Home » Aquarium » Freshwater Aquarium

Angelfish And Goldfish – Can They Live Together?

Aaron Boyd July 8, 2023

Who wouldn’t love having beautiful and colorful fish inside their tank? Are you also wondering about the types of fish to have in your aquarium or aquaponics fish tank?

If yes, then it is quite vital for you to know about the ones that can live together, and the ones that cannot be the ideal tank-mates.

In this regard, angelfish and goldfish are the most common choices. These wonderful creatures can undoubtedly lift up the aesthetic value of the whole set-up, as both these fish are magnificently appealing and eye-catching.

But, will it prove as a good idea to have them together?

Although both of them belong to the same kingdom, every specie has its own set of requirements to thrive better. So, do angelfish and goldfish demand the same conditions? Can you put them together? Will it be beneficial? Does this factor affect them?

Are such queries popping up in your mind?

If yes, then have a sigh of relief, as we are here to answer each one of these questions for you. So, get ready for this journey with us and put all your concerns to rest.

Can Angelfish And Goldfish Be Tank Mates?

The idea of having different fish in your tank can always sound appealing, but if you haven’t researched well, this can turn into an awful decision.

If you are planning to get angelfish and goldfish in your tank, do remember that these two cannot simply live together.

As mentioned earlier, every fish type requires certain living conditions. Another fact that may sound new to you is that fish also differ in their personalities.

So, combining two while not knowing what they require and how they grow better can be a regretful decision.

Why Can’t You Keep Angelfish And Goldfish Together?

While it is undeniable that both of them need fresh water to live healthily, they do have separate environmental needs to flourish better and healthier. The two main reasons behind the inability of goldfish and angelfish to live with each other include:

1. Conditions of Living
2. Personality

Let us take you through the details for a better understanding.

As angelfish and goldfish are known to be the ones that require freshwater to thrive better, they may seem quite similar, but in fact, they are not. They differ in multiple ways and require distinctive temperature, space, pH, etc.

The temperature of the water is one of the most important factors that demand special attention before making the decision about the fish you are going to have.

While goldfish prefer cold water to swim in, on the other hand, the angelfish are known to be tropical in nature. That is the main reason behind their preference for warmer water.

If you want to have details in the figures, let us state them as well for you. As goldfish live in cold water, it is better for you to keep them where the water temperature is 62 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

But, when it is about the angelfish, you will have to keep them in warmer water due to their tropical nature. For these, it will be suitable for you to keep them in water with more than 75 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature.

Not maintaining the appropriate temperature can result in the following consequences:

• Fish can get ill.
• Their diet can get affected.
• They can get irritated and aggressive.
• They can also die due to the inappropriate temperature.

Angelfish and goldfish also differ in the requirement of space to live and develop healthily. A small aquarium can seem pretty cute and easy to maintain, but it is not at all beneficial for some fish.

The small size of an aquarium can have adverse effects on the growth of these creatures.

For the healthy growth of goldfish, it is essential for you to have a larger space. These can get quite bigger with the passage of time. For having a goldfish, you should know that the requirement of water per fish is about 10 gallons.

Furthermore, adult fish need even more water, maybe about 20 to 30 gallons.

However, in the case of angelfish, you won’t need an aquarium as large as for goldfish. But, these also require ample space to grow in a healthier way. For angelfish, the requirement of water per fish is about four gallons.

If you keep both these fish together, the tank or aquarium can get overcrowded, and your fish will have to face unhealthy growing conditions.

The pH level of your aquarium’s water also plays a vital role in the healthy development of your fish. However, both goldfish and angelfish require different pH levels to grow healthily.

And if the pH does not get maintained as per the requirement of the specie, the consequences can be seriously unfortunate.

If we take a glance at the requirement of goldfish, they are quite sensitive regarding the water’s pH level. They won’t be able to tolerate drastic variations at all. They can excel amazingly in water with a pH level sustained within 7.2 and 7.6.

On the contrary, angelfish are able to tolerate relatively diverse conditions as well. If you are aiming to promote better growth and breeding, a pH level of 6.8 is considered to be ideal. However, these fish can also thrive well when the pH is between 6.5 and 7.1.

As both angelfish and goldfish like freshwater, the diet of these fish is somewhat similar as well. However, at the same time, there do have diverse needs regarding the intake of protein.

Being omnivores, you can feed both these fish the following items:

• Mosquito larvae
• Blood worms
• Brine Shrimp

However, as Angelfish need higher levels of protein in their diet, you will have to feed more of this to them.

Additionally, you can also feed them with chopped vegetables, as this will help them flourish efficiently. Goldfish typically require more of these.

These include:

• Collards
• Corn
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Cucumber slices
• Lettuce
• Mustard greens
• Shelled peas

The following fruits can also be great options:

• Watermelon slices
• Slices of orange
• Skinned grapes

Every type possesses different traits and demands different conditions as well. Similar is the case with goldfish and angelfish. Both require different nature of water, not only the pH but the cleanliness as well.

The sensitivity of angelfish in this regard is quite high. However, on the other side, the goldfish will produce too much waste. This factor can also lead to irritability in the lives of fish, and eventually, the development will get affected.

Health and growth are not the only concerns when it comes to combining different fish in a single tank. Angelfish and goldfish differ in their temperaments and personalities as well.

As both have opposite temperaments, having them in the same aquarium can be quite dangerous.

Angelfish

Video: “Angelfish Aggression”

Angelfish can easily live with any other tropical fish type. They are known to be noble and easy-going. However, once they mature, they have a sudden and drastic change in their temperaments.

As Angelfish develop older and more mature, they tend to develop a far more aggressive and territorial nature. Due to this sudden change, it is suitable to have them in a separate tank.

So, if you do not want your goldfish to get into trouble, do remember to keep both types separately.

Goldfish

Video: “Top 10 Goldfish Tank Mates You Should Try”

Goldfish, on the other hand, are not aggressive at all. They only tend to show a bit of aggression when a newcomer comes into the tank. Other than that, they are the noblest out of all.

Having goldfish in your tank, you will definitely notice their social and warm behavior towards other fish. These are known to interact peacefully with others.

However, they do not maintain their non-aggressive nature in the presence of aggressive fish and like to fight back as well.

Does it still sound like a wise idea to keep goldfish and angelfish together?

If you want your tank to be peaceful, then it is good to have them separated from the beginning.

The Closing Thoughts

Every creature is sensitive in its own way. It is the basic right of every specie to get all the favorable conditions of better growth and efficient lifespan. We cannot compromise the health of these species just for the sake of our hobby, right?

So, it is highly critical for us to have a pre-knowledge about the requirements of fish types that we are planning to keep.

While there are many types that you can keep together in your aquarium, many may not grant you a delightful experience. The reason for this is that they have unique needs and demand appropriate conditions.

From diet to space, pH level, and temperature, both these types differ in all these regards.

Yet another critical factor to consider is the way they interact. Their personalities and temperaments are also crucial to learn about. Angelfish can be quite aggressive once they turn mature.

Hence, the environment for goldfish that are relatively more peaceful can get disturbed.