GloFish and Goldfish, although the names seem similar, they are totally different types of fish. Both are ornamental fishes that can change the overall atmosphere of the aquarium. Goldfish have been domesticated for many years now; compared to that, GloFish is a recent addition.
Although they are beautiful and adaptive additions to the tank, can GloFish and Goldfish live together?
Most types of GloFish and Goldfish need the same diet and type of substrates. However, the water parameters highly differ from each other’s requirements. Although you can balance the parameters to make a suitable environment for both the fishes, it is not really recommended.
In this article, I will be discussing the compatibility between GloFish and Goldfish so that you can understand whether they can be kept together in a tank or not.
Since there are different types of GloFish, and each carries separate characteristics, I will be sharing the first and help you understand better. That is why I recommend you to go through the whole article for a better understanding.
Types Of GloFish & Their Behavior
GloFish is available in six different types, which include; Bettas, Tetras, Long Fin Tetras, Danios, Barbs, and Sharks. Let us know about their behavior one by one;
Bettas
GloFish Bettas are beautiful yet aggressive in nature. They are available in Electric Green in color.
Bettas can be the cruelest pet. Even their name Betta means “Siamese Fighting Fish” or “Labyrinth Fish.” They are sensitive yet complex fish.
They are native to Asia; they live in the slow-moving water. The male bettas have been known to build bubble nests for the babies and aggressively protect their babies from predators.
Just like a human, they stay active during the daytime and sleep at night and need darkness to get better sleep.
Things you need to know about GloFish Bettas;
| Category | Measures |
| One Betta | 1.5 to 3 Gallon Aquarium |
| Partial Water Change (10%) | Two weeks |
| Temperament | Territorial & Aggressive |
| Water Temperature | 76 to 82 Degree |
| pH Level | 6.8 and 7.5 |
| Substrates | Plants, caves, and room to explore |
Tetras
GloFish Tetras are such peace-loving creatures. They love to stay in harmony with the other species. Nonetheless, they can become pretty aggressive only if they are in an unfavorable environment.
If the water parameters are not stabilized, or the male and female fish number is not balanced, or if there are any territorial fights between the fish, it can make them stressed and influence them to become aggressive.
Moreover, they should be kept in a group of three to five Tetra fish. They are not suitable for non-tropical environments.
Things you need to know about GloFish Tetras;
| Category | Measures |
| Minimum Tank Size | 15 Gallon |
| Temperament | Non-Aggressive |
| pH Level | 6.0 to 7.5 |
| Water Temperature | 72 to 82 Degree |
Long Fin Tetras
Long Fin Tetras are clam and such social pets who love to live in a group. Because of the longfin, they look more elegant than other GloFish. They are considered a great choice for beginners.
They mostly need six to seven fish minimum of their own kind in the tank. However, they are very active and move faster. They also have the tendency to fin nipping; as a result, they aren’t recommended to keep with the small fishes.
They should be kept in the warmer temperature because the cold water can cause ich. They are durable fish with a life span of 6 to 7 years. They are mentioned as great tankmates for their peaceful nature.
Things you need to know about GloFish Long Fin Tetras;
| Category | Measures |
| Minimum Tank Size | 15 Gallon |
| Temperament | Semi-Aggressive |
| pH Level | 5.8 to 8.5 |
| Water Temperature | 70 to 79 Degree |
| Water Changing | Bi-Weekly |
| Substrates | Any |
Danios
GloFish Danios was the first to be genetically modified by the company GloFish, in 2003. They are adaptive and can boom in a wide range of aquatic conditions. They require a minimum of at least five fish to stay together in order to stay healthy.
They are peace-loving and undemanding when it comes to caring. Because of having such peaceful nature, they are one of the great options for community aquariums. They are even suitable for cooler water.
Among all other types of GloFish Danios, Zebra Danios are the most popular ones. They are very active and easily get along with other species. They stay loyal to their mate and do not choose another mate even if they lose them.
Things you need to know about GloFish Danios;
| Category | Measures |
| Minimum Tank Size | 10 Gallon |
| Temperament | Non-Aggressive |
| pH Level | 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Water Temperature | 64 to 74 Degree |
| Substrates | Any |
Barbs
GloFish Barbs, commonly known as tiger barbs, need to be kept in a group of 5 to 6 fish. They are calm and peaceful in nature. Nonetheless, they can get aggressive when things are not placed accordingly.
That is, when the parameters fluctuate or when the tank mates do not comprise an adequate amount of fish from their own species.
Things you need to know about GloFish Barbs;
| Category | Measures |
| Minimum Tank Size | 20 Gallon |
| Temperament | Semi-Aggressive |
| pH Level | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Water Temperature | 75 to 82 Degree |
| Substrates | Any |
Sharks
One of the latest editions to the GloFish family is GloFish Shark. They are the lengthiest ones among all. They can be semi-aggressive and good at cleaning the leftover foods.
They can be pretty aggressive and cause harm to the overall tankmates and try to defend the tank from all the newcomers. They are best for keeping them in a single tank. They mostly try to stay in a group and attack the other species living in the same tank.
Things you need to know about GloFish Sharks;
| Category | Measures |
| Minimum Tank Size | 50 Gallon |
| Temperament | Aggressive & Territorial |
| pH Level | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Water Temperature | 75 to 81 Degree |
| Substrates | Any |
So, Can GloFish Live With Goldfish?
Now that you are familiar with various types of GloFish let us compare them with the Goldfish in order to understand their compatibility.
You need information relating to tank requirements, water parameters & cleaning procedures and their dietary habits, and lastly, about their temperaments.
