Keeping male and female goldfish together

[Jaytaylor]

I'm being selfish and I want to get a female goldfish to keep with my other males but I wasn't sure if it would be cruel to have her with them. I know there's the possibility of them breeding but don't they eat the eggs if they aren't hidden?
I guess my question is:
Am I able to keep male and female goldfish together in the same tank and not for breeding purposes? I do have a spare tank in case they ever chased her too much but I wanted someone else's opinion. If it's cruel I won't be getting one.


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[Delapool]

I've kept enough goldfish in a tank that I assume some were female and male with no issues. Might need more of an expert on this though.

 

[Megg]

What size is the tank? Really you could always throw the eggs out if you don't want babies. How many males? Sometimes they can get really aggressive with their chasing and pushing.

I probably wouldn't try it. Is there a reason you want a female with them?

 

[Jaytaylor]

No reason in particular. I just really wanted a female goldfish since I don't think I've ever had one. I got a 46 gal in the beginning of March and I plan on getting a bigger tank since I have 4 Goldies AND a common pleco.
I want so many fish and I want koi so bad I really need to just invest in a pond ?
And that's what I thought. Just wasn't sure if they'd get along when it wasn't breeding season.


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[Megg]

No reason in particular. I just really wanted a female goldfish since I don't think I've ever had one. I got a 46 gal in the beginning of March and I plan on getting a bigger tank since I have 4 Goldies AND a common pleco.
I want so many fish and I want koi so bad I really need to just invest in a pond ?
And that's what I thought. Just wasn't sure if they'd get along when it wasn't breeding season.


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Definitely don't add another goldfish to that tank! Are they fancies, I hope? Fancies need at least 30 gallons for the first fish and 10 gallons for each following fish. They produce a lot of waste and grow large. They also aren't temperature compatible with plecos, and plecos have been known to attack goldfish and suck their slime coats.
Also, your pleco will grow to be a few feet long and need a 150+ gallon tank. He also produces a large amount of waste.

Definitely invest in a pond soon!

 

[Jaytaylor]

I don't plan on adding anything until I upgrade to a larger tank.
All of my fish I have right now besides one are under 3 inches since they're still very young. Yeah I also didn't know my pleco would be getting that big when I got him. My mistake
Not sure why they're so commonly sold when not that many people could even care for a fish that large. I also noticed how he poops SO MUCH. I had no idea it was even him at first.


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[Jaytaylor]

I knew about the possibility of the pleco sucking on my fish but he's been keeping to himself. He loves his sinking pellets


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[Megg]

I don't plan on adding anything until I upgrade to a larger tank.
All of my fish I have right now besides one are under 3 inches since they're still very young. Yeah I also didn't know my pleco would be getting that big when I got him. My mistake
Not sure why they're so commonly sold when not that many people could even care for a fish that large. I also noticed how he poops SO MUCH. I had no idea it was even him at first.


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It's good that you're planning to upgrade soon, but plecos and goldfish still aren't temperature compatible. Goldfish need temps under 72 degrees F and plecos need temps of 78-80 degrees F.
If goldfish are kept at too high of temperatures, it will shorten their lifespan, cause them to grow larger much faster, and they'll produce much more waste.
If plecos are kept at too low of temperatures the stress on their bodies will make them much more prone to illness, disease, and death.

 

[Jaytaylor]

I looked up the temperature range for plecos and got a few different answers but I don't remember seeing such a high temp. My tank is at 70 degrees F and I thought the pleco would've been okay. Argh fish keeping can be so complicated.
I'm glad I didn't try a saltwater tank


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[Jaytaylor]

How do you feel about housing comets and dojo loaches together in a pond?


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[Megg]

I looked up the temperature range for plecos and got a few different answers but I don't remember seeing such a high temp. My tank is at 70 degrees F and I thought the pleco would've been okay. Argh fish keeping can be so complicated.
I'm glad I didn't try a saltwater tank


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Nope, I'm sorry to say that plecos are tropical fish and need temperatures of 78-80 degrees F to thrive and live a full life. Otherwise they're very susceptible to diseases and such.

 

[Megg]

How do you feel about housing comets and dojo loaches together in a pond?


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I don't think that dojo loaches are really suited to pond life. I'd also worry about the goldfish eating them when they get larger.

 

[Jaytaylor]

Do you know of a reliable website or book I can refer to if I have any other questions about goldfish or plecos?
One that would have atleast page dedicated to the care of them etc


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[Jaytaylor]

I really appreciate your help btw!


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[Megg]

Do you know of a reliable website or book I can refer to if I have any other questions about goldfish or plecos?
One that would have atleast page dedicated to the care of them etc


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Kokos goldfish forums and Fishlore.

Seriously Fish usually has some good info.

Very happy to help you!

 

[Jaytaylor]

Thank you!


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[OldFishWoman]

I had 2 females and 2 males in one tank. One female went belly up one morning, after the males had chased her relentlessly for 3 days. I assume her heart gave out. That's when I removed the other female, because I did not want her to get chased to death.
I believe that if you have a community, like in a pond, this is not an issue because there are so many females, that the males don't know which to chase, and the stress is much less in each female. But if you have just a couple of each, they have to tolerate the chase for days, non-stop at mostly high speeds. (I have a 55g breeder tank, which is fairly large, but it gave her no way to get away... )

 

[Andy Sager]

I had 2 females and 2 males in one tank. One female went belly up one morning, after the males had chased her relentlessly for 3 days. I assume her heart gave out. That's when I removed the other female, because I did not want her to get chased to death.
I believe that if you have a community, like in a pond, this is not an issue because there are so many females, that the males don't know which to chase, and the stress is much less in each female. But if you have just a couple of each, they have to tolerate the chase for days, non-stop at mostly high speeds. (I have a 55g breeder tank, which is fairly large, but it gave her no way to get away... )

That is one of the problems of keeping goldfish in an aquarium. They were mostly designed to be viewed from above so a pond is their best friend. You also don't really want them to spawn in their main tank as the water will become a milky white cloud. They are best to spawn in a dedicated spawning tank so that the breeders are removed and the eggs can deal with the excess milt until you clean the water. A 55 gallon tank is fine as a spawning tank for the smaller varieties of goldfish but for fish like Orandas, Comets, Koi and the like, it's way too small for them.

 

[OldFishWoman]

... A 55 gallon tank is fine as a spawning tank for the smaller varieties of goldfish but for fish like Orandas, Comets, Koi and the like, it's way too small for them.

I agree completely. I'm looking for a pond for them... no takers yet.... They were supposed to get eaten by my Oscar ..

 

[Andy Sager]

I agree completely. I'm looking for a pond for them... no takers yet.... They were supposed to get eaten by my Oscar ..

Your Oscars fell down on the job. I know how that happens. I had a breeding pair of Oscars that I raised on goldfish (I bred for feeding them) adopt a school of comets right after losing a spawn. I figured they needed to be fattened up some after the spawn so I put about 20 smaller comets, that were still their dark color, in the tank and the pair apparently mistook them as fry so they herded them like their fry and kept them together just like they do with their fry. It was cute as heck but from that point on, I could only feed them gold colored comets. ( I eventually had to remove the dark goldfish so that the pair would go back to conditioning for breeding. )