Goldfish in a tropical tank?

[s10moor]

im kinda new to fish keeping and i only have 3 fancy goldfish but now id like some tropical ones and im not sure whether my goldfish will be fine in a heated tank?

 

[Joviella]

I'd advise against it......goldfish prefer and prosper in coldwater tanks






Edited to say: to the forums and introduce yourself in the newbie section.

 

[CathyG]

The simple answer is no. Though they are hardy and cope with a wider range of temperatures than tropicals, they remain cold water fish and are also great waste producers which affect water parameters beyond comfortable levels for tropical fish, unless the tank is heavily filtered, and regular large water changes are performed.

What is your tank size anyway?

 

[s10moor]

It'a a 60l. Ive been havin lots of trouble with brown algae even though i have been changing water frequently (and have 5 plants) so someone suggested getting a catfish but when i went to the store, they only had tropical catfish. (they said you can only get cold water ones in the summer) but he said if i got a heater, my goldfish would be fine, infact, he said they'd be more active in warm water, so i did...and they have been...and THAT's y i started thinking of tropical fish...

 

[Joviella]

You can keep chinese algae eaters in coldwater.........but they can become aggressive with age and no longer eat algae when adult. If you want to go tropical...I would suggest taking your goldfish back to your lfs and starting over.

 

[s10moor]

would they take them back? i think id quite miss them so i may get another tank...we're actually setting up a tropical tank at work...thinking of a shark and some discus..are they compatible?

 

[clutterydrawer]

the reason they are more active in warm water is because it speeds up their metabolism leading to an early death. the tank is too small for three fully grown goldfish really are you palnning on getting another tank?

 

[Joviella]

I'd only recommend discus to experienced fishkeepers as they are very water fussy!!
As for sharks....it depends on which ones and tank sizes
Tell us more!!

 

[s10moor]

Cluttery Drawer, i thought they'd be fine ...don't they grow according to the size of the tank? i calculated they'd grow to about 4 inches each? which i was told was a decent size for goldfish?

Chali...well, its a 25gallon (don't know what that is in litres) but i was just reading one of the other posts and someone said something about adding cycle?..wha..? what's that? was hoping to mature the tank with the two goldfish we already have at work (albeit in a bowl im ashamed to say)

Don't know what the sharks are called but they silver with a black tail martking (or was that a stripe) i would also love an eel of some sort..and maybe a puffer? and a fighter (i forget if its siamese or what.. ) )

 

[ferrikins]

Cluttery Drawer, i thought they'd be fine ...don't they grow according to the size of the tank? i calculated they'd grow to about 4 inches each? which i was told was a decent size for goldfish?

Chali...well, its a 25gallon (don't know what that is in litres) but i was just reading one of the other posts and someone said something about adding cycle?..wha..? what's that? was hoping to mature the tank with the two goldfish we already have at work (albeit in a bowl im ashamed to say)

Don't know what the sharks are called but they silver with a black tail martking (or was that a stripe) i would also love an eel of some sort..and maybe a puffer? and a fighter (i forget if its siamese or what.. ) )

Sadly thats a terrible miff, Goldfish can grow to about 20 inchs?? ( i Think)

and life for 20 years or so in the right conditions, the only reason why they grow to the size of the tank is that there growth is stunted, thus less life span.

But to be honest, if it was a choise between a large mantion and a tiny flat, I'd have the mation any day.


Where abouts in the world are you, any chance they you be moved to a pond??

 

[s10moor]

Sheffield..in a flat...no pond for my babies...so can my catfish (i think he's a pleco) survive if iturn the heater off?

 

[clutterydrawer]

what type of pleco?

 

[s10moor]

i think he's clown

 

[David]

If you want to get tropicals I'd say get a different tank, as that tank is already overcrowded. The shark you want is probably a bala shark, and they get more than a foot long as well. You need at least 75 gallons for them to live comfortably. As was mentioned earlier, discus are pretty difficult unless you have quite a bit of experience in fishkeeping, and a good understanding of the requirements. Also teh shark and the discus would not be compatible, I'm afraid.

 

[black angel]

hi
goldfish need at least 15 gallons each to stay healthy. if they dont then they become stunted, but the organs are still growing resulting in an early death.
most commom goldfish can easily achieve a foot in length when given the right conditions. fancy goldfish need warmer water and can be kept successfully in the lower temperatures of a tropical tank.
as goldfish grow they eat anything that can fit in their mouths so you would have to be careful which tank mates they are given.
the shark you described was probably the silver shark though this isnt a true shark.
i myself kept one goldfish and two silver sharks successfully with a 12 inch plec in a 4 foot tank (heated at 24 degrees) for a number of years before i had to move and re home them. the silver sharks and the goldfish would school together, which made an interesting sight.
for three common goldfish you would need at least a 50 gallon tank.