Because murderous ranchus are bad

ninjablackghostknife

So I have a ranchu in a barren 10gal (a young one, so...) and i want to add plants and maybe another Goldfish. Can someone tell me what a ranchu is compatible with (or maybe even what I'm doing horribly wrong?) Thx! Also, plant recommendations really appreciated

thekoimaiden

Goldfish are really best kept with Goldfish. I know the ranchu would appreciate some Goldfish friends as they are a highly social species. So when you get an upgrade (and he will probably need one) you should look into Goldfish buddies first.

As far as other fish that commonly work with Goldfish, there aren't too many. If you have a large enough tank, dojo loaches can work sometimes. Some of the larger (but calmer) cyprinid species work. You want something that can't be swallowed, peaceful enough they won't bother the clumsy Goldfish, and hardy enough to survive poor-er than normal water conditions.

For plants, you can try a lot of things, but it depends on your Goldfish. Some will leave them alone, but others won't. Tough plants and fast-growing plants are what you want. Anarcharis, Hornwort, and Water Sprite fit into that first category. I have all three in my Goldfish tank and they are outpacing the grazing. Anubias and Java Fern are the two tough plants that are usually recommended. Large swords will also do well, but they will need root tabs. All will benefit from liquid ferts, too.