Hey if I put my neon tetras in with my goldfish will they be eaten? I have my neons in a 2.5 gallon tank, but i want to move them because this tank doesnt have a filter and it just looks uncomfortable for them. Anyway, i just wondered if my goldfish would eat them and also how would i feed them, i.e. can they distinguish between the tropical food and goldfish food, or would it matter.

They require too many different things. Water temperature for one. Goldies are cold, tetras are tropicals. Then there is of course food differences. The goldies will eat everything. And Tropical food isnt formulated for goldfish. Also, When your goldies grow, they will eat the tetras. Theres justfar too many cons to putting them together. I wouldnt do it. And i would think your tetras are overstocked as well, and depending on the size of your current tank you could also over stock the goldies.

Okay thanks, that makes sense, plus my goldfish are really big so they probably wouldnt think anything about eating a little neon, I just didnt know if they would eat other fish or not.

Goldfish are little piggies. They will try to eat anything they can get into their mouths and a few things they cannot. They will eat plants and rocks and other fish.

Goofy goldfish - gotta love 'em!

and their own poop too!

As long as they can catch them, any fish will eat another fish as long as it can fit it into it's mouth.

That makes sense. I actually named my comet after my brother cause they are both hungry all the time, no matter what they have just eaten. I think my comet will eat anything that wont get him first.

Meg' said earlier that Tropical food isn't formulated for Goldfish?

I guess that makes sense, otherwise it would just be called 'Fish food' but I went into a local Pet Store looking for some kind of sinking/floating food because my Pearlscales were getting dinner before my telescopes knew what was happening.

The lady in the pet shop gave me some tropical food like pellets. Soe will float, some will sink and some will hang in the water for a while. She said that even though its for tropicals, it wont do any harm at all and that the stuff in it will help enhance the colour of my cold water fish?

Does anyone know if this will actually really do any harm?

The fish love the stuff but the only difference is that they seem to poo much more, and generally it is quite thick, pretty long and a red colour like the food. Am I giving my babies a bad belly?

I had problems with flakes because the filter would keep clogging up with them.

i actually did a comparrison of goldfish, tropical fish, and cichlid food for a science fair when i was in elementary school. if i can remember that far back the only difference i found for the most part was while there was mostly the same ingredients, they were in very different amounts. specifically fats, proteins, and fiber came in different amounts and often from different sources. looking at my foods now, the 'chemical' listed for color enhancment is different in all 3 as well. i would imagine that all makes a difference, but my tropicals get a little goldfish food (and vice versa) now and then just for a little variety.

i bought some tetras and threw them in my goldie tank and the next day there were only 3 left. i guess i should have waited for people to respond to my post before i got the fish. very bad experience.