Can Angelfish and Goldfish Live Together? (Combining & RISKS!)

Can Angelfish and Goldfish Live Together

Many of you are beginner fish keepers and don’t know how to choose compatible tank mates.

If you are confused, can angelfish and goldfish live together? Unfortunately, they can’t live together since angelfish is an aggressive species and belongs to different water conditions.

In this article, you will have some ideas about angelfish and goldfish.

Can Angelfish and Goldfish Live Together?

The answer is complex. They are unable to live with each other. The main reason behind their incompatibility is the aggression of angelfish. Goldfish and angelfish’s temperaments and water conditions are different. But in some cases, they can get along with proper circumstances for a while.

Make sure to consider some significant points to keep them together. But it is not recommended.

Some Simple Steps to Put Them Together

Goldfish and angelfish can live together for a few months. But you can put them together for a long time if you follow some important conditions. 

You should be aware if you want to keep them together. They will live fine as long as they won’t attack each other.

What you’ll need–

  • Fish
  • Tank size
  • Filtration
  • Decorations
  • Water change
  • Feeding
  • Punishment 

Setting up process

Step 1: Choose the perfect fish

The goldfish should be larger than angelfish to avoid fighting. Try to keep them together from the very beginning to make them compatible.

Make sure your angelfish are not taken from any lack or rivers. If your angelfish belongs to any lake or river, it will nip your goldfish’s fin.

You can keep only fancy goldfish with angelfish. Fancy goldfish have a slow swimming speed, are more docile than any other type of goldfish, and have big flowy fins like angel fish. Don’t choose comet goldfish, common goldfish, and shubunkin goldfish for the company of angelfish.

Step 2: Tank size matters

You need to choose at least a 3.5 to 4ft length tank for your goldfish and angelfish’s compatibility.

Make sure to give your angelfish enough space to move peacefully. Otherwise, less space will create lots of hindrance in their moving and make them aggressive.

Try to keep less angelfish than the goldfish as angelfish are more aggressive.

Step 3: Collect a filter

It would help if you had a big tank as you keep goldfish and angelfish in the same tank. In addition, the big tank needs powerful filters.

Goldfish are messy fish, and they eat a lot. As a result, goldfish create a lot of waste and make it dirty easily. 

So, you need to choose a filter to have crystal clear water. If you don’t put any filter in the tank, the waste will increase and produce ammonia. This ammonia is very harmful to both goldfish and angelfish. 

If your goldfish is suffering from any disease, it appears they are ill. But if your angelfish get sick, it won’t show its disorders. When the sickness gets severe that time, they show they are sick. So put a powerful filter in the tank to ensure their peace. 

Step 4: Put the decorations

Decoration plays an essential role in the tank of goldfish and angelfish. Keep the tank simple but add some gravel, plants, and hiding spaces.

Angelfish need little areas for passing their time as they are territorial species. Therefore, they can control their aggression and defend themselves from the fish by hiding places. 

Goldfish also need these places to hide them from the attack of angelfish.

Provide a little bit of diversity in the tank if possible to give a natural vibe.

Step 5: Clean the water

Try to keep the water clean as goldfish poops a lot. Make sure to clean 20% to 30% water every week to give your goldfish and angelfish a long life.

clean water for aquarium

If you don’t clean the water, the dirty water will make angelfish stressed out, making them aggressive and tend to chase the goldfish.

Step 6: Feed adequately

Make sure to feed your goldfish and angelfish twice a day. 

Goldfish eat more than angelfish. So, make sure to keep an eye on them to see whether your angelfish are starving or not. If the angelfish starves, it will feel aggressive, attack the goldfish, and nip on the goldfish’s skin, which causes it to lose its skin. 

Feed your angelfish regularly and keep them healthier. Make sure to feed them high-quality foods to provide a healthy diet.

Feed them food varieties regularly as both are omnivores, including pellets, flakes, fruits, and other vegetables. Sometimes feed them occasionally treats, two to three times a week.

Step 7: Give angelfish punishment. 

If you see your goldfish and angelfish are not working out to live together by following the conditions. That time, shift your angelfish in a small quarantine tank for 12 hours to give them a punishment. 

Don’t keep more than 15 hours; otherwise, they may die. After being punished like this, your angelfish will control their aggression and be able to live with goldfish.

Watch the video to see how angelfish and goldfish can live together –

Why Goldfish and Angelfish Can’t Live Together?

It is not suggested to keep angelfish with goldfish. There are some significant reasons to keep them separate –

Aggressive 

Angelfish is a territorial and aggressive fish. On the other hand, goldfish are sensitive and adaptable fish.

If you keep them together, the angelfish will bully the goldfish, chase it, and even try to kill it. Usually, angelfish nip the goldfish‘s fins, and angelfish have long elegant fins. This happens especially when they are adult enough.

 So, keep separate both fish for their different temperament. 

Water parameters

Angelfish prefer tropical water with many acidities, whereas goldfish want cold water, more challenging water, and a neutral pH of 7.5.

These water parameters will influence their companionship a lot. 

Size

Goldfish are smaller than angelfish. If you keep the giant goldfish with an angelfish, after a few months, it will grow larger than the goldfish and start to chase it.

Angelfish tend to chase the smaller and less aggressive fish

Can Your Angelfish Live Alone?

Angelfish can live alone. But they live fine with other tank mates as they are schooling fish. But don’t keep too many female angelfish together as they will fight while laying their eggs. 

Please put them in a minimum of 30 gallons tank for two angelfish to avoid fighting. 

Please keep them in a big tank to give them enough spaces to move around the tank. Otherwise, they may feel stressed.

Find out: Can goldfish live alone or not?

How to Consider Angelfish Tank Mates?

Before choosing the compatible tank mates of angelfish, you need to consider the following things–

  • The size should be larger.
  • Capable of living in tropical water conditions or both conditions.
  • Choose the less aggressive one.
  • Choose the small schooling fish that can run away efficiently and not fit in the angel fish’s mouth.

You can choose the following tankmates for angelfish–

Gold tetra, discus, corydoras catfish, plecostomus, giant danios, Roseline sharks, and glowing dark tetra fish.

How to Consider Goldfish Tank Mates?

You need to follow different criteria before choosing the tankmates of goldfish–

  • Maintain the level of activity
  • Choose larger fish
  • Choose the cold-water fish and the fish that can live in both water conditions.

Select the following fish for your goldfish-

Rosy barbs, danios, dojo loach, Banded Corydoras, Bristlenose pleco, Hoplo Catfish, and platy.

Conclusion

I hope you are clear. Can angelfish and goldfish live together? Putting them together and risks! In this article, you can learn the facts-

  • They are unable to live with each other. 
  • The main reason behind their incompatibility is the aggression of angelfish. 
  • Goldfish and angelfish’s temperaments and water conditions are different. 
  • But in some cases, they can get along with proper circumstances for a while.

So, now you know why they can’t keep together and how to keep them for a few months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What Size of Tank Do You Need for 2 Goldfish?

One goldfish needs 30 gallons, and you will need 10 gallons more for each goldfish.

So, you need 40 gallons for 2 goldfish.

Q2. Do Your Goldfish Get Lonely?

Goldfish can live alone. They stay happy with other tankmates. But they can live fine without any tankmates.

Q3. Are Your Angelfish Easy to Keep?

Angelfish are easy to keep if you put them in a healthy environment. So make sure to take care of your angelfish properly to keep them healthy

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