What Fish Are Compatible with Pearl Gouramis?

Of the gouramis, the pearl is one of the most colorfully speckled and easiest to care for, making it ideal for first-time fish owners. Though they're typically calm, you should house your pearl gouramis only with other calm fish, preferably of similar size. If housed with aggressive neighbors, they may be in danger of attack and may refuse to eat if frightened.

  1. Other Gouramis

    • If you want to house several pearl gouramis, you should make sure they're of the same sex. Females get along better, though usually males will live together without much trouble. But use caution when housing males together, and move aggressive males to other tanks.

    Compatibility for Breeding

    • If breeding, you should leave the female in the tank with the male only until the spawning is complete, after which you need to remove the female to a separate tank. The male will guard the eggs until they hatch. Once the eggs hatch, you should also remove the male.

    Good Neighbors

    • In addition to fish of similar size and temperament, which will typically do well when housed with the pearl gourami, a few other fish are compatible. These include catfish (corydoras and synodontis), danios, eels, loaches, mollies, monos, platy, plecostomus, puffers, rainbowfish, Rasboras, swordtails and tetras.

    Aggressive Neighbors

    • Certain aquarium neighbors are a very bad fit for the pearl gourami. The worst tank mates for any gouramis are cichlids, which are likely to kill your pearl. You should also avoid discus, fancy guppies, haplochromis, koi, and oscars.