Hello, fish lovers! You see, you’re contemplating establishing a new tank for aquatic life and have taken note of some magnificent angelfish and goldfish.
They are all colorful fishes swimming in the water – what could go wrong? But before you dive into this, we need to talk.
Even though we want an aquarium called a paradise filled with beautiful fishes moving together in peace, some fish in the real sense don’t want to be mixed.
A good example is the angelfish and goldfish. This post will highlight Why Angelfish Does not Live With Goldfish.
By the end of this blog, you’ll see why that’s truly the best decision for them.
Understanding Reasons Why Angelfish Does not Live With Goldfish
1. They’re from different worlds
Imagine taking a penguin from Antarctica and dropping it in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Sounds crazy, right? Well, putting angelfish and goldfish together is kind of like that.
The angelfish is a type of tropical fish found in the warm, slow-moving waters of the Amazon basin in South America.
They prefer water temperatures that range between 76°F and 84°F (24°C to 29°C). It is not surprising that these little ones love to swim in a warm and comfortable environment.
On the other hand, goldfish are cold-water fish. Their home country is East Asia and they can endure a wider range of temperatures as low as 10°C to about 24°C (50°F to 75°F).
These tough cookies of the fish world can even survive freezing winter ponds.
2. They swim to different beats
Now, let’s talk about how these fish move. It’s like comparing a graceful ballet dancer to a hyperactive kid on a sugar rush.
In the aquarium kingdom, angelfish are known as the ballet dancers. They are tall and graceful, moving slowly and carefully.
Their broad, triangular bodies and long fins are not made for speed. They glide effortlessly through the water, often staying in one position for a long time.
The fish tank’s energizer bunnies meanwhile are goldfish. They are round, fat, and fully powered.
Their gills are always flapping as they dash through all corners of the aquarium looking for possibly catchy pieces of scrap food or sometimes even invertebrates.
In class, you can identify those students who never seem to sit still; they constantly want to explore new things.
Put these two together, and what do you get? Chaos. The goldfish will stress out the angelfish with their constant movement, while the angelfish will get frustrated trying to navigate around the bouncing goldfish.
It’s like trying to do yoga in the middle of a playground – not exactly a recipe for relaxation.
3. Dinnertime dilemmas
Let’s face it, we all have our food preferences. Some of us are vegan, some are carnivores, and some will eat anything that doesn’t eat them first. Well, fish are no different.
The angelfish is a fish that eats everything but prefers meat. In its natural habitat, it feeds on smaller fish, worms, and insects.
As such, you must offer them a mixed diet of fresh vegetables together with proteins like brine shrimp or bloodworms in your aquarium.
They are also grazers and hence enjoy nibbling little bits all day long.
Goldfish, on the other hand, are like little aquatic vacuum cleaners. They’ll eat almost anything they can fit in their mouths, but their diet should be primarily plant-based.
They have long digestive tracts designed to process lots of vegetable matter. Goldfish also have a bad habit of overeating if given the chance.
4. Different Tank Space
A large fish tank may seem like an ideal environment for keeping angelfish and goldfish together. Unfortunately, it is not true.
The size of the aquarium does not determine the compatibility of different fish species, rather; it depends on the utilization of space in the tank.
Angelfish resemble basketball players in the aquatic universe. They have an elongated shape and require a vertical swimming area.
These fish gliding along these rivers usually take shelter under tree roots as well as branches that dangle into them.
When having them in your fish aquarium, make sure there is enough room for them to move up and down as they prefer height plus aquatics/ornamentations through which they can navigate.
Goldfish, on the other hand, are more like the linebackers of the aquarium. They’re bulky and need lots of horizontal swimming space.
They love to cruise back and forth across the tank, and they don’t care much for hiding spots or vertical movement.
5. The bully in the school
We all knew that one kid in school who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, right? Well, in the fish world, goldfish are often that kid.
Fish named gold that is mainly characterized by the habit of chewing other fish’s fins. This does not come from being evil it is just their nature that leads them to search for food.
