What Can Survive With Goldfish?

Are there any type of small cold water fish that can survive with comet goldfish, and will survive winter? Would minnows from a stream work?

 

WCMM and Zebra Danios are the only fish I can think of that can withstand the cold temperatures.

 

Peppered cories also meant to do well in ponds according to a few people that have had apparent success with the two.

 

WCMM and Zebra Danios are the only fish I can think of that can withstand the cold temperatures.

Would they be fine in a pond?

 

Depends on where you live.

They probably wouldn’t survive a winter in Seattle but might have a chance in San Diego.

 

Depends on where you live.

They probably wouldn’t survive a winter in Seattle but might have a chance in San Diego.

How about West Virginia?

 

I've seen rosy red and white cloud minnows in outdoor ponds but like 75 gallon said, it depends on where you live unless you can get a good heater

 

I've seen rosy red and white cloud minnows in outdoor ponds but like 75 gallon said, it depends on where you live unless you can get a good heater

Could fathead minnows work? Shiners? Fallfish?

 

Fathead minnows can survive pretty extreme temperatures and get about 3", so they may work. They're also called Rosy red minnows. The main issue is they're often sold as feeders and are sick, so definitely quarantine them and maybe do a preemptive treatment for internal parasites.

 

Could fathead minnows work? Shiners? Fallfish?

Shiners will work. What species are you thinking of? Golden shiners, for instance, get quite big and would probably work quite well with goldfish.

Fallfish, chub, suckers, would probably work as well.

 

Fathead minnows can survive pretty extreme temperatures and get about 3", so they may work. They're also called Rosy red minnows. The main issue is they're often sold as feeders and are sick, so definitely quarantine them and maybe do a preemptive treatment for internal parasites.

Ok good I thought they would work? What about shiners or fallfish? Topminnows?

Shiners will work. What species are you thinking of? Golden shiners, for instance, get quite big and would probably work quite well with goldfish.

Either common or golden shiners

 

Either common or golden shiners

Works fine. When they get big, like 6” and over, they start to look like Common goldfish. Shiners are cyprinids as well.

 

Works fine. When they get big, like 6” and over, they start to look like Common goldfish. They are cyprinids.

I figured they were related. Do you know anything about something like the banded killifish in a pond. How about creek chubs, fallfish, or suckers?

 

I figured they were related. Do you know anything about something like the banded killifish in a pond. How about creek chubs, fallfish, or suckers?

I have zero clue about the banded killifish, so I won’t say anything in regards to them.

All those other fish you listed are native fish, so yes, they are temperature compatible with goldfish.

One thing I want to clear up. Goldfish are not coldwater. They are temperate. They hibernate when it gets too cold, like many other fish in the Northeastern U.S. Fish like trout and pike don’t. They are active throughout winter.

 

I have zero clue about the banded killifish, so I won’t say anything in regards to them.

All those other fish you listed are native fish, so yes, they are temperature compatible with goldfish.

One thing I want to clear up. Goldfish are not coldwater. They are temperate. They hibernate when it gets too cold, like many other fish in the Northeastern U.S. Fish like trout and pike don’t. They are active throughout winter.

Oh that’s actually pretty important. Thank you for clarifying that! And thanks for all the help!

 

Could fathead minnows work? Shiners? Fallfish?

I know fatheads and shiners work in Tennessee because I've got them in my outdoor native/goldfish pond

 

Sturgeon can but you'd need a pretty big pond!

 

I don't think you would want to put something with your goldfish that is actually going to EAT them.

 

I don't think you would want to put something with your goldfish that is actually going to EAT them.

Sure they were in a tank with (albeit large) goldfish at a MA store by me. The goldfish weren't big koi either. Unless it wasn't a sturgeon but sure as **** looked like one. Will deffo make a trip to it next week to see what indeed they are.

 

Sure they were in a tank with (albeit large) goldfish at a MA store by me. The goldfish weren't big koi either. Unless it wasn't a sturgeon but sure as looked like one. Will deffo make a trip to it next week to see what indeed they are.

Since goldfish only get about a foot on average, they would be a snack. Also, because of sturgeon's massive size, personally I don't think they can be properly housed in captivity. Anyc chance it was a common pleco with the goldfish? Those get about 2ft and are called armored catfish. The have been known to strip the slime coat off of goldfish and leave massive sores though.

