The wonderful thing about blue gouramis is how they are tolerant of a wide range of water parameters. This opens up many options for potential tank mates. However, you should always provide the precise things they like to ensure their happiness and survival.

Their native habitat is Indonesia and South Asia. Therefore, the waters are warm and balmy. The sweet spot for temperature for them is around 76°F with a neutral pH and a hardness of 7 dKH. Also, make sure you have a thermometer, water test kit, water pump, quality filter, decorations and some plants.

It is advisable to use a substrate with a darker color so they can see the bottom. Blue tetras love a well-planted tank, just like blue gouramis. Even though these two come from different corners of the world, they adore very similar water parameters. So, it will be easy to keep them both happy and healthy.

These very attractive fish have a blue iridescent color that changes to a blue-green turquoise-like hue in the light. The only pitfall is that blue tetras tend to be aggressive. However, if there are enough plants and space, this should be minimal.

Even though upside down catfish can get enormous and perhaps too much for blue gouramis , they are bottom feeders and love to hide. However, these catfish love meaty offerings and will eat smaller fish if nutrition is insufficient. What makes the harlequin rasbora such a great tank mate for blue gouramis is they have near exact preferences for food and water parameters.

Another great bottom feeder for blue gouramis is the common pleco. They are not aggressive at all and only fight with other plecos when provoked. They love minding their own business in the substrate. Although their ginormous size is alarming, blue gouramis will avoid it.

In terms of food, they feed on algae and any leftover food that falls to the bottom of the tank. Besides, they both have the same preferences for food as well as water parameters. However, pineapple swordtails can get somewhat aggressive, but this is mostly with swordtails.

Cory catfish is a whole genus and any variety will make an excellent tank mate for blue gouramis, although they hail from a different area in the world. However, they are fussy about their environment, being sensitive to slight changes in water parameters. Both blue gouramis and purple passion danios enjoy a dark substrate and heavily planted environment, which makes them perfect for cohabitation.

As long as there is room and hiding spots, the chances for clashes are low. However, aggression is high during breeding. Because pearl danios and blue gouramis come from neighboring areas, they have very similar preferences. Platy fish are an entire genus with many varieties, all of which are excellent to put into the same aquarium as blue gouramis.

An excellent tank mate for blue gouramis is clown loaches. These are interesting-looking fish, complete with reddish orange bodies, black stripes and cute fangs that hang down outside their mouths. Regardless of their appearance, clown loaches are very peaceful, fun fish.

Zebra loaches are excellent for blue gouramis. They never get bigger than four inches, adhering to a sense of peace and calm. In fact, they avoid confrontation whenever possible. So, the risk of them battling with the blue gourami is next to null, especially since zebra loaches stay at the bottom.

While the entire genus of discus is much more high maintenance than blue gouramis, they can live together quite peaceably.

Also, they do have a different diet and require a high-quality flake with meaty offerings. Tiger barbs are playful fish and perfect to house with blue gouramis. This is because they come from the same freshwater areas.

Ergo, they have similar temperaments and water parameter preferences as well as food requirements. However, they like things a little more acidic in their watery environment. Mystery snails are awesome tank mates for blue gouramis.

If a gutsy gourami wants to bully the mystery snail, it will just take cover in its shell. But, they love to be on the bottom of the tank, so this would be a rare occurrence.

While the nerite snail is almost too small for a blue gourami, they usually just do their own thing and mind their own business. Also, ensure their water parameters match up. You can keep this 3-inch 7. To contrast with their beautiful blue scales, try adding some orange schooling fish like lambchop rasboras or ember tetras.

As with most smaller gouramis, they will eat just about anything a betta fish does, such as floating betta pellets and more. Female gouramis tend to have a rounded tip on their dorsal fin and a larger body size compared to males. Hailing from southeast Asia, Trichopodus leerii is the largest species on our list that grows up to 5 inches 13 cm in length.

Because of their bigger size, you can keep one in a gallon tank or a group of them in a or gallon aquarium. Compared to other gouramis, they have especially long and thin modified ventral fins that act like whiskers to help them explore their environment.

