Opaline gourami tank mates
A large semi-aggressive gourami at 15 cm with blue-green marble patterning. Males fight other gouramis and harass slower community fish.
Common mistakeHousing two male opaline gouramis in one tank because the colour looked good in the shop is how keepers invent a permanently beaten fish. Males fight until one stops eating. Keep a single male as the centrepiece, or give a true pair and a large planted footprint with broken sight lines — not a second male “for company.”
Each name below opens a pair check with Opaline gourami. That check is the decision, not the list itself.
Usually safer companions
Conservative shortlist from this profile. Open a pair page before you buy.
The Opaline gourami profile lists Swordtail as a safe tank mate. Swordtail is a semi-aggressive beginner-care species with a 80L minimum. Run the pair checker for your specific tank before stocking.
Risky or situational
May work with more water, a mature system, or a species-only setup. Read the pair page before you experiment.
Both species defend territory. The pairing needs a long footprint and rockwork or planting that breaks the sightline between two defended spots. Betta is rated semi-aggressive, so expect chasing, fin damage, or display behaviour directed at Opaline gourami. Run the pair checker before stocking.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Both species defend territory. The pairing needs a long footprint and rockwork or planting that breaks the sightline between two defended spots. Run the pair checker before stocking.
Both species defend territory. The pairing needs a long footprint and rockwork or planting that breaks the sightline between two defended spots. Run the pair checker before stocking.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Marked risky or situational on the profile. Tank length and group size change the outcome more than a temperament label does.
Pea Puffer is flagged as a fin-nipper and Opaline 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. Both species defend territory. The pairing needs a long footprint and rockwork or planting that breaks the sightline between two defended spots. Pea Puffer is rated semi-aggressive, so expect chasing, fin damage, or display behaviour directed at Opaline gourami. Run the pair checker before stocking.
Fish to avoid with Opaline gourami
Predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile. Treat these as poor default mixes.
Opaline gourami is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Chili Rasbora at 2cm is well within an adult Opaline gourami's gape.
Opaline gourami is flagged as predatory or as likely to eat small fish, and Ember Tetra at 2cm is well within an adult Opaline gourami's gape.
Tank size and groups
- Published minimum for Opaline gourami: 150L. 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: 160L hub.
Easier alternatives to consider
Hardier first-tank names from the library. Still read the profile. Not a substitute for reading this one.
Plan before you buy
Start a pair check with Opaline gourami, or open a starter plan with the top safer companions in the builder.
Tank hubs: 160L
Related reading
Guides that list other fish with the same trait, so you can plan around the group rather than one row.
- Fin-nipping fish →
Opaline gourami is on this list. Matters more with long-finned tank mates.
- Fish that eat smaller tank mates →
Opaline gourami may eat anything that fits in its mouth as it grows.
Filtration & heating
A 150L minimum tank for Opaline gourami needs a filter rated for at least 600L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 22–28°C.
Similar fish (same category)
- Moonlight gourami · min 180L
- Paradise fish · min 120L
- Pearl Gourami · min 100L
- Chocolate gourami · min 80L
- Croaking gourami · min 80L
- Dwarf Gourami · min 60L
- Honey Gourami · min 40L
- Sparkling Gourami · min 40L
Opaline gourami tank mates — quick answers
- What fish can live with Opaline gourami?
- Usually safer companions on this hub include Swordtail. Open each pair check before you buy — the list is a shortlist, not a guarantee.
- What tank mates should you avoid with Opaline gourami?
- Avoid Chili Rasbora, Ember Tetra based on size, temperament, or predation risk on this profile.
- What size tank do Opaline gourami need for a community?
- 150L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload. A 183L+ tank is the more comfortable long-term footprint. Length and depth matter as much as raw litres for active or territorial fish.