Goldfish and Bettas.

[Fishcakes]

I see a lot of threads concerning these two and I wanted to give my two cents based on EXPERIENCE, not theory. Contrary to what people say and think it is POSSIBLE for a fancy goldfish and a male betta to coexist. I put a Lionhead GF (Costello) in a 10gal tank with my betta (Mr. Giggles). Costello was NOT killed, or mortally wounded at any time. However he did lose a few scales. Mr. Giggles left him alone for the most part and the two would have been fine if Costello didnt bother him(which he did OFTEN). They coexisted for about a month before i seperated a small portion of the tank for Mr.Giggles.


(note: A betta will pursue and kill any other goldfish that will run away OR that is smaller. Mr. Giggles did NOT like my Pearlscale, BUT left my Fantail alone because he wasnt scared.)

Hope this helped and of course your results may very

[Olympia]

What size goldfish? You can even support an adult goldfish in 10 gallons.
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[Fishcakes]

I'd say Costello was about the same size as Mr. Giggles and please note that i was VERY unskilled in the art of fishkeeping when i tried this. So NO i dont go around putting goldfish in 10gal tanks anymore XD i know its unhealthy.

[Olympia]

Yep. Gotta consider that an adult goldfish would swallow a betta.
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[Fishcakes]

lol I never said this was a grand idea. I simply wanted to give an opinion that was based on actual experience.

[Oldfishlady]

I agree with what Olympia posted.... And.....

The Goldfish is a cold water species and the Betta is a tropical species-that alone is the reason the two species shouldn't be kept together.

Proper stocking should be based on more than if the fish can/will injury each other or not...You should also consider-adult size when grown, water temp needs, social needs, territory needs, feeding issues, chemistry needs...etc.....Just because one doesn't eat the other doesn't make it successful or right......Especially since our goal should be a thriving fish that live to its fullest and expected longevity......

[Fishcakes]

You're very right Fishlady. I dont agree that i was correct in putting them together. I didnt do it to be cruel, i did it because i didnt know anything. I just cant stand when people just automatically make a statement when they have NEVER tried what they're talking about. I never once mentioned that the fish were happy, i said they didnt kill each other.

[Olympia]

I left that out, because while goldfish are temperate, fancy goldfish should live at temperatures of 70-80F, which does fall into the bettas range.
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[LittleBettaFish]

I've always wondered how you meet the oxygen requirements of a goldfish in a tank with a betta. My goldfish tank has a massive amount of flow and surface agitation, and the warmer the water the more oxygenation is needed.

Wouldn't any filter suitable for a goldfish tank be too strong for a betta?

[Olympia]

Not really, fancies need low flow or they can't swim. It's an awkward balance, I guess.
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