Pearl gouramis are not picky eaters and will readily consume an omnivore diet of freeze-dried foods , Hikari Vibra Bites , and floating pellets. Looking for a rarer species to add to your collection? Sphaerichthys osphromenoides is a 2. Because the fish are usually wild-caught, they can be picky eaters initially that only take live and frozen foods, but with enough patience, hobbyists have successfully converted them to eating crushed flakes and micro pellets.

In Indonesia and the surrounding regions, they come from waters with low pH, low GH general hardness , and gentle flow. To truly appreciate these peaceful, laidback gouramis, add lots of live aquarium plants and shaded places to hide so that they feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

Chocolate gouramis can be a little delicate when you first buy them, so pamper them with a stress-free environment to increase their health and immunity. Coming in at 1. Sparkling gouramis have bright blue eyes and a body with brown, dotted striping and iridescent blue spangling.

Keep these miniature gouramis by themselves, in pairs, or in a small group with other peaceful, nano fish. You can feed them anything small enough to fit in their mouths, like daphnia, baby brine shrimp , and fine granules. Sparkling gouramis are excellent micropredators that will happily eat up all the seed shrimp, detritus worms, and even hydra in your fish tank.

The super peaceful Trichogaster chuna is native to India and Bangladesh, and several color variants have been produced, such as wild type, yellow-gold, and red.

As with most gouramis, the males tend to be more colorful than the females. Both sexes are equally good-natured and can live as a single, pair, or group with similarly sized community fish.

They really stand out in a lushy planted aquarium with schooling fish of a different color, like green neon tetras. Honey gouramis are also fun and easy to breed, where the male builds a bubble nest to protect the fertilized eggs until they hatch.

For more information, read the full care sheet. Honey gouramis are mostly solid-colored, but males often develop a dark blue-black throat and abdomen during breeding periods.

Macropodus opercularis is a famous gourami from East Asia and is historically labeled as one of the first tropical freshwater fish kept in a home aquarium besides pond fish like carp and goldfish. It can grow to 2. Paradise fish are extremely hardy and can live in a temperature range from °F °C , which means you can keep them in an unheated aquarium of 20 gallons or larger.

The reason why this beautiful fish gets an honorable mention is because they are considered semi-aggressive like betta fish, where the males like to squabble over territory.

Posted January 1, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options TheSwissAquarist Posted January 2, Posted January 2, What species of gourami? Jenna Posted January 2, com : Behaviour and Compatibility While often recommended as a community fish this is not always so.

And how to sex the males: Sexual Dimorphism The male is larger and develops a pointed dorsal fin. Create an account or sign in to comment You need to be a member in order to leave a comment Create an account Sign up for a new account in our community. Register a new account. Sign in Already have an account?

Sign In Now. Go to topic listing. Takedown request View complete answer on quora. Takedown request View complete answer on swelluk. Takedown request View complete answer on thesprucepets. Takedown request View complete answer on tfhmagazine.

Takedown request View complete answer on apifishcare. Pearl gouramis are not picky eaters and will readily consume an omnivore diet of freeze-dried foods , Hikari Vibra Bites , and floating pellets. Looking for a rarer species to add to your collection? Sphaerichthys osphromenoides is a 2.

Because the fish are usually wild-caught, they can be picky eaters initially that only take live and frozen foods, but with enough patience, hobbyists have successfully converted them to eating crushed flakes and micro pellets.

In Indonesia and the surrounding regions, they come from waters with low pH, low GH general hardness , and gentle flow. To truly appreciate these peaceful, laidback gouramis, add lots of live aquarium plants and shaded places to hide so that they feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

Chocolate gouramis can be a little delicate when you first buy them, so pamper them with a stress-free environment to increase their health and immunity. Coming in at 1. Sparkling gouramis have bright blue eyes and a body with brown, dotted striping and iridescent blue spangling.

Keep these miniature gouramis by themselves, in pairs, or in a small group with other peaceful, nano fish. You can feed them anything small enough to fit in their mouths, like daphnia, baby brine shrimp , and fine granules.

Sparkling gouramis are excellent micropredators that will happily eat up all the seed shrimp, detritus worms, and even hydra in your fish tank. The super peaceful Trichogaster chuna is native to India and Bangladesh, and several color variants have been produced, such as wild type, yellow-gold, and red.

