Can Pearl Gourami live with Cardinal Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Pearl Gourami is 5.6× the length of Cardinal Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Pearl 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.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 7.5–7.5.
Side-by-side
| Pearl Gourami | Cardinal Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 77–82°F | 79–84°F |
| pH | 6–7.5 | 7.5–8.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 5–15 dGH | 8–18 dGH |
| Adult size | 4.5" | 0.8" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 15 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Pearl Gourami (to keep Cardinal Shrimp):
- Fancy Guppy (Female trio) — 2.4", peaceful
- Dwarf Gourami — 3.5", peaceful
- Scissortail Rasbora — 3.5", peaceful
Instead of Cardinal Shrimp (to keep Pearl Gourami):
- Blue Tiger Shrimp — 1.2", peaceful
- Chocolate Shrimp — 1", peaceful
- Orange Eye Blue Tiger Shrimp — 1.2", peaceful
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Pearl Gourami, Cardinal Shrimp →Everything compatible with Pearl Gourami · …with Cardinal Shrimp