FishTankSparkling gourami care: tank size, temperature and tankmates
A tiny gourami with blue and red speckles that makes soft croaking sounds. Sparkling gouramis suit small planted tanks.
Quick facts
| Type | Gourami |
|---|---|
| Adult size | About 1.5 inches |
| Smallest tank | 5 gallons |
| Temperature | 76–82°F |
| Keep | 4 or more |
| Watch for | Shy, slow eaters. Keep tankmates gentle. |
How to keep them
Keep a small group with plenty of plants and a calm surface. They are shy eaters, so keep tankmates gentle.
Like every fish, they need a cycled tank, a heater set inside their range, and a weekly water change of about 25%. Test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate before you add them. New to this? Start with how to cycle a fish tank.
Tankmates
Good tankmates
Neon tetra · Cardinal tetra · Ember tetra · Rummynose tetra · Harlequin rasbora · Cherry barb · Platy · Guppy · Endler's livebearer · Molly · Swordtail · Corydoras (bronze or peppered) · Pygmy corydoras · Kuhli loach · Otocinclus · Bristlenose pleco · Cherry shrimp · Amano shrimp · Nerite snail · Mystery snail · Glowlight tetra · Black neon tetra · Lemon tetra · Congo tetra · Chili rasbora · Lambchop rasbora · Dwarf neon rainbowfish · German blue ram · Bolivian ram · Cockatoo dwarf cichlid · Kribensis · Clown loach · Siamese algae eater · Ghost shrimp · Ramshorn snail · African dwarf frog
Possible, with care
- Black skirt tetra: Black skirt tetras may nip the thread-like fins of gouramis. Fast, nippy fish stress slow, calm fish like these. Pick calmer tankmates if you can.
- Serpae tetra: Serpae tetras may nip the thread-like fins of gouramis. Fast, nippy fish stress slow, calm fish like these. Pick calmer tankmates if you can.
- Zebra danio: Only a narrow shared temperature range (76–77°F). A good heater and thermometer are a must.
- Tiger barb: Tiger barbs may nip the thread-like fins of gouramis. Fast, nippy fish stress slow, calm fish like these. Pick calmer tankmates if you can.
- Honey gourami: Different gouramis can squabble. Give them a planted tank of 30 gallons or more.
- Dwarf gourami: Different gouramis can squabble. Give them a planted tank of 30 gallons or more.
- Pearl gourami: Different gouramis can squabble. Give them a planted tank of 30 gallons or more.
Avoid
- White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: sparkling gouramis like 76–82°F, white cloud minnows 60–72°F.
- Betta (male): Bettas and gouramis are close relatives and often fight over the same space.
- Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish as small as sparkling gouramis.
- Fancy goldfish: Goldfish need cool water and grow big and messy. Keep them with other goldfish, not tropical fish. Goldfish eat anything that fits in their mouth.
- Common goldfish: Goldfish need cool water and grow big and messy. Keep them with other goldfish, not tropical fish. Goldfish eat anything that fits in their mouth.
- Gold barb: No shared temperature: sparkling gouramis like 76–82°F, gold barbs 64–75°F.
- Rosy barb: No shared temperature: sparkling gouramis like 76–82°F, rosy barbs 64–74°F.
- Hillstream loach: No shared temperature: sparkling gouramis like 76–82°F, hillstream loaches 68–75°F.
Not sure about a mix? See the tankmate answers or the stocking ideas by tank size.
Tankmate questions: Can bettas live with sparkling gouramis?
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