Can jack dempseys live with sparkling gouramis?

Verdict

No. Jack dempseys and sparkling gouramis should not share a tank. An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches sparkling gouramis do.

Jack Dempsey72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Sparkling gourami72–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches sparkling gouramis do.
Deal breakerJack dempseys are aggressive and will bully peaceful sparkling gouramis.

What works

Both are fine at 72–82°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: jack dempseys the mid, sparkling 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

	Jack Dempsey	Sparkling gourami
Temperature	72–86 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	10.0 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	5 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Top
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 4+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for jack dempseys

CrayfishYes

All jack dempsey tank mates

Better tank mates for sparkling gouramis

All sparkling gourami tank mates

Questions

Can jack dempseys live with sparkling gouramis?

No. Jack dempseys and sparkling gouramis should not share a tank. An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1.5 inches sparkling gouramis do.

What temperature suits both jack dempseys and sparkling gouramis?

72–82 °F. Jack dempseys need 72–86 °F, sparkling gouramis need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do jack dempseys and sparkling gouramis need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the jack dempsey. Add space for each extra fish.