Should I buy it?
Moonlight gourami
Trichopodus microlepis
A large silver-blue gourami at 15 cm that is calmer than three-spot or opaline. Males still contest each other but more tolerant of community companions.
Moonlight gourami tank mates · 200L tank size hub
peaceful · intermediate care
Sources & confidencehigh · partially verified · beginner: good
Checked against several solid care sources that mostly agree. Numbers here are a careful starting point. Your tap water, tank size, and habits decide the rest. How we evaluate.
Best for: Planted community tanks 180L or more with one male and large peaceful body-size companions.
Avoid if: Multiple gouramis in the same tank or setups under 120L.
Common mistakeMixing a moonlight gourami with bettas or dwarf gouramis because all are “labyrinth fish” is how keepers invent torn fins. Adults near 15 cm casually dominate smaller gouramis and claim the surface. Give them a large planted footprint of their own class, not a shared nano surface with a male betta.
Top things that go wrong
- Mouth gap vs tiny tank mates. May eat tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth — plan adult sizes, not shop sizes.
- Shrimp & snails. Not shrimp-safe — adults, fry, or both get eaten.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Shops sell moonlight gouramis as peaceful community gouramis for any planted tank. They are large, surface-claiming fish that outcompete dwarf species and need far more room than a starter kit. Peaceful toward similar-sized neighbours is not the same as nano-safe for a male betta.
- 2.Placed in hard cold water. Colour fades and health declines.
- 3.Housed in short tanks with glass lids that pin and damage long pelvic threads.
- 4.Surface cover (floating plants) and warm water (24 to 28 °C) bring out the moonlight sheen. Pair with non-nippy, mid-large community fish.
About this species
Silvery gourami with a long threadlike pelvic ray and a concave forehead. Reaches 15 cm and is calmer than most large gouramis, but still needs a long tall tank with soft warm water.
- Opaline gourami150L min · same group, comparable tank size
- Paradise fish120L min · same fish family
- Pearl Gourami100L min · same group, similar adult size
- Chocolate gourami80L min · same fish family
- Croaking gourami80L min · same fish family
- Dwarf Gourami60L min · same fish family
- Honey Gourami40L min · same fish family
- Sparkling Gourami40L min · same fish family
- African freshwater butterflyfishalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Black ruby barbalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Boesemani Rainbowfishalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Bolivian Ramalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Brown / hockey-stick pencilfishalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Checkerboard cichlidalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
No reverse lookups listed yet.
Plan grid
Key limits are above. Here: pH band, swim level, bioload, and activity.
Swim zones
Care snapshot
Quick compare before you buy. Not a score of how “good” the fish is.
- Beginner ease50
- Peacefulness76
- Community fit65
- Small-tank fit93
- Hardiness54
- Energy24
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Example setups
Starting points only. Run the pair checker for every fish you add.
Rough 180L+ layout: one calm centrepiece, 8–12 small tetras/rasboras, 6–8 corydoras-type bottom fish — verify every name in the pair checker before buying.
Safer directions include: Congo Tetra, Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami.
Compatibility
Tank mates for Moonlight gourami
Usually safer (engine GOOD): Congo Tetra, Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami. Conditional (CAUTION — read the pair page before buying): Boesemani Rainbowfish, Corydoras Catfish, German Blue Ram, Neon Tetra, Pea Puffer. Avoid (RISKY): African Cichlid, Ember Tetra, Oscar. Every name links to a live pair check — the lists are a shortlist, not a stocking plan.
Usually safer
Open a pair page with this fish as the starting point.
Needs planning
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Usually avoid
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: Moonlight gourami + Congo Tetra
- Try Congo Tetra — open the pair check.
- Try Dwarf Gourami — open the pair check.
- Try Pearl Gourami — open the pair check.
Behaviour and temperament
Moonlight gouramis are generally peaceful for their size but still hold surface territory and will lean on smaller labyrinth fish. They ignore most midwater schoolers when space is honest. Stress shows as sulking under cover when flow is harsh or a rival claims the film.
