Can Blue Gourami live with Cardinal Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Blue Gourami is 6.3× the length of Cardinal Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Blue Gourami is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Cardinal 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.
Side-by-side
| Blue Gourami | Cardinal Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 72–82°F | 79–84°F |
| pH | 6–8.5 | 7.5–8.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 5–20 dGH | 8–18 dGH |
| Adult size | 5" | 0.8" |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 15 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Blue Gourami (to keep Cardinal Shrimp):
- Croaking Gourami — 3", peaceful
- Black Skirt Tetra — 2.5", semi-aggressive
- Green Tiger Barb — 2.75", semi-aggressive
Instead of Cardinal Shrimp (to keep Blue Gourami):
- Blue Tiger Shrimp — 1.2", peaceful
- Orange Eye Blue Tiger Shrimp — 1.2", peaceful
- Oolong Shrimp — 1.2", peaceful
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 Gourami, Cardinal Shrimp →Everything compatible with Blue Gourami · …with Cardinal Shrimp