Can Blue Dream Shrimp live with Chocolate Gourami?
Caution — with care
Why
- Chocolate Gourami is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Blue Dream Shrimp colony. It may well be fine — it simply has not been confirmed by a source, and an unverified guess is not worth the colony.
- Almost no shared temperature: Blue Dream Shrimp wants 65–78°F and Chocolate Gourami wants 78–86°F, so only 78°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- Chocolate Gourami is roughly twice the length of Blue Dream Shrimp. Adults are usually left alone in a well-planted tank, but the odd one gets taken.
- Chocolate Gourami will eat Blue Dream 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 6.5–6.5.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 4–5 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 78–78°F and pH 6.5–6.5 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Blue Dream Shrimp | Chocolate Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 65–78°F | 78–86°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 | 4–6.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 4–14 dGH | 0–5 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 2" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 15 gal |
Together, plan on at least 15 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.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: An adjustable heater · A larger tank · GH remineraliser
Where to buy
- Blue Dream Shrimp: buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Live-animal shipping: add a heat pack below 50°F, expect weather holds above 90°F, and schedule delivery for a moderate week when someone can receive it promptly.
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Blue Dream Shrimp, Chocolate Gourami →Everything compatible with Blue Dream Shrimp · …with Chocolate Gourami