Dwarf gourami tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for dwarf gouramis are corydoras, congo tetras and kuhli loaches. Each match shares dwarf gouramis' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Males squabble with each other and with other gouramis; one male per tank unless it is large.

Temperature

72–82°F

pH

6–7.5

Temperament

Peaceful

Minimum tank

10 gal

With care

28

Avoid

15

Good tank mates

• Corydoras72–79°F
• Congo tetra73–82°F
• Kuhli loach75–82°F
• Lemon tetra72–82°F
• Guppy72–82°F
• Cherry barb73–81°F
• Bolivian ram72–79°F
• Honey gourami72–82°F
• Mystery snail72–82°F
• Harlequin rasbora72–80°F
• Pictus catfish72–79°F
• Neon tetra72–79°F
• Elephant nose fish73–82°F
• Odessa barb72–79°F
• Otocinclus72–79°F
• Bristlenose pleco73–81°F
• Sparkling gourami72–82°F
• Upside down catfish72–79°F
• Clown pleco73–82°F
• Black neon tetra73–81°F
• Blue gourami72–82°F
• Ember tetra73–82°F
• Pencilfish75–82°F
• Red tail shark72–79°F
• Apistogramma75–82°F
• Zebra loach73–79°F
• Rummy nose tetra75–82°F
• Kribensis75–80°F
• Panda cory72–77°F
• Pygmy cory72–79°F
• Platy72–80°F
• Glowlight tetra74–80°F
• Celestial pearl danio72–79°F
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish75–82°F
• Chili rasbora75–82°F
• Glass catfish75–80°F
• Cardinal tetra76–82°F
• Crayfish72–77°F
• Gold barb72–75°F
• Hillstream loach72–75°F
• Zebra pleco79–82°F
• Boesemani rainbowfish75–82°F
• Ramshorn snail72–80°F
• Swordtail72–79°F
• Pearl gourami77–82°F
• Blood parrot76–80°F
• Nerite snail72–78°F
• Hatchetfish75–81°F
• German blue ram80–82°F
• Dojo loach72–77°F
• Siamese algae eater75–79°F
• Endler's livebearer72–82°F
• Zebra danio72–77°F
• Killifish72–77°F
• Assassin snail75–80°F

Possible, with care

• Pea puffer Pea puffers nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Tiger barb Tiger barbs nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Black skirt tetra Black skirt tetras nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Bamboo shrimp Dwarf gouramis will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give bamboo shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Cherry shrimp Dwarf gouramis will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Kissing gourami Kissing gouramis are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• GloFish tetra Glofish nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• African dwarf frog African dwarf frogs eat slowly and nearly blind. Fast dwarf gouramis will take the food first, so target-feed them.
• Bala shark A grown bala shark may treat small dwarf gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Yoyo loach Yoyo loaches nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Amano shrimp Dwarf gouramis will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give amano shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Ghost shrimp Dwarf gouramis will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.
• Common pleco Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like dwarf gouramis and rasp their slime coat.
• Electric blue acara Electric blue acaras are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Rainbow shark Rainbow sharks are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Serpae tetra Serpae tetras nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Severum Severums are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Rosy barb Rosy barbs nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Clown loach Clown loaches grow to 8 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for dwarf gouramis.
• Chinese algae eater Chinese algae eaters are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Firemouth cichlid Firemouth cichlids are much bigger and pushier than dwarf gouramis, which are slow and easy to bully at feeding time.
• Silver dollar Silver dollars grow to 6 inches and need 75 gallons, far more than a tank set up for dwarf gouramis.
• Tinfoil barb A grown tinfoil barb may treat small dwarf gouramis as food, especially at night.
• Koi At 24 inches a koi can swallow a small dwarf gourami. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Molly Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.5.
• Electric yellow cichlid Different water: yellow labs want pH 7.8–8.6, dwarf gouramis want pH 6–7.5.
• Discus They only share 82°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Peacock cichlid Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, dwarf gouramis want pH 6–7.5.

Avoid

• Betta Bettas and dwarf gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); dwarf gouramis need 72–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Angelfish An adult angelfish is twice the size of a dwarf gourami and will hunt or batter a slow, long-finned fish like this.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Convict cichlid Convict cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful dwarf gouramis.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); dwarf gouramis need 72–82°F. They overlap only at 72–74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Paradise fish Paradise fish and dwarf gouramis are both labyrinth fish and tend to fight over the surface.
• African cichlid African cichlids are aggressive and will bully peaceful dwarf gouramis.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); dwarf gouramis need 72–82°F. They meet only at 72°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); dwarf 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 3 inches dwarf gouramis do.

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