Can otocinclus live with kissing gouramis?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and kissing gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 10 inches a kissing gourami can swallow a small otocinclus. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Otocinclus72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Kissing gourami72–82°F · pH 6–8

What to watch

Watch outAt 10 inches a kissing gourami can swallow a small otocinclus. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What works

Both are fine at 72–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: otocinclus the bottom, kissing gouramis the mid.

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

	Otocinclus	Kissing gourami
Temperature	72–79 °F	72–82 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–8
Adult size	2.0 in	10.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for otocinclus

All otocinclus tank mates

Better tank mates for kissing gouramis

All kissing gourami tank mates

Questions

Can otocinclus live with kissing gouramis?

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and kissing gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 10 inches a kissing gourami can swallow a small otocinclus. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both otocinclus and kissing gouramis?

72–79 °F. Otocinclus need 72–79 °F, kissing gouramis need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do otocinclus and kissing gouramis need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the kissing gourami. Add space for each extra fish.