What fish can live with Moonlight gourami?

Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Moonlight gourami against your own reading before you buy.

What tank mates should you avoid with Moonlight gourami?

Avoid Oscar, African Cichlid, Tiger Barb based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do Moonlight gourami need for a community?

180L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 220L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

Moonlight gourami tank mates

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.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: high

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

← Full Moonlight gourami profile·Compatibility checker·Tank builder·More gourami

Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Boesemani Rainbowfish Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Boesemani Rainbowfish as both safe and a recommended pairing. Boesemani Rainbowfish schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.
Congo Tetra Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Congo Tetra as a recommended pairing. Congo Tetra schools in groups of 8 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish.
Corydoras Catfish Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Corydoras Catfish as both safe and a recommended pairing. Corydoras Catfish schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Corydoras Catfish grows to about 6cm, which is borderline mouth-size for an adult 15cm Moonlight gourami. Corydoras Catfish swims in the bottom zone while Moonlight gourami stays in the top, so the two will not crowd the same water column.
Dwarf Gourami Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Dwarf Gourami as a recommended pairing. Dwarf Gourami is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 60L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Neon Tetra Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Neon Tetra as a safe tank mate. Neon Tetra schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Neon Tetra grows to about 4cm, which is borderline mouth-size for an adult 15cm Moonlight gourami.
Pearl Gourami Pair check
The Moonlight gourami profile lists Pearl Gourami as both safe and a recommended pairing. Pearl Gourami is a peaceful beginner-care species with a 100L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

German Blue Ram Open pair check
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Ember Tetra Open pair check
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Guppy Open pair check
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Pea Puffer Open pair check
Pea Puffer is flagged as a fin-nipper and Moonlight gourami carries the long-finned risk profile (veil tails, trailing fins). Expect torn fins within days unless the nipper is in a proper group and the long-finned fish has plenty of cover. Pea Puffer is flagged predatory. Equal-size adults usually coexist, but the moment one is stressed, sick, or smaller after a moult, it becomes prey. Pea Puffer is rated semi-aggressive, so expect chasing, fin damage, or display behaviour directed at Moonlight gourami. Run the pair checker before stocking.

Fish to avoid with Moonlight gourami

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. Moonlight gourami at 15cm is prey-sized for it. Oscar is rated aggressive and Moonlight gourami is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
African Cichlid See why (pair)
African Cichlid is rated aggressive and Moonlight gourami is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
Tiger Barb See why (pair)
Moonlight gourami is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Tiger Barb at 7cm is well within an adult Moonlight gourami's gape.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for Moonlight gourami: 180L — group minimum 1 .
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 200L hub.

Plan before you buy

Pair checks for every mix, then multi-species stocking in the builder.

Open compatibility checker Tank builder

Filtration & heating

A 180L minimum tank for Moonlight gourami needs a filter rated for at least 720L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 24–28°C.

Filter buying guide →Heater buying guide →Beginner plants guide →