Can Honey Gourami live with Red Shadow Panda Shrimp?
Caution — with care
Why
- Honey 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 Red Shadow Panda Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- Almost no shared temperature: Honey Gourami wants 72–82°F and Red Shadow Panda Shrimp wants 62–72°F, so only 72°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- Honey Gourami will eat Red Shadow Panda 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 4–4 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 72–72°F and pH 6–6.8 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Honey Gourami | Red Shadow Panda Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 72–82°F | 62–72°F |
| pH | 6–7.5 | 5.8–6.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 4–15 dGH | 0–4 dGH |
| Adult size | 2" | 1.2" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 15 gal | 10 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.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: An adjustable heater · GH remineraliser
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 Honey Gourami, Red Shadow Panda Shrimp →Everything compatible with Honey Gourami · …with Red Shadow Panda Shrimp