What sets them off
- Sudden crowding
- Poor water quality
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper; stressed or crowded individuals can still test fins.
Predation: May eat tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth — plan adult sizes, not shop sizes.
Territory: Not strongly territorial, but still needs room so its working space does not overlap the next fish.
Planted tanks: excellent — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Adults cruise mid-to-top water and rest under floating plants between feeds.
- They use the labyrinth organ — still surface access matters more than a strong spray bar.
- Clamped fins under harsh surface current mean turn the filter down before medicating.
- Hiding for days after a smaller gourami or betta is added is a territory signal.
- Fin damage on dwarf gouramis or bettas is a size-and-surface problem, not a surprise.
- Same-species pairs need length and planting; two males in a short tank rarely share well.
- Remove the smaller labyrinth fish at the first tear — the moonlight will not “settle down.”
- Rehome the moonlight if the tank cannot give ~180L-class room and calm surface.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Water, food, and grouping
Hardness
soft
Diet
omnivore
Moonlight gouramis take flake and pellets at the surface and midwater, then ignore food that sinks past them too fast. Offer a quality omnivore staple plus frozen foods a few times a week, and keep portions the fish can finish without fouling the film. They compete poorly with frantic surface feeders, so feed where the gourami actually holds station.
Shrimp & snails
Not shrimp-safe — adults, fry, or both get eaten.
Moonlight gourami is fine singly or as a researched pair — check behaviour before doubling up.
- Hold 24 to 28 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 6 to 7.5 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Footprint: short wide tanks and tall narrow tanks fish differently for the same volume. Match the tank shape to the swim pattern, not just the litre count.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 180L published minimum for adults.
- Heater can hold 24–28°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
- No known fin-nippers paired with long-finned fish unless you accept documented risk.
- No tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth gap for this species.
Explore and stocking hubs
Tank-mates hub, matching guides, category peers, and litre stocking lists around this species’ minimum tank.
Plan with tools
Check mates as pairs first, then add this fish in the tank builder for the full stocking.
Filtration & heating
A 180L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 720L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 24–28°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Moonlight gourami does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 24–28°C and pH 6–7.5:
Research: partially verified · Confidence: high · 3 linked source(s). We do not invent citations.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Trichopodus microlepis
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Trichopodus microlepis
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Trichopodus microlepis
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
Evidence notes
- The Seriously Fish profile for the binomial in this record was successfully reached as the primary aquarium reference.
- FishBase contributes natural-range size and habitat context. Translate those numbers through your heater, your water report, and your tank footprint before stocking.
- Wikipedia is only cited if the article URL returned OK. Use it for orientation, not as the only care sheet for an import.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
Common questions about Moonlight gourami
- How big do Moonlight gourami get?
- Moonlight gourami adults reach about 15 cm. Shop fish look smaller; stock for the adult length.
- What size tank does Moonlight gourami need?
- 180L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload. A 220L+ tank is the more comfortable long-term footprint. Length and depth matter as much as raw litres for active or territorial fish.
- Are Moonlight gourami aggressive?
- Moonlight gouramis are generally peaceful for their size but still hold surface territory and will lean on smaller labyrinth fish. They ignore most midwater schoolers when space is honest. Stress shows as sulking under cover when flow is harsh or a rival claims the film.
- What is the most common mistake with Moonlight gourami?
- Mixing a moonlight gourami with bettas or dwarf gouramis because all are “labyrinth fish” is how keepers invent torn fins. Adults near 15 cm casually dominate smaller gouramis and claim the surface. Give them a large planted footprint of their own class, not a shared nano surface with a male betta.
- What fish can live with Moonlight gourami?
- The Moonlight gourami profile lists Congo Tetra, Dwarf Gourami, Pearl Gourami among its safer pairings (engine-checked GOOD). Boesemani Rainbowfish, Corydoras Catfish, German Blue Ram, Neon Tetra are conditional (CAUTION): workable only with the specific conditions on each pair page. Avoid African Cichlid, Ember Tetra, Oscar (RISKY). Run the pair checker for your exact water and tank size before stocking.