Can Painted Fire Red Shrimp live with Croaking Gourami?
Caution — with care
Why
- Croaking Gourami is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Painted Fire Red 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.
- Croaking Gourami is recorded as taking adult shrimp and is 2.0× the length of Painted Fire Red Shrimp. Dense cover helps and some individuals ignore them, but expect losses.
- Croaking Gourami will eat Painted Fire Red Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
Sweet spot: both do well at 72–75°F and pH 6.5–7.5 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Painted Fire Red Shrimp | Croaking Gourami | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 65–75°F | 72–82°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.8 | 6–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 6–15 dGH | 5–15 dGH |
| Adult size | 1.5" | 3" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 10 gal | 20 gal |
Together, plan on at least 20 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.
Where to buy
- Painted Fire Red Shrimp: buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Live-animal shipping: add a heat pack below 50°F, expect weather holds above 90°F, and schedule delivery for a moderate week when someone can receive it promptly.
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 Painted Fire Red Shrimp, Croaking Gourami →Everything compatible with Painted Fire Red Shrimp · …with Croaking Gourami