Can Gold Gourami live with Cardinal Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Gold Gourami hunts shrimp and is 7.5× the length of Cardinal Shrimp — it will eat them.
- Gold 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
| Gold 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 | 6" | 0.8" |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 15 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Gold Gourami (to keep Cardinal Shrimp):
- Croaking Gourami — 3", peaceful
- Black Neon Tetra — 1.5", peaceful
- Harlequin Rasbora — 1.75", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Instead of Cardinal Shrimp (to keep Gold Gourami):
- Flower Shrimp — 2.5", peaceful
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Bamboo / Wood Shrimp — 3.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
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 Gold Gourami, Cardinal Shrimp →Everything compatible with Gold Gourami · …with Cardinal Shrimp