Goldfish are graceful aquarium fishes that add life and beautifies a tank. Other fishes can be in the tank alongside the goldfish to add to the beauty. But, these fishes must be compatible with the goldfish; otherwise, it might be disastrous.
Can Arowana Fish Live With Goldfish?
It is not recommended to add your Arowana and goldfish together as the goldfish will most likely get eaten. The Arowana fish needs a large space and are fairly aggressive.
Arowana Vs. Goldfish
Starting with the size, these two fishes have a large difference in size. The goldfish can grow to 6 inches while the Arowana fish can grow to about 4 feet. This large difference in size makes the goldfish prey for the Arowana fish. Large fishes end up feeding on the smaller ones, so if you add your Arowana fish to the goldfish’s tank, you might end up losing your goldfish to the Arowana.
Goldfish are not aggressive, making them suitable for keeping in large tanks with other fishes. In contrast, the Arowana fish is fairly aggressive and can also live with a reasonable number of fishes. This feature makes them a bit compatible, but you shouldn’t put them in the same tank just for a favorable feature.
Both fishes are omnivores; they feed on plants and animals. They feed more on small aquatic creatures and occasionally feed on plants. Goldfish come in grey or greenish-brown, but it results from a deviation from their good health when they exhibit other colors. Arowana fish comes in different colors, including purple, green, gold, blue, and silver.
Goldfish can live as long as 25 years, but less on average. The Arowana fish can live about 10 to 15 years. Goldfishes usually spawn during summer, while Arowana fishes can spawn from summer to early winter.
These two fishes have varying spawning styles. After a madcap chasing, the goldfish lays its eggs in water, and the male fertilizes the eggs. The Arowana fish lays its eggs after a week of side-by-side swimming; the male fertilizes the eggs and puts them in his mouth for incubation until the larvae hatch and can swim freely and alone.
Water Conditions for Arowana Fish and Goldfish
Let’s check out the water conditions that best suit these two fishes. It will enable you to keep and maintain each fish in different tanks properly.
- Temperature: The temperature of the water is a very important factor to consider when breeding a fish. Too hot water can kill the fish and might probably cook it. A too cold one can as well kill it, so you have to know the exact temperature that best suits your fish. The goldfish will do well in water with a temperature of about 680F and 740F. Comets and shubunkins of goldfish will thrive in waters with a temperature of about 600F to 700F. They can also thrive in heated aquariums. Arowana fishes will do well in water with a temperature of about 86°F.
- pH: The pH of the water is also very essential. You wouldn’t want to put your fish in too acidic or too alkaline water. Generally, freshwater fishes prefer slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline water, while saltwater fishes prefer to stay in higher alkaline waters. The goldfish will thrive in waters with a pH of 7.0 to 8.4, while the Arowana fish will thrive in waters with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 with 6.5 as a suitable pH.
- Hardness: Some fishes prefer hard waters to soft waters while others prefer the latter to the former. Putting a fish in incompatible water can affect its health and growth, so you have to know what your fish likes and provide it for the fish. Goldfish and Arowana fishes prefer to stay in hard waters; they thrive in hard waters. Goldfish like to stay in hard waters of value 7.4 to 7.9 while Arowanas prefer hard waters with value 6.0 to 7.0.
Tank Conditions for Goldfish and Arowana Fish
The tank that houses your fish is essential to consider. You have to consider the tank and check out for features that suit your fish; otherwise, your fish might not have the best stay in the tank. Consider factors like the size of the tank, decorations, substrate, etc.
Arowana fishes are large fishes, so they will also need a big tank to enjoy and swim. They are also strong swimmers, which adds to why you should get a big tank for them. The tank size suitable for the Arowana fish should be as large as 120 to 220 gallons.
Goldfish, on the other hand, are smaller fishes, so they do not need a tank as large as that of Arowanas. Your goldfish tank should be as large as 30 to 50 gallons.
Goldfish are burrowing fish. They like to dig up the substrate, so you should put their burrowing behavior into consideration when setting up their tank.
Unlike goldfish, Arowanas are surface feeders. They often jump out of the water to catch their prey in the wild. They do not burrow, but if you keep feeding them sinking foods, they might adapt to the bottom to look for food.
For the fish’s decorations, Arowanas prefer fine gravel substrate and live aquarium plants. You might want to set up the plant decoration at the tank’s edges because of space for swimming for the fish.
Goldfish are not too picky when it comes to decorations. They are fine with several good and beautiful decorations. You can also make a decoration that likens the tank to their natural habitat.
Conclusion
Arowana fish are a lot bigger than goldfish, which makes the goldfish perfect prey for them. Don’t put your Arowana fish in your goldfish tank unless you plan a little goldfish funeral.
They have common features that make them suitable to stay in the same tank, but the Arowana’s predatory behavior seems disastrous. Suppose you don’t have enough tanks to accommodate these two fishes, you can make use of a tank but place a demarcation to separate the Arowana’s territory from the goldfish’s.
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