Can Thick-lipped Gourami live with Oolong 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 Oolong Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Thick-lipped Gourami is recorded as taking adult shrimp and is 2.9× the length of Oolong Shrimp. Dense cover helps and some individuals ignore them, but expect losses.
- Almost no shared temperature: Thick-lipped Gourami wants 72–82°F and Oolong Shrimp wants 62–72°F, so only 72°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- No overlapping water hardness: Thick-lipped Gourami wants 6–7.5 dGH but Oolong Shrimp wants 0–4 dGH.
- Thick-lipped Gourami will eat Oolong 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 6.5–6.8.
Sweet spot: both do well at 72–72°F and pH 6.5–6.8 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Thick-lipped Gourami | Oolong Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 72–82°F | 62–72°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.6 | 5.8–6.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 6–7.5 dGH | 0–4 dGH |
| Adult size | 3.5" | 1.2" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 10 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.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: An adjustable heater · GH remineraliser
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Design a tank with Thick-lipped Gourami, Oolong Shrimp →Everything compatible with Thick-lipped Gourami · …with Oolong Shrimp