Can Black King Kong Shrimp live with Thick-lipped Gourami?
Caution — with care
Why
- Thick-lipped Gourami is one of the animals to keep away from a breeding shrimp colony — either it hunts them, or it out-competes and harasses them until the colony stops replacing itself. A Black King Kong Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Thick-lipped Gourami is 3.5× the length of Black King Kong Shrimp and big enough to swallow one. Some keepers get away with it in a heavily planted tank; it is a real risk.
- No overlapping water hardness: Black King Kong Shrimp wants 2–5 dGH but Thick-lipped Gourami wants 6–7.5 dGH.
- Thick-lipped Gourami will eat Black King Kong Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 6.5–6.6.
Sweet spot: both do well at 72–74°F and pH 6.5–6.6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Black King Kong Shrimp | Thick-lipped Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–74°F | 72–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.6 | 6.5–7.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 2–5 dGH | 6–7.5 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 3.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 30 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 gallons.
How to make it work
- Keep a large, established shrimp colony in a heavily planted tank with moss and cover so enough survive to breed.
- Add only full-grown adults — never juveniles, which will be eaten.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: A larger tank · GH remineraliser
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Design a tank with Black King Kong Shrimp, Thick-lipped Gourami →Everything compatible with Black King Kong Shrimp · …with Thick-lipped Gourami