# betta and goldfish



## michael0918 (Apr 9, 2012)

so i have two pearlscale goldfish and a betta. My tank is 5 gal. Is this ok?


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Goldfish and bettas should never be kept together for a lot of reasons. 
Bettas are tropical fish and need a heater, goldfish are coldwater.
Goldfish get huge and it will soon outgrow your 5 gallon. Fancy Goldfish (ryukin, fantail, pearl scale) all need 20 gallons for one goldfish, and 10 more for each additional goldfish minimum. I'd reccomend re-homing your to goldies, or get a bigger tank for them. 

Sorry if I'm coming off a little harsh! :/


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I agree with Maisy. Bettas are tropical and goldfish are coldwater. The 5g is okay for the betta and maybe a snail or shrimp. NOTHING else. The goldfish need a way bigger tank.


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## xjenuhfur (Jan 30, 2012)

+1 to Laki and Maisy.
I would suggest rehoming the goldies immediately to something much much bigger. The betta will be fine in a 5 gal.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Gold fish get a bit to large and at the potential size, reaching around 10 inches they will most likely harass the betta

Fancy goldfish usually have long flowing fins and flashy colors In My Experience, when they are smaller bettas will most likely attack them

Goldfish require high levels oxygen to thrive, to attain this. you would typically need high levels of flow. and bettas do not like this type of habitat, it greatly stresses them out

Goldifsh produce high levels of waste/ammonia which is toxic to all fish. In a 5 gallon the ammonia/nitrite content would build up very quickly even if the tank is cycled. unless you make the commitment to the fish and do daily water changes until you can upgrade the goldfish's tank

Bettas and goldfish have different temperature requirements. while fancy goldfish do usually prefer higher temperatures than the less modified common goldfish. they still like cooler temperatures than most tropical fish

Bettas and goldfish have different dietary requirements. goldfish are mainly omnivorous fish but appreciate vegetational matter more than they like meatier foods, while bettas are mainly carnivorous and cant digest the preferred food by goldfish.

Goldfish will get stunted in a tank of that size due to the buildup of growth hormones. naturally they emit growth hormones and once the hormones reach a certain level and the growth hormone content rises they will stop growing on the outside, while there organs keep growing causing long term deformation. I would recommend a 40 gallon tank for 2 pearlscale goldfish


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

D: bah! Your pearlies will need 30 gallons to be happy.
Also, goldies have been known to nom nom smaller fish, so your betta may be I'm danger depending on how big they are.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

Nooooooooooo!


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

The only thing you can really keep in a 5 gallon is a betta or two IF you divide the tank. I think you can keep a dwarf puffer in a 5 gallon but they need brakish water - i think?


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

I know nothng about that specific type of gold fish, but the betta has dif. temp. requirements and it will attack the fish. I would separate them as soon as possible


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## bettafishfinnatic (Mar 18, 2012)

i would put the two peral goldies in a 10 gallon at least by them selves. bettas are tropical and goldfish are not. also goldfish are very dirty fish that need to be feed neumorous amounts of food a day and bettas like to eat 1-2 times a day.


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## michael0918 (Apr 9, 2012)

goldfish needs colder water? I live in a tropical country. Does that mean i need to cool down the water for my goldies? Is there such thing as cooler for aquarium? 0.o


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm not sure on the exact temps. I think you should worry about getting them in a larger tank for now. Like Mo suggested, 40 gallons is good for 2 pearlscales. 

Thanks for taking the advice so well. A lot of people freak out. lol


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## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)

Your tropical region is probably just fine for your Pearlscales. 

Goldfish are not coldwater wish, but temperate fish, meaning they can withstand large differences in temperature depending on the time of the year (freezing temps to as high as 85 degrees).

Because Pearlscales are a double tailed goldfish, it means they are a little more sensitive to temperature and prefer the water to be between 70 degrees and 80 degrees. Koimaiden mentioned she actually has a heater for her fancy (double tailed) goldfish because she lives in a cooler climate.

The Pearlscale's temperature preference does NOT mean they can live with your betta fish, however. Pretty much everyone here as given you the reasons why. More importantly, they need a bigger tank. 

I just rescued two, single tailed (comet) goldfish recently and learned I needed a 55 gallon tank to keep them both happy! Goldfish need LOTS of space to be happy and healthy, especially since they produce so much waste. They also need filters.

Any pictures of your pearlscales? I want one so bad, but they'll have to wait until I'm moved out and can get another huge tank 

If you want some really good info on goldfish (and bettas), check out this blog, written by one of our members, thekoimaiden - she is great with goldfish and has taught me everything I know over the past few months!

http://fishgirlskoipond.blogspot.com/


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Wolfie305 said:


> Your tropical region is probably just fine for your Pearlscales.
> 
> Goldfish are not coldwater wish, but temperate fish, meaning they can withstand large differences in temperature depending on the time of the year (freezing temps to as high as 85 degrees).
> 
> ...


+1


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Uggh I want some pearlies so bad. :/
Just keeping them at room temperature should be fine. The cooler the water the more oxygen capacity it has, so you'll probably want a bubbler in your tank.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

Everyone here has given you some great information about goldfish and betta living together. It's just not gonna work for a number of reasons. I'm sorry. I think your best course of action would be to return the pearlscale goldfish to where you got them. I suggest this because most people aren't prepared for a fish that can grow to the size of a softball, live 10 years, and needs rather large tanks. If you are prepared for this responsibility get them into a _MINIMUM_ 30 gallon tank (larger is always better, tho) pronto with a filter rated for a 50 gallon tank. You are also going to need to cycle the tank and can read more about that here: A Beginner's Guide to the Freshwater Aquarium Cycle

And also, welcome to the forum! We hope that this little bump in your fishkeeping hobby isn't going to trip you up too much!


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## michael0918 (Apr 9, 2012)

thanks for all the inputs guys. 
n0 picture, i dont want anyone to see where im housing my goldies. Some might hate me im sure.
I think i'll just return em. I dont think i can afford a 30gal tank right now.
thank you very much.


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## JennybugJennifer (Apr 16, 2012)

The pet store told me NEVER to mix the two


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