Can honey gouramis live with plecos?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Honey gourami72–82°F · pH 6–7.5

Common pleco72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

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

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

	Honey gourami	Common pleco
Temperature	72–82 °F	72–86 °F
pH	6–7.5	6.5–7.5
Adult size	2.0 in	15.0 in
Minimum tank	10 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for honey gouramis

All honey gourami tank mates

Better tank mates for plecos

All common pleco tank mates

Questions

Can honey gouramis live with plecos?

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

What temperature suits both honey gouramis and plecos?

72–82 °F. Honey gouramis need 72–82 °F, plecos need 72–86 °F.

What size tank do honey gouramis and plecos need together?

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