Can Thick-lipped Gourami live with Cardinal Shrimp?
Caution — with care
Why
- Thick-lipped 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 Cardinal Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Thick-lipped Gourami is 4.4× the length of Cardinal Shrimp and big enough to swallow one. Some keepers get away with it in a heavily planted tank; it is a real risk.
- No overlapping water hardness: Thick-lipped Gourami wants 6–7.5 dGH but Cardinal Shrimp wants 8–18 dGH.
- Thick-lipped Gourami will eat Cardinal 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 7.5–7.6.
Sweet spot: both do well at 79–82°F and pH 7.5–7.6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Thick-lipped Gourami | Cardinal Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 72–82°F | 79–84°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.6 | 7.5–8.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 6–7.5 dGH | 8–18 dGH |
| Adult size | 3.5" | 0.8" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 15 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 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
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Design a tank with Thick-lipped Gourami, Cardinal Shrimp →Everything compatible with Thick-lipped Gourami · …with Cardinal Shrimp