Can Guppies Live With Goldfish? (Everything To Know)

 

You’ve got your goldfish and guppies, and you’re looking to house them together.

They should live in harmony, right?

Their colors complement each other, and they should look amazing in any tank swimming together.

Well, that begs the question: Can guppies live with goldfish?

Are they better off separate?

Does either fish require special care?

 

Can Guppies Live with Goldfish?

 

Yes, guppies can technically live with goldfish.

However, the conditions are not ideal for either fish.

You might find a lot of conflicting answers, and you might even have a coworker or a friend who houses their guppies and goldfish together, but we can tell you why they shouldn’t be kept in the same tank.

 

Why You Should House Them Separately

 

There isn’t just a single reason you should keep them separate.

The reasons range from water pH to eating one another.

Taking proper care of your fish should be your number one priority.

Housing goldfish and guppies together isn’t a great way to keep them at their best.

Here are the top reasons.

 

1. Different Tank Temperatures

 

If you’ve ever had a goldfish before, you’ll know that they generally live in cooler waters, with temperatures ranging somewhere between 68 to 74 degrees.

On the other hand, guppies are tropical fish.

They thrive in warmer waters—about 77 degrees—and prefer a tank with an aquarium heater.

When goldfish are in warmer waters, it can cut their life expectancy, and they won’t be comfortable.

When guppies are put in cold waters, they can refuse to eat, and they become more and more likely to get sick.

 

2. Tank pH

 

In addition to preferring different temperatures, goldfish and guppies also thrive at different pH levels.

Guppies prefer their water to be alkaline while goldfish do better in water that’s more acidic.

It’s also important to make sure the pH doesn’t change too rapidly.

Sudden changes can cause stress in both species, even resulting in death in goldfish.

 

3. Difference in Sizes

 

Guppies are also known as “Million Fish” because of their tendency to deliver too many babies, called fry, and overpopulate aquariums.

Because goldfish are omnivores, they will more than likely consume guppy fry before moving on to the adults.

Your standard goldfish can grow up to six inches in size in a tank while guppies stay at sizes that are never larger than a little over two inches.

This size difference alone can make your guppies targets, unless your guppies attack the goldfish first.

 

4. Potential Aggressive Behaviors

 

When housing all male guppies with goldfish, it might solve the problem of having fry swimming around, but it can spell out a whole new issue: aggression.

If you have a group of male guppies, they can pull together to bully your goldfish.

Guppies are known to nip on fins. Not only will they have a sour attitude towards your goldfish, they can even turn on each other if there are no females around.

 

If You Choose to House Them Together Anyway

 

If you’ve already bitten the bullet, and you’re searching for answers after your goldfish and guppies are already in the same home, don’t panic!

Just because they shouldn’t be housed together doesn’t mean you can’t make the best out of where they are now.

One thing you can do to better their conditions is to invest in a larger tank.

A bigger tank will mean you can keep them in check with a little more ease, you can regulate different temperatures on opposite ends of the tank, and a larger area will mean your fish have a bigger buffer against severe pH level swings.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check the water’s pH level often, though.

Try to keep it at about 7.

If you’re a bit more experienced as a tank owner, you might find that all the effort is worth it.

If you’re fairly new, however, we can’t advise taking on such a task, especially when keeping both of these species happy is so difficult to do.

 

Tank Me Later

 

While housing them together temporarily might not kill them or do long-lasting harm, it’s not at all wise to house them together permanently.

Both guppies and goldfish have much better pairings that won’t give you nearly as many problems.

Keeping your goldfish and guppies separate will let them lead their happiest lives in conditions perfect for them.

In any case, we wish you and your fish the best of luck.

Remember, it’s better to have your fish thrive than just survive.

Just because you can house these fish together doesn’t mean you should.

Do your guppies and goldfish get along if you house them together?

Have you decided on separate environments for them after all? Leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.