Can Dwarf Gourami live with Yellow King Kong Shrimp?
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 Yellow King Kong Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Dwarf Gourami is 3.5× the length of Yellow 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.
- Almost no shared temperature: Dwarf Gourami wants 74–82°F and Yellow King Kong Shrimp wants 68–74°F, so only 74°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- Dwarf Gourami will eat Yellow King Kong 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 4–5 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 74–74°F and pH 6–6.6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Dwarf Gourami | Yellow King Kong Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 74–82°F | 68–74°F |
| pH | 6–7.5 | 5.8–6.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 4–15 dGH | 2–5 dGH |
| Adult size | 3.5" | 1" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 15 gal | 5 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 · An adjustable heater
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 Dwarf Gourami, Yellow King Kong Shrimp →Everything compatible with Dwarf Gourami · …with Yellow King Kong Shrimp