Can plecos live with dwarf gouramis?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Plecos and dwarf gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like dwarf gouramis and rasp their slime coat.

Common pleco72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Dwarf gourami72–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outPlecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like dwarf gouramis and rasp their slime coat.
Watch outPlecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for dwarf gouramis.

What works

Both are fine at 72–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: plecos the bottom, dwarf gouramis the top.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Common pleco	Dwarf gourami
Temperature	72–86 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	15.0 in	3.0 in
Minimum tank	125 gal	10 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Top
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for plecos

All common pleco tank mates

Better tank mates for dwarf gouramis

All dwarf gourami tank mates

Questions

Can plecos live with dwarf gouramis?

Yes, with care. Plecos and dwarf gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like dwarf gouramis and rasp their slime coat.

What temperature suits both plecos and dwarf gouramis?

72–82 °F. Plecos need 72–86 °F, dwarf gouramis need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do plecos and dwarf gouramis need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the common pleco. Add space for each extra fish.