive.
You should add fish that are less colorful, non-aggressive, and smaller or similar to the size of your betta fish to your betta tank.
All these are the best tankmates of your betta fish:
- Feeder guppies
- Neon tetras
- Mystery snails
- Ghost shrimps
- Cory catfish
- Harlequin rasbora
- Ember tetras
- Clown plecos
- Kuhli loach
- African dwarf frogs
Conclusion:
Keeping betta fish and goldfish together in the same tank is not a good idea as they are not compatible with each other.
Bettas are warm-water fish, and goldfish require cooler water to thrive.
Goldfish are fin nippers and will try to nip at your bettas long flowing fin, which will cause aggression in your tank.
Also, they both have different dietary requirements, and it will be hard for you to feed them together.
So, all these factors stop us from keeping betta fish and goldfish together.
Reference: Wikipedia, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, Wikipedia