Goldfish Tank Mates

Goldfish is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 4 freshwater species that pair well with a goldfish — plus the 262 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Goldfish care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a goldfish

  • Marbled Hoplo ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 14 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–22 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Weather Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 25 cm · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Giant Glass Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
With caution

Goldfish tank mates that can work with care

  • Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Goldfish may bully the smaller Adolf's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Goldfish may bully the smaller Agassiz's Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Adult Amano Shrimp might survive with Goldfish, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
  • Assassin Snail ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Goldfish may bully the smaller Assassin Snail, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Bamboo Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    Adult Bamboo Shrimp might survive with Goldfish, but expect the young to be eaten — plant heavily.
  • Banded Gourami ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Watch for Goldfish picking off any banded gourami small enough to fit in its mouth.
  • Bandit Corydoras ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    Goldfish may bully the smaller Bandit Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Banjo Catfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Watch for Goldfish picking off any banjo catfish small enough to fit in its mouth.

+ 66 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a goldfish

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Goldfish whole.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Alligator Gar 24–28 °C).
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Redtail Catfish 24–27 °C).
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Fire Eel 24–28 °C).
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Clown Knifefish 24–28 °C).
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Size gap is too large (90 vs 30 cm): Koi will treat Goldfish as food.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Goldfish is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory spotted gar — it will be eaten.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Wolf Cichlid 24–30 °C).

+ 254 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a goldfish

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a goldfish, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Goldfish?

We compare each fish against your goldfish on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Giant Glass Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Marbled Hoplo✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–22 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Weather Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Blackcheek Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Common Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 45 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Galaxy Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~170 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Golden Sailfin Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 45 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Golden Sailfin Pleco is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~300 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Imperial Flower Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 50 cm · Hard care · 15–22 °C (59–72 °F)
    • Imperial Flower Loach clearly outsizes Goldfish and is semi-aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
    • Imperial Flower Loach may hunt Goldfish, fry or shrimplets — safest in a heavily planted tank.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Kissing Gourami⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Mayan Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 28 cm · Medium care · 20–30 °C (68–86 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Orinoco Sailfin Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 50 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Orinoco Sailfin Pleco is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~450 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Peacock Eel⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Peacock Eel is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
  • Pearl Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Pearlscale Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Expect Pearlscale Cichlid to harass Goldfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Sailfin Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 50 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Knifefish⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 45 cm · Hard care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Spotted Knifefish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Spotted Pleco is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Texas Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 33 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Expect Texas Cichlid to harass Goldfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~300 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • True Red Terror Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 35 cm · Hard care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Expect True Red Terror Cichlid to harass Goldfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~570 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Alligator Gar 24–28 °C).
    • Size gap is too large (250 vs 30 cm): Alligator Gar will treat Goldfish as food.
    • Expect Alligator Gar to harass Goldfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Clown Knifefish 24–28 °C).
    • Goldfish is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
    • Clown Knifefish clearly outsizes Goldfish and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Fire Eel 24–28 °C).
    • Size gap is too large (100 vs 30 cm): Fire Eel will treat Goldfish as food.
    • Expect Fire Eel to harass Goldfish at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (90 vs 30 cm): Koi will treat Goldfish as food.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Redtail Catfish 24–27 °C).
    • Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Goldfish whole.
    • Redtail Catfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Goldfish is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory spotted gar — it will be eaten.
    • Spotted Gar is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Goldfish whole.
    • Wels Catfish clearly outsizes Goldfish and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Goldfish 18–22 °C vs Wolf Cichlid 24–30 °C).
    • Wolf Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Goldfish is small enough to tempt Wolf Cichlid; only risk it in a densely planted setup with hiding spots.
    • Your 150 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up a goldfish community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 150 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose

How to choose the right tank mates for a goldfish

As a peaceful species, goldfish is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It ranges across the whole water column, so tank mates that keep to one level help reduce friction.

Goldfish grows to about 30 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 15 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 18–22 °C (64–72 °F), pH 6.5–8 and 5–19 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Goldfish is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 2+ of its own kind first, then build compatible tank mates around them. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a goldfish live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 4 compatible freshwater species for goldfish. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for a goldfish?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Marbled Hoplo, Spotted Talking Catfish, Weather Loach. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a goldfish?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do goldfish tank mates need?

Start from Goldfish's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 150 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Goldfish care guide