 

Sturgeon can but you'd need a pretty big pond!

Omg I could only imagine a pond with sturgeon in it

Since goldfish only get about a foot on average, they would be a snack. Also, because of sturgeon's massive size, personally I don't think they can be properly housed in captivity. Anyc chance it was a common pleco with the goldfish? Those get about 2ft and are called armored catfish. The have been known to strip the slime coat off of goldfish and leave massive sores though.

An average lake sturgeon is about 3-5 feet long so I’d imagine it’d be a pleco

 

An average lake sturgeon is about 3-5 feet long so I’d imagine it’d be a pleco

Yeah, I think four feet is average, in captivity, my main issue is the same species often reaches 7ft in the wild. Just personal opinion, I can't deny it would be really cool to have one.

 

An average lake sturgeon is about 3-5 feet long so I’d imagine it’d be a pleco

No, probably a sterlet which is a species of sturgeon that stays relativey small. They’re quite popular as pond fish. I know this, as I see them sold often at my LFS.

 

I've seen them for sale but don't know anyone who has survivors.

I think spring/summer oxygen might be an issue in ponds.

 

Peppered cories also meant to do well in ponds according to a few people that have had apparent success with the two.

They can't go under 68 without slowly hurting themselves.

 

They can't go under 68 without slowly hurting themselves.

That’s not quite accurate, they have been found in the wild in temperatures that drop below 60 though they don’t live all the time at that temp & I wouldn’t recommend keeping them permanently at that temperature.

 

I've seen them for sale but don't know anyone who has survivors.

I think spring/summer oxygen might be an issue in ponds.

I see them sold in fingerling sizes. This in conjunction with their unique and prehistoric appearance, I suspect many of them get bought and homed improperly, much like Clown Loaches.

 

That’s not quite accurate, they have been found in the wild in temperatures that drop below 60 though they don’t live all the time at that temp & I wouldn’t recommend keeping them permanently at that temperature.

Ok let me re-phrase this. When goldfish are searching for food they sometimes mistake a Cory for food and try to eat it. The goldfish, Cory, or both could die. So I wouldn't recommend any corydoras. Also removing the corydoras from the goldfish mouth will be hard because they have barbels that make it hard to pull back out.

 

Since goldfish only get about a foot on average, they would be a snack. Also, because of sturgeon's massive size, personally I don't think they can be properly housed in captivity. Anyc chance it was a common pleco with the goldfish? Those get about 2ft and are called armored catfish. The have been known to strip the slime coat off of goldfish and leave massive sores though.

No idea to be honest. Will definitely look to get to the fish store at some point in the next two weeks and will deffo take photos. I'd put my tank on what I saw, could well have been stored with a type of koi not goldfish though? Maybe that was my mistake. Not a big koi, £1000+ one mind but smaller.

Desperate to know what I saw now!

 

So here is what I saw...

 

So here is what I saw...

That’s actually super cool that your store sells sturgeon

 

That’s actually super cool that your store sells sturgeon

Their variety is absolutely incredible. Sell arrowanas (sp) to coral to huge koi. Some of the people working there are great but others not so. But an amazing variety.

 

Their variety is absolutely incredible. Sell arrowanas (sp) to coral to huge koi. Some of the people working there are great but others not so. But an amazing variety.

I bet a huge koi is like $10,000 lol

 

I bet a huge koi is like $10,000 lol

Will get a photo next time, they've built it so you can view the koi underneath the water. My idea of a huge koi in the UK may be different to the US mind.

They're about two foot long, rough guess. Distinctly remember some koi being up for £1250 so that's about £1600, but they may have been the ones around a foot long. Generally just see the price of some fish and cry inside lol

 

Oh that's really cool!

 

Is similar to that (That's a different branch to my local one), would argue the one local to me is a bigger and better viewing screen teeming with them. Mine has a dedicated, covered, outdoor area for all pond stuff and then all tropical and marine indoors.

 

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Is similar to that (That's a different branch to my local one), would argue the one local to me is a bigger and better viewing screen teeming with them. Mine has a dedicated, covered, outdoor area for all pond stuff and then all tropical and marine indoors.

Super cool! Koi are really expensive though