As with most gouramis, the males tend to be more colorful than the females. Both sexes are equally good-natured and can live as a single, pair, or group with similarly sized community fish. They really stand out in a lushy planted aquarium with schooling fish of a different color, like green neon tetras.

Honey gouramis are also fun and easy to breed, where the male builds a bubble nest to protect the fertilized eggs until they hatch. For more information, read the full care sheet. Honey gouramis are mostly solid-colored, but males often develop a dark blue-black throat and abdomen during breeding periods.

Macropodus opercularis is a famous gourami from East Asia and is historically labeled as one of the first tropical freshwater fish kept in a home aquarium besides pond fish like carp and goldfish.

The male is larger and develops a pointed dorsal fin. The female is smaller and rounder in the belly. Cory catfish would be ok since they primarily inhabit the bottom and the gourami would be up higher?

Could work; I would recommend C. Hastatus or C. Habrosus , since they mostly keep themselves to themselves and I've done them with bettas before.

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Watch our video on the rules of this forum. Share More sharing options Followers 2. Recommended Posts. Jenna Posted January 1, Posted January 1, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options TheSwissAquarist Posted January 2, Read on to see the details of each tank mate, including the size living conditions they need and what makes them compatible with your gourami.

This fish is small and glows beautifully in color to contrast with gourami. They are peaceful in general as long as they are given aquarium plants to hide around.

This makes them a great tank mate for the timid gourami. This fish is not aggressive and will live in harmony with your gourami as long as it is provided with enough food during its nocturnal cycle. It also needs plenty of other panda corydoras to feel secure; consider getting at least 6.

Though the harlequin rasbora does tend to attack smaller types of schooling fish, gouramis do not often fall into that same category and are therefore safe. This leaves you to enjoy the beauty of the fiery-colored fish! These scavengers are odd-looking, tending to live on the bottom of the tank in peace.

They will eat the detritus of other fish, including the gourami, and only need a few caves to dwell in peaceably. It is worth noting that they enjoy the company of three or more other loaches.

This shrimp is another scavenger that will eat any leftovers and makes a great janitor for your tank. It is also fine with a tiny amount of space and will hide among plants without harming, scaring, or stealing the food of your easygoing gourami.

This shrimp can be a great tank mate for dwarf gourami but may become an expensive snack for larger gourami species. It can sometimes be territorial, but the good news is gourami and bristlenose plecos rarely interact anyway.

A fun break from the usual fish on our list is the mystery snail! They do eat and reproduce at an alarming rate, but the good news is, as long as water conditions are optimal for both, the gourami and mystery snail will only benefit one another!

Another bottom-dweller gracing our list is the otocinclus catfish, which hangs out on the bottom of the tank eating debris and burying themselves in soft substrata. They are totally non-aggressive, making them the perfect fish not only to watch, but to keep as a tank mate for your peaceful gourami!

Cherry barbs are small and energetic, but they can be aggressive. However fiery their temper is, matching their bright coloration, they can still be kept with gouramis as long as two rules are followed.

The second is that they prefer the company of their own kind. However beautiful they are, and even though it is possible to keep them in the same tank as gouramis, it is worth noting the fact that cherry barbs are hard to keep healthy.

They are prone to getting fat and sluggish if fed too much sugary or fatty food. This goldfish-looking tank mate is a peace-loving favorite among tank owners. Not only are they delightful to look at, but they are easy to care for and very compatible with other peaceful breeds like the gourami.

Pygmy Corydoras are small fish that might go unnoticed at first, but there is no denying that having such a tiny catfish is one of the most adorable additions you can make to your aquarium! Not only that, but their peaceful nature and confidence when kept with at least three other cordydoras make it a great tank mate for gouramis.

The glass catfish is also called the ghost fish. It is incredibly peaceful in temperament and helps out by cleaning up leftovers at the bottom of the tank. It looks like the shadow of a typical fish, so that adds visual interest to your tank, too!

Molly fish are adorable, easily adapt to water conditions, and are absolutely beautiful. They look like little slices of sunshine swimming around your tank! They are also incredibly peaceful and can be kept in tanks with gouramis and guppies alike.

