lisacaris@comcast.net

Question
dear karen;

you have helped me in the past with my oscars so thank you.

i have another 55g with

2 clown loaches
1rubber catfish
1bristle nose catfish
3 guppies
1 dalmation mollie
4 fancy goldfish
2 red drawf gouramis


the fancy goldfish were given to me ; they all seem to be getting
along great . every once in a while the loaches will chase them
for the most part they are fine.

is it okay to put them in the same tank
loaches are 2 inches and the goldfish are 1

thank you for your time

sincerely ;
lisa

Answer
Dear Lisa, ((You're welcome!))
Goldfish really do best in an aquarium of their own. Since they have specific needs such as unheated cooler water than what most tropical fish prefer. Goldfish like the Fancy varieties grow quite large over time and four of them will produce quite a lot of waste. I understand they were given to you. You can only do your best for them. If you have nowhere else to put them, they would probably be OK in with the loaches. But Fancy goldfish are slow movers and have fancy finnage that is a great target for many fish, even some catfish will shred and tear their fins relentlessly. And they really need a tank of their own a good sized one. But for now we can hope for the best that they wont get too bullied. Since these are babies, at 1 inch. You could manage to raise them for awhile in a 20gal until they reach a good size and need a much bigger aquarium with good filtration. Actually, if I were you. While your fancy goldfish are small, I would be saving up for a big aquarium (ideally a 55gal but a 40gal should do) just for them when they grow larger.

It's just important to remember that goldfish grow large, produce more waste than other fish, need more space than other fish, plus very good filtration, unheated water, and many frequent large water changes for their well-being.

I really hope this helps!
Best wishes to you and all your fish!
Karen~