Gourami and Cichlids, Tank Mate Compatible?

Last Updated on February 22, 2022 by cmoarz

Gourami and Cichlids, Tank Mate Compatible? It’s not such a cut and dry answer as “yes” or “no”. These species vary widely based on the sub-species and their aggression level. However, most species should get along fine together as long as the tank is large enough and there are plenty of hiding spots, whether it be live or fake.

Bottom line If you want to keep Gouramis and Cichlids together, do your research first

There are too many possible subspecies and combinations to list in this article, so it’s important you do your own research on the type of gourami and cichlid you have and their aggressive and social traits. As a general rule, the smaller the gourami and cichlid, the better. The larger they are, the more likely an issue may arise.

You should also try and pair smaller gouramis with smaller cichlids. If one is massively bigger than the other, there is a larger chance for problems.

Consider the size of the tank you have

You are far less likely to run into aggression and territorial issues if you have a large enough tank. As a general rule, the larger the tank, the better.

These aren’t small fish!

Make sure that there is enough space for each species as well as multiple hiding spots. Cichlids are territorial and many types of gouramis can become stressed in a smaller tank, despite their modest size.

A well-planted tank also goes a long way in preventing aggression and territoriality in these types of fish.

Juvenile fish are more likely to get along at first, But once they grow in size, they may start fighting

You might decide to try it out and find that everything is going fine. That’s great, But once these fish start to outgrow the other, issues could arise.

It’s important to keep a close eye on these fish if you plan on keeping them together, or any tank for that matter.

Just because your fish are not fighting at the moment doesn’t mean they won’t later. If you’re not prepared to deal with aggression between species, you should not house them together.

And if you do decide to try it, have another tank on hand just in case something does happen.

In Conclusion, As you can see, the compatibility of these fish depends heavily on a number of factors. In general, though, it shouldn’t be a problem if you pick the right species and have a large enough tank. Just keep an eye on them and make sure each one has a way to escape aggression from another species. If they start to fight or look stressed, separate them.

If you are not prepared to deal with aggression between fish species, it may be best to keep them apart. If you are interested in keeping these types of fish together, do your research before deciding on the right combination or whether they will work at all. You should also have a second tank ready in case something happens.