This fish is not only a remarkable choice for its bright red-white-and-blue coloration, but because it shares many of the exact same tank requirements as the gourami.

Cardinal tetra are another fish that enjoys the safety of a school so consider getting at least 6. The neon tetra has many varieties of colors, but they are all beautiful with their characteristic stripes. They will clean up the leftovers and gourami leftovers, but they do generally like colder water temperatures, making them difficult to care for in tandem with the gourami.

Still, neon tetras are non-aggressive and will not try to steal gouramis food if made tank mates with them. Other times, it is enough to simply keep fish that inhabit different zones of the tank or can be discouraged from fighting by obstacles in the way.

It is certainly more than possible to have a colorful tank that not only includes gouramis, but a few peaceable friends, too! Gouramis can get along with any fish that is not overly aggressive and large enough to eat it.

The things you must consider when looking for a peaceful existence between your gourami and any tank mates is that gouramis are not aggressive and they tend to be schooling fish when given more of their kind to hang out with.

Other schooling fish may attack gourami that are in groups, but they may leave a single gourami alone. All in all, peaceful fish like the cardinal tetra and cherry barb are more than capable of sharing space with a gourami. Yes, thanks to their peaceful nature, gouramis are fine to go into a community tank.

Just make sure no larger, aggressive fish share the space, or the gourami may get eaten! Ian Sterling, founder of Fishlab. com, began his aquarium journey over 30 years ago, driven by a deep fascination for fish and their diverse personalities.

His website, Fishlab. com, is dedicated to making fishkeeping accessible and enjoyable, offering beginner-friendly guidance, expert insights, and a community for aquarists to connect and share experiences.

Common plecos grow enormous, and many new hobbyists buy them by mistake. These plecos have dark brown to black bodies with golden speckles over their scales and fins. Hard, armor-like scales protect them from any nipping the gourami s might try to do.

The accumulation of their waste can be dangerous for the other fish in the tank. Install an above-average filter to handle the increased waste load. Kuhli loaches are eel-like fish with smooth bodies, slender heads, and tiny whiskers.

Some are all black, while others have alternating yellow and dark brown bands. These nocturnal, bottom-dwelling fish will never bother the gourami s. They are most active at night. when the gouramis are resting. Kuhli loaches are fun to watch swim around with their interesting, elongated bodies.

They are schooling fish; keep them in groups of at least six to keep them most active. The group will emerge at night and zoom around the tank in quick patterns. Zebra loaches are slightly bulkier than kuhli loaches and have more aggressive tendencies. They usually do well with gouramis; gouramis are large enough to handle nippiness.

These loaches have black and white vertical stripes that resemble zebras. They are easier to see than kuhli loaches, even when hiding. Amano shrimp are one of the largest shrimp species available for freshwater aquariums. Their bodies are translucent to white with tan speckling and dark brown blotches.

Amano shrimp are stronger and more assertive than ghost shrimp. While ghost shrimp may do okay in a tank with gouramis, Amano shrimp are the better option.

These larger shrimp are efficient algae eaters. Keeping any kind of shrimp with gouramis is risky as they are likely to nip at the shrimp and try to eat them.

Amano shrimp are the best choice. Amano shrimp are large and robust enough to handle some nippiness. While these shrimp are too large to eat, gouramis can do some damage to their legs and antennae. Dwarf crayfish have small bodies that are not much larger than freshwater shrimp.

Their little bodies look like lobsters, and they have a hard shell to protect themselves. Crayfish have beady black eyes and antennae to sense their surroundings. Some have translucent gray-green bodies with dark spots, while others are orange.

It depends on the species. These crayfish are bottom feeders who prefer to hide most of the time. They appreciate having lots of live vegetation and leaf litter to feed on and hide inside. Dwarf crayfish are ideal for beginners. They are hardy and can handle many environments.

They are also adept at adapting to changing parameters. They are smaller than normal crayfish. Mystery snails are great for almost any freshwater aquarium.

Mystery snails are relatives of apple snails. They stay much smaller than apple snails and are easier to handle. They carry around hard shells that protect them from semi-aggressive fish.

