Can Guppy Live with Goldfish?

A common question that most beginner fish keepers ask is whether or not guppy fish and goldfish can live together in the same aquarium.

If you have been struggling to find the answer to this question yourself, worry no more!

We are here with a comprehensive guide on guppies and goldfish, which will answer all your queries.

So, let’s get started!

Can Guppy Fish and Goldfish Live Together?

The answer is yes!

Guppies and goldfish can live together in the same tank, provided that the conditions of the tank are altered according to their preferences and you take appropriate precautionary measures.

You will have huge problems if you do not provide an ideal environment for both species.

Goldfish and guppies both display peaceful behaviors.

They are not aggressive and will not harm each other unless they are hungry, sick, hurt, or kept in conditions that are not ideal for them (more on this in the sections ahead).

However, when you are pairing the two, keep in mind the size of the goldfish.

The Best Kinds of Goldfish for Guppies

Whether a goldfish and a guppy can survive together is dependent on the type of goldfish you have in your fish tank.

Goldfish breeds differ in sizes and activity levels, which can affect their compatibility with guppy fish.

If you want to keep a goldfish and guppy fish together, make sure your goldfish is small in size. A big goldfish will have a big mouth, and they will be able to swallow down your guppy fish with ease!

Slim, small goldfish that are generally 4 inches or less in size are ideal tank mates for guppies and other freshwater fish because they are unable to eat them.

Fantails, Ranchus, and Orandas are large-sized varieties of goldfish.

They have fat, round bodies that look bloated. They will not just eat your tiny guppies, but they will devour your adult guppy fish, too.

However, goldfish have very poor eyesight. They are not able to see very far since their eyes are on the sides of their heads.

They have a blind spot in front of their nose which makes it hard for them to catch the fast guppy fish swimming about in your tank.

Some goldfish species like black moors and veiltails are physically impaired, which affects their capability to harm the guppies.

Things to Take Care of in a Guppy-Goldfish Tank

Earlier in this blog, we talked about preferred conditions and appropriate precautionary measures that you, as a fish keeper, must take if you want to keep guppies and goldfish together.

Let’s take a look at each of these measures in detail:

1. Tank Temperature

Guppies are tropical, freshwater fish that require warmer temperatures to survive than goldfish. Goldfish are cold water pond fish that need cooler temperatures to survive.

The ideal temperature for a guppy fish is 77 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas, for a goldfish, it is around 65 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

This 10-degree difference can make it hard for guppies and goldfish to live together.

Keeping guppies in cold water can make them sick and cause them to die soon since they won’t eat if the temperature isn’t ideal.

Similarly, maintaining goldfish in warmer temperatures can stress them out and reduce their lifespan substantially.

Find an ideal middle temperature for the aquarium. We recommend setting the temperature at 70 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit so both guppies and goldfish can survive.

However, keep in mind that this temperature is not optimal for any of the two species and can affect their survival.

2. Water pH

There is a vast difference in pH preferences of guppies and goldfish. Guppies prefer a more alkaline environment, whereas goldfish survive better in an acidic one.

Find a middle ground, just like you did for the temperature in the tank. A neutral pH of 7 is neither acidic nor alkaline. Any pH above it will be too alkaline for your goldfish, and any pH below it can be too acidic for your guppies.

However, it is crucial to note that if you do not maintain the water or clean it often to remove all waste, it will turn acidic, which can prove to be detrimental for your guppy fish.

Never skip any water changes if you are keeping the two fish together, no matter how busy you get.

3. Guppy Fry Protection

Guppy fish are born breeders. A female guppy can give live birth to around 20 to 120 guppies in a month! Talk about population growth.

An added problem, you ask? Guppy fry reach maturity 3 months after birth and can start breeding as well!

Guppy fry absolutely has no chance of surviving in a tank where goldfish are present.

A guppy fry is only 6 mm in size at the time it is born, making a delicious snack for a goldfish.

There are two things you can do to protect baby guppies from the goldfish in your tank:

  1. Get a separate tank: As soon as the guppy fry is born, remove them from the tank with goldfish and transfer them to another tank with optimal conditions for a guppy fry. When they become adults, you can transfer them to the tank with the goldfish. However, maintaining two tanks can get tricky and expensive if you are on a budget.
  2. Create a breeding box: In your tank, create a breeding box and place your female guppy fish in it before she gives birth. Let your guppy fry remain in the breeding box until they become too large for your goldfish. You won’t have to maintain a separate breeding tank this way.

4. Plants

You must add plants to your guppy-goldfish tank, so your goldfish devour them instead of eating the guppy fish.

Some low-maintenance plants you can put in your fish tank are duckweed, anubias, water lettuce, and java fern.

These plants are delicious treats for goldfish and have the ability to re-grow quickly. Ensure these plants have strong bases on the tank bed, so goldfish do not uproot them entirely.

However, try your best to keep your goldfish well-fed at all times. A goldfish will not eat your plants or the little guppy fish unless it is starving.

5. Size of the Fish Tank

Ensure that your fish tank is adequately-sized according to the number of guppies and goldfish you are housing. A goldfish needs 20 to 40 gallons of water depending on its size.

Guppies can survive well in anywhere between 10 to 20 gallons, depending on their rate of reproduction.

Get a tank that provides plenty of space for your guppy fish to hide from the goldfish and swim around since they are fast active fish.

6. Tank Maintenance

Goldfish produce a lot of waste, and if you do not have a cleaning system in place, you will be putting them as well as their guppy tank mates in grave danger.

Make it a habit to change the water in the tank regularly, so nitrate and ammonia levels remain low.

Have a proper self-cleaning internal or external filter system attached to your aquarium. However, a filter will not eliminate the need for water changes. It will only keep the water quality better for a longer time.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions people usually have about guppies.

Q1. What kind of diet do goldfish and guppies have?

A: Guppies like eating a combination of live food and dry flakes. They need high sources of protein. Try giving them tropical flakes, brine shrimp, fruit flies, and bloodworms.

Goldfish also like eating brine shrimp and bloodworms, but they prefer eating a plant-based diet and love duckweed and algae.

Avoid giving food that both species enjoy because the goldfish won’t leave any for the guppies.

Q2. Do I need to keep my goldfish away from my guppy fish when I first buy them?

A: Optimally, all new fish must be kept separate from the fish you already have in your tank in case your new fish carry any diseases that can transfer.

Like many other freshwater fish, guppies can carry diseases that can transmit to the goldfish.

Similarly, goldfish are highly waste-producing species and notoriously dirty. Keeping them in quarantine and observing their behavior is essential.

If all is well for a few weeks, you can keep them together with guppies.

Q3. Do goldfish breed as guppies do?

A: A stark difference between goldfish and guppies is that guppies are livebearers, whereas goldfish lay eggs. Unlike guppies, goldfish spawn.

When the water gets warmer, the male goldfish chase around the females that causes them to get injured.

As a result, the female fish releases her eggs in the tank, and the male releases the sperm to fertilize them. The spawning process lasts a week or more and can happen a few times a year.

Final Words

Yes, keeping guppies and goldfish together is a lot of work.

You need to buy separate food, create optimal conditions, clean the tank more often, have a proper filtration system in place, and use different methods to protect the baby guppies from the larger goldfish.

If you really want to keep the two species together, follow the advice given in this blog to ensure the survival of your pets.

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