But you have nothing to worry about because I have done all the research for you and summoned them here.
Tank Requirements
Every living thing has different requirements regarding its own habitat. If not, the requirements are met, everything might get affected and might also cause death.
GloFish needs to be put in a group of 4 to 6 fish from the same species, except GloFish Bettas. Your tank minimum requirement would be 20 gallons, and additional fish will require more than 20 gallons. They need to be kept in a group, or else they might get stressed.
Goldfish are freshwater fish, and they need rocks, plants, and other fish to stay healthy. They prefer to stay in an area with a vast amount of water and love to swim around. They are omnivores.
Goldfish need to be provided plenty of room to move around freely. Per fish requires 20 Gallons, and try to keep at least 3 to 4 fish per tank. And as mentioned earlier, the more, the better.
Do not overcrowd the tank as it can affect fish’s heath and cause death.
Water Parameters & Cleaning Procedures
In order to understand the water parameters, let me provide you with a table;
| Categories | GloFish | Goldfish |
| pH Level | 6.5 – 7.5 | 7.2 – 7.8 |
| KH Level | 70 – 140 ppm | 80 – 160 ppm |
| GH Level | 70 – 140 ppm | >200 ppm |
| Temperature | 22 – 27 Degrees Celsius | 20 – 23 Degrees Celsius |
| Water Change | 25% every 2 to 4 weeks | 20 – 30% per week |
| Plants | Java Ferns, Anubias, Amazon Sword or Wisteria | Anubias, Cabomba and Pennywort, Java ferns and moss, |
| Substrates | Sand or Gravel Substrates | Sand, Small to Medium Rocks |
You can see from the table that the required parameters for the water in the tank vary greatly. The Goldfish loves to stay in a cold environment, whereas the GloFish prefers warm water. You can use a heater to keep the water warm.
The water parameters also vary up to a great extent. Both KH and GH levels for GloFish fall in the category of regular freshwater fish. The GH level requirement for Goldfish is way greater than the regular scale.
I would recommend you check the parameters using an API testing kit so that you can stop any bad situation.
Dietary Habit
Not all fish has the same taste or food habit because they require different food and dietary charts. Let us discover GloFish and Goldfish food habits.
Being omnivorous, they love to eat animals and vegetables. They love tropical food with a balanced diet of pellets, dried and frozen bloodworm, pellets, vegetables, and many more. Vegetables like spinach, carrot, and kale help to make their skin glow more.
Also, being omnivorous, Goldfish love to eat insects, animals, and vegetables. It would help if you feed your fish 2 to 3 times a day in small quantities but try not to overfeed them.
You can feed your Goldfish various small fishes and make a proper dietary plan comprising vegetables, bloodworm, flakes, pellets, and brine shrimp. Remember that the food consumption level might vary as per the size of the fish.
That is, both fish can live on the same dietary plan, and there remains no harm in it; rather, they will be able to get adequate nutrients.
Temperaments
Each fish comes with a separate temperament which might or might not match with the other species. You need to understand their aggression level so that you give your fish a suitable friendly environment, maybe together or separately.
GloFish (except glow bettas and glow sharks) is mostly peaceful in nature and seeks a friendly environment. However, things can be different considering the type of GloFish. There are a few GloFish that are extremely aggressive and will attack other fish, regardless of the type.
For an instance, GloFish Bettas and GloFish Shark will not differentiate but attack other fish. They might attack their own kind as well. It would be best if you kept them separate.
Whereas the other species of GloFish are mostly non-aggressive and can be kept with others. But you need to take care of the things that might cause stress to them, which further might cause destruction.
Goldfish need to be paired with other Goldfish. You cannot live them alone; the more companions, the better. They are really intelligent traits that can differentiate their traits from others.
They are also peaceful and do not prefer aggression. Nonetheless, the Goldfish loves to keep dominance in the tank, or else it can badly affect their health. The fishes that can fit in their mouth, you need to consider them gone, as simple as that.
Are GloFish And Goldfish Compatible? – The Final Decision
For the betterment of both kinds, GloFish, and Goldfish, I will not recommend you to keep them in the same tank. Yes, they can eat the same food or have the same substrates in the tank.
But what is more frightening is that they require a different aquatic environment with varied water parameters.
Yes, you can keep most types of glofish and goldfish together by balancing the parameters, but it might hamper their overall lifecycle, which I am sure you will not want to do.
Related Questions
What Fish Live With GloFish?
Let me provide you with the list containing what the fishes that can live different GloFish are;
| Type of GloFish | Ideal Tankmates |
| GloFish Tetra | Neon TetraDaniosCardinal TetraDwarf cichlidsPlecosRasboras |
| GloFish Danio | GuppiesRainbowfishPlecos PlatiesSwordtails Tetras |
| GloFish Barb | PlecoMolliesPlaties Dwarf CichlidDanio |
| GloFish Shark | Rasboras BarbsDaniosRainbowfish |
Will GloFish Eat Goldfish Food?
GloFish and Goldfish have almost the same dietary option as they both are omnivores. They will eat veggies, fish, or any other animal.
Both of their dietary plans include a combination of vegetables, bloodworms, flakes, pellets, and brine shrimp. Therefore, GloFish can eat Goldfish food and vice-versa.
What Other Fish Can Live With Goldfish?
Goldfish are non-aggressive fish that love to live with other groups of fish but keep their dominance intact.
You mix other fish with Goldfish, which might include the following fish;
- Variatus Platy
- Hillstream Loach
- Longfin Rosy Barbs
- Ricefish
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Hoplo Catfish
