Can Blue Velvet Shrimp live with Moonlight Gourami?
Not recommended
Why
- Moonlight Gourami is 6.0× the length of Blue Velvet Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Moonlight Gourami is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Blue Velvet 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.
- Only a narrow temperature overlap — keep both around 77–78°F.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 6–7.5 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Blue Velvet Shrimp | Moonlight Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 65–78°F | 77–86°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 | 6.5–7.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 4–14 dGH | 6–7.5 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 6" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 55 gal |
Together, plan on at least 55 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Blue Velvet Shrimp (to keep Moonlight Gourami):
- Ghost Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful
- Bamboo / Wood Shrimp — 3.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Instead of Moonlight Gourami (to keep Blue Velvet Shrimp):
- Black Molly — 4", peaceful
- Molly — 4", peaceful
- Thick-lipped Gourami — 3.5", peaceful
Where to buy
- Blue Velvet 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 Velvet Shrimp, Moonlight Gourami →Everything compatible with Blue Velvet Shrimp · …with Moonlight Gourami