Can Crystal Red Shrimp live with Dwarf Gourami?
Caution — with care
Why
- Dwarf 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 Crystal Red Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Dwarf Gourami is 3.5× the length of Crystal Red Shrimp and big enough to swallow one. Some keepers get away with it in a heavily planted tank; it is a real risk.
- Dwarf Gourami will eat Crystal Red Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 4–6 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 74–76°F and pH 6–6.8 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Crystal Red Shrimp | Dwarf Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–76°F | 74–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 6–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 3–6 dGH | 4–15 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 3.5" |
| 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.
- 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
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Crystal Red Shrimp, Dwarf Gourami →Everything compatible with Crystal Red Shrimp · …with Dwarf Gourami