To wilful angelfish, long and falling tails appear like waving a red flag in front of a charging bull.
Such fins are effortlessly shiny and delicate reminding him or her of small appetizing things which when caught gulped down quickly completely without any thought at all or what would happen thereafter.
Angelfish, on the other hand, can be a bit territorial, especially when they pair up to breed. They might see the constantly moving goldfish as a threat and become aggressive towards them.
As both species are different in reaction to situations, this can create an environment full of stress. The angelfish will lack peace as they try to protect their fins and territories from the goldfish.
For many experienced aquarists, keeping these two species together is like throwing a cat among pigeons: every minute counts as obvious signs of danger emerge from the angelical waters.
All these might have a devastating impact on your health over an extended period. Hence, the goldfish might easily develop attack marks that may endanger their lives.
In contrast, an angelfish can get torn fins resulting in an increased risk of getting sick.
6. The clean freak and the messy roommate
If angelfish and goldfish were college roommates, the angelfish would be the one with the color-coded planner and a spotless desk, while the goldfish would be the one with pizza boxes piled up and laundry scattered everywhere.
Angelfish have a very high sensitivity level regarding water quality. They require clean, well-kept water for their health to stay intact.
They live in slow-moving rivers and streams with fairly constant conditions in the wild.
Small fluctuations in water parameters can lead to great stress levels or illness among them.
Goldfish, on the other hand, are like living pollution machines. They produce a lot of waste – and I mean a lot.
They’re constantly eating and, well, what goes in must come out. This isn’t their fault; it’s just how their bodies work.
In nature, this isn’t a problem because they live in large bodies of water that can dilute their waste. But in a home aquarium, it’s a different story.
Your tank’s filtration system can easily be overwhelmed by the vast amounts of waste produced by goldfish, and this may cause increases in ammonia and nitrite levels.
These substances breed toxicity in every fish including the stronger ones like goldfish. However, for the more delicate angelfish?
It’s as if you were trying to inhale air in a room saturated with smoke.
To keep angelfish healthy, you need to perform frequent water changes and maintain excellent filtration.
But with goldfish in the mix, you’d be fighting a losing battle. You’d need to change water so often, you might as well set up a cot next to the aquarium.
7. The lifespan mismatch
To your surprise, it’s a fact that both angelfish and goldfish can live for a long time if well taken care of.
Nonetheless, their lifespans are so different that at times awkward situations might arise as a result.
Good enough conditions help angelfish to live for 8 to 10 years; however, some may live longer, up to 12 years, or even beyond that.
These are the sort of fishes that one can understand very well over some time as their characters unfold.
Goldfish, however, are in it for the long life. With proper care, they can live for 10 to 15 years, and some varieties have been known to reach 20 years or more in captivity.
They’re like the tortoises of the freshwater world.
Now, you might be thinking, “So what? They both live a long time.” But here’s the catch: remember all those problems we talked about earlier?
The temperature issues, the feeding conflicts, the space problems? Imagine dealing with those not just for a few months, but for years and years.
Conclusion: Separate tanks, happy fish
So there you have it, folks – seven solid reasons why angelfish and goldfish should never be roommates.
From their different origins and temperature needs to their conflicting lifestyles and long-term care requirements, these two species are simply not compatible.
Do not lose heart, however! It does not imply that both of these wonderful fish cannot be enjoyed. The answer is straightforward: establish two distinct tanks.
A lovely tropical environment rich in vegetation and vertical areas should be available for your angelfish.
Construct a roomy, well-filtered refuge for your goldfish, enabling them to dart around freely as they prefer.
By ensuring their separation, one is not just preventing issues but also prolonging the life of every species.
So, you will have a chance to admire the elegance in your angelfish without any fear of having its fins bitten.
And when it comes to goldfish, they can have fun without worrying about whether there is enough oxygen in the water or not.
Remember, successful fishkeeping isn’t about cramming as many fish as possible into one tank.
It’s about creating environments where each species can display its natural behaviors, stay healthy, and live out its full lifespan.