The shells come in several different colors to spruce up the tank. The trouble with mystery snails is that they can breed when males and females are in the tank. Nerite snails come in many patterns that make them interesting to watch. Two of the most popular are the zebra and leopard nerite snails.

Zebras have yellow and dark brown stripes on their shells, while leopards have spots. Nerite snails must be in brackish water to reproduce. Gouramis are from the family Osphronemidae, the same family as betta fish.

Like betta fish, gouramis have a labyrinth organ that allows them to breathe air at the surface. Both fish live in the same type of environment where the water has little flow or is completely stagnant.

Since the water has little oxygen, the fish compensate by breathing air from the surface. Gouramis live in the tropical waters of Eastern and Southern Asia. They live across Pakistan, Thailand, China, Vietnam, the Malaysian Archipelago, Japan, and Korea.

They mainly inhabit the shallow waters of streams, marshes, swamps, and wetlands. The temperament of the fish is one of the most important things. The fish should be peaceful, though not small enough for the gouramis to bully.

Tank mates must be able to live in the same water conditions as gouramis, and they need enough room to swim. Gouramis are generally peaceful fish.

Males get territorial with one another, especially during mating time. Gouramis make great tank mates due to their peaceful personalities. They do well with most other peaceful fish that are of similar sizes. Despite being mostly friendly, gouramis can be nippy and opportunistic.

Likewise, consider moving pregnant mollies and platies to a separate tank. They may try to eat small shrimp species — avoid cherry and ghost shrimp. Avoid large, aggressive fish that can harm the gourami s.

Gouramis are slow-moving fish that have trouble getting away from bullies. Avoid fin-nippers for the same reason. Gouramis are slow-moving, timid fish. Avoid highly active fish likely to stress out the gourami s. The care needs of potential tank mates must overlap with those of the gourami.

Fish with differing care needs should not live with gouramis. The fish will suffer — or die — if forced to live in unsuitable conditions. Smaller gouramis can live in 15 gallons.

Smaller species include honey, dwarf, sparkling, and croaking gouramis. Add at least 10 to 15 extra gallons when adding tank mates. Depending on the type and number of tank mates, an even larger tank may be necessary.

Larger gouramis need at least 30 gallons for a species-only tank. Some larger species include blue, pearl, gold, moonlight, and opaline gouramis. Add at least 15 extra gallons when adding tank mates, depending on the species.

Kissing gouramis grow exceptionally large. They need at least 55 gallons for a species-only tank. Add more space when keeping tank mates. Gouramis are slow eaters that need time to consume their meals. Most gouramis are omnivores that eat tropical fish foods.

Flakes and pellets designed for tropical fish should make up most of their diet. Kissing gouramis are herbivores that need plant-based foods. Occasional treats of freeze-dried, frozen, or live food give a boost of nutrition.

Fish that are too fast may not leave enough food for the gouramis, and they could starve. In these situations, hobbyists may need to get creative during feeding time. Sprinkle some food in different areas of the tank to decrease competitiveness.

Temporary dividers can also be helpful to feed gouramis on their own. Driftwood and Indian almond leaves release tannins. Tannins produce a blackwater effect similar to their natural habitats.

Keep the current low and stock the tank with plenty of live vegetation. Live vegetation is highly important for the security of gouramis. Can you have different types of gourami living together? Like could I have 2 honey gouramis and 2 pearls?

I have a 29 gallon bowfront aquarium with 1 powder blue gourami, and looking for tankmates. Thank you so very much. I have a 34 gallon tank with 2 male dwarf Gouramis 2 Albino Cory doras 2 Peppered Cory doras 2 Sterbra Cory doras 2 sucking catfish 2 Guppies 4 Silver fin tetras 3 Rummy nose tetra These all live happily together.

I am looking for something else to put with them. I feed my top feeders in the morning and my bottom feeders at night. Pygmy Corys are lively creatures that provide plenty of interest in the tank, but you must keep them in large groups, ideally of at least ten individuals.

Also, be sure to offer them plenty of hiding places by adding driftwood, caves, and rockwork to the setup. Snails are an attractive and helpful addition to any aquarium where the mollusks keep busy by eating algae and grazing on decomposing plant debris.

