Blue gourami tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for blue gouramis are angelfish, tiger barbs and kuhli loaches. Each match shares blue gouramis' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Males get pushy as they mature, especially toward other gouramis.

Temperature

72–82°F

pH

6–8

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Minimum tank

30 gal

With care

16

Avoid

15

Good tank mates

• Angelfish76–82°F
• Tiger barb72–81°F
• Kuhli loach75–82°F
• Guppy72–82°F
• Corydoras72–79°F
• Mystery snail72–82°F
• Congo tetra73–82°F
• Pictus catfish72–79°F
• Kissing gourami72–82°F
• Lemon tetra72–82°F
• Yoyo loach75–82°F
• Elephant nose fish73–82°F
• Bristlenose pleco73–81°F
• Cherry barb73–81°F
• Electric blue acara72–82°F
• Rainbow shark72–80°F
• Firemouth cichlid75–82°F
• Black skirt tetra72–80°F
• Bolivian ram72–79°F
• Red tail shark72–79°F
• Harlequin rasbora72–80°F
• Neon tetra72–79°F
• Upside down catfish72–79°F
• Crayfish72–77°F
• GloFish tetra72–80°F
• Otocinclus72–79°F
• Sparkling gourami72–82°F
• Odessa barb72–79°F
• Clown pleco73–82°F
• Black neon tetra73–81°F
• Platy72–80°F
• Dwarf gourami72–82°F
• Severum74–82°F
• Serpae tetra72–79°F
• Swordtail72–79°F
• Pencilfish75–82°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Clown loach77–82°F
• Zebra loach73–79°F
• Silver dollar75–82°F
• Chinese algae eater74–80°F
• Rosy barb72–77°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F
• Apistogramma75–82°F
• Dojo loach72–77°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–82°F
• Panda cory72–77°F
• Glowlight tetra74–80°F
• Ramshorn snail72–80°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Pearl gourami77–82°F
• Molly72–82°F
• Nerite snail72–78°F
• Cardinal tetra76–82°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Zebra pleco79–82°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Hillstream loach72–75°F
• Gold barb72–75°F
• Zebra danio72–77°F
• Electric yellow cichlid75–82°F
• Hatchetfish75–81°F
• Peacock cichlid76–82°F
• Assassin snail75–80°F
• German blue ram80–82°F
• Killifish72–77°F

Possible, with care

• Pea puffer At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive. Blue gouramis hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Bala shark Bala sharks grow to 13 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for blue gouramis.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast blue gouramis will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Honey gourami Blue gouramis are much bigger and pushier than honey gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Common pleco Plecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for blue gouramis.
• Bamboo shrimp Blue gouramis will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give bamboo shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Ember tetra At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small ember tetra. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Koi A grown koi may treat small blue gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Pygmy cory At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small pygmy cory. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Tinfoil barb Tinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for blue gouramis.
• Celestial pearl danio At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small celestial pearl danio. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Chili rasbora At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small chili rasbora. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive. Blue gouramis hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Endler's livebearer At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small endler's livebearer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Discus They only share 82°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Avoid

• Betta Bettas and blue gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); blue gouramis need 72–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• Cherry shrimp A blue gourami is big enough to swallow adult cherry shrimp.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); blue gouramis need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Ghost shrimp A blue gourami is big enough to swallow adult ghost shrimp.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• Jack Dempsey Jack dempseys are aggressive and much bigger than blue gouramis.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• Amano shrimp A blue gourami is big enough to swallow adult amano shrimp.
• Paradise fish Paradise fish and blue gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); blue gouramis need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches blue gouramis do.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); blue gouramis need 72–82°F. They meet only at 72°F, the edge of both ranges.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the blue gourami care sheet.