Can Crystal Red Shrimp live with Licorice Gourami?
Caution — with care
Why
- Licorice Gourami is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Crystal Red 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.
- Licorice 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 pH overlap — keep both around 5.8–6.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 3–4 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 73–76°F and pH 5.8–6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Crystal Red Shrimp | Licorice Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–76°F | 73–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 4–6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 3–6 dGH | 0–4 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 1.4" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 5 gal |
Together, plan on at least 5 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: GH remineraliser
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Crystal Red Shrimp, Licorice Gourami →Everything compatible with Crystal Red Shrimp · …with Licorice Gourami