Can pencilfish live with kissing gouramis?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Pencilfish75–82°F · pH 5–7.5

Kissing gourami72–82°F · pH 6–8

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.

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

	Pencilfish	Kissing gourami
Temperature	75–82 °F	72–82 °F
pH	5–7.5	6–8
Adult size	2.0 in	10.0 in
Minimum tank	15 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Middle	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pencilfish

All pencilfish tank mates

Better tank mates for kissing gouramis

All kissing gourami tank mates

Questions

Can pencilfish live with kissing gouramis?

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

What temperature suits both pencilfish and kissing gouramis?

75–82 °F. Pencilfish need 75–82 °F, kissing gouramis need 72–82 °F.

What size tank do pencilfish and kissing gouramis need together?

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