These fascinating creatures make a fun addition to the tank. They come in lots of different colors, too, including purple, yellow, white, and blue. The Glowlight Tetra makes a bright, colorful addition to a community tank and offers an alternative to the more commonly seen Cardinal or Neon Tetra , which make excellent mates for the Dwarf Gourami.

Glowlight Tetras are peaceful schooling fish that enjoy similar water and tank conditions to your gouramis. Like most schooling species, you need to keep a group of at least eight Glowlight Tetras.

The security provided by the community will prevent stress, encourage natural behavior, and help enhance their colors. The Amano Shrimp is a peaceful little crustacean that makes a neat addition to the aquarium and is an excellent gourami tank mate, too.

These guys are too big to look like lunch to large fish, and their appetite for algae helps keep your tank looking good. Amanos are very easy to keep. Platies have been an extremely popular fish among hobbyists for many years.

These little fish are peaceful, active, super easy to care for and come in a range of brilliant colors, including gold, red, orange, white, black, purple, and multicolored. Platies will serve as fine mates for your gouramis, and they share very similar water conditions and dietary requirements, too.

Molly fish are another extremely popular home aquarium fish species that lend themselves well to sharing space with gouramis. The Molly likes similar tank conditions to the gourami and is a hardy species that is perfect for a beginner.

Like Platies, Mollies come in a wide range of bright colors and are totally peaceful, making them an ideal community fish. There are many different forms of Mollies, too, so you can keep a mixed school and create a stunning display.

Khuli Loaches are slender, snake-like bottom-dwellers that make great tank mates for gourami and other fish species, too. These stripy fish keep themselves to themselves and are primarily nocturnal, spending much of their time hiding in caves or among plants and emerging at night to feed. Khuli Loaches should be kept in large groups of eight individuals or more to keep them happy.

To view these active fish at play, you might want to consider installing a moonlight. Although barbs as a family generally get a bad rep for nipping and aggression, Cherry Barbs are the exception. These beautiful, brightly colored little fishes make excellent community fish and a fine tank mate for gourami.

Cherry Barbs are active, hardy little fishes that have similar water preferences to gouramis, although they are very adaptable and can tolerate a range of conditions.

You need to keep these fish in a school of at least eight to enjoy their best colors and see them behaving as they would in the wild. Be sure to provide a heavily planted space with plenty of hiding places for these guys.

Chili Rasboras are tiny nano fish that make a great addition to a community that includes Dwarf Gouramis. These little fishes are brilliantly colored and peaceful creatures, making a wonderful display when kept in a large school of ten or more.

This species enjoys similar water conditions to the Dwarf Gourami and likes a well-planted tank with plenty of places to hide. With their bright, flashy colors, these fish make the perfect contrast to beautiful powder blue Dwarf Gouramis.

Although Chili Rasboras are pretty easy to care for, they do need pristine water conditions, so you will need to pay particular attention to your tank maintenance duties.

The Zebra Danio is a super-cute little fish that looks stunning when kept in a large shoal. Although you can keep these stripy iridescent fish in nano tanks, they are very active and are happier when they have plenty of space for swimming. Zebra Danios are peaceful community fish that do best in a densely planted tank that also has plenty of room for swimming.

Naturally adapted for life in soft water, the highly adaptable danio fits in well in a gourami fish tank. The Otocinclus Catfish , or Oto Cat, is a tiny bottom-dwelling catfish. These cute, peaceful fish live in schools, feeding exclusively on algae in the wild environment.

In the aquarium, the Oto Cat will graze on any algae that it finds growing in your tank, but you will need to supplement that diet with algae wafers and blanched veggies to keep these little herbivores happy and well-fed.

Oto Cats must be kept in groups of five or more individuals. Look out for plump, lively specimens in the fish store and always introduce these fish to an established tank that already has plenty of algae for them to eat.

The gourami comes in lots of different varieties, most of which are suitable for life in a community tank. When choosing suitable companions for your gouramis, look for species of peaceful fish and invertebrates that share the same basic water requirements like acidity and temperature , can eat the same or a similar diet, and are non-aggressive, chilled-out characters.

Also, bear in mind the size of your tank versus the size of your fish, and be careful not to overstock your aquarium. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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