Honey gouramis with shrimp

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 26, 2026Research-based

The honey gourami (Trichogaster chuna) is a small labyrinth fish from the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems of India and Bangladesh, with records from Nepal (Seriously Fish). It is the gentlest of the common gouramis, which is why it comes up so often as a centerpiece fish for planted tanks. Whether it belongs with shrimp is a real disagreement in the references, so this page sets out what each one says.

Honey gouramis at a glance

Will honey gouramis eat shrimp?

• Aquarium Co-Op, honey gourami guide: in its experience they don't seem to go after adult Amano or cherry shrimp, but they will opportunistically eat any babies they find.
• Aquarium Co-Op, small-aquarium ideas: says dwarf shrimp aren't safe with betta fish or gouramis, that most fish treat adult and baby shrimp as snacks, and that a species-only 10- or 20-gallon tank is safest for breeding shrimp.
• The Shrimp Farm: says labyrinth fish such as gouramis and bettas eat bugs all day, so steer clear of most species for a shrimp tank. Its exception is the sparkling gourami, a fish so tiny that a large shrimp outgrows it. It doesn't make the same exception for honey gouramis.
• Practical Fishkeeping: lists large gouramis among fish that don't belong with shrimp. At about 2 inches, the honey gourami is one of the smallest gouramis sold, so it sits in the gray zone between these lists.
• Seriously Fish: doesn't discuss shrimp, but says wild honey gouramis likely prey on insects and other small invertebrates, and Aquarium Co-Op says their wild diet includes small bug larvae and crustaceans.

Our reading: adult cherry and Amano shrimp often survive with a single honey gourami, shrimplets often don't, and individual fish vary. Treat it like a betta with shrimp: an experiment with a backup tank, not a sure thing. Our cherry shrimp tank mates table rates honey gouramis as moderate to high risk and larger gouramis as high risk.

Check the species when you buy

Gouramis are easy to mix up in stores. Aquarium Co-Op says the dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius) is a different species that grows to about 3 inches and is feistier, and that the red honey gourami is sometimes called "sunset honey gourami", a name easily confused with the sunset thick-lipped gourami (Trichogaster labiosa), which reaches 3.5 to 4 inches. Make sure you're buying T. chuna. Yellow or gold honey gouramis are the most common in stores, and Seriously Fish says virtually all fish sold are commercially produced.

Matching the water

The shared zone is our comparison of the published ranges, not a tested target. Honey gouramis need a heated tank, so the shrimp will live at the warmer end of their range; see shrimp tank temperature and nano tank heaters.

Tank size and setup

• Size: Aquarium Co-Op says one honey gourami can live in 5 or 10 gallons and a group of three does better in 20. Seriously Fish suggests a 24 × 12 in base for a pair or small group. With shrimp too, we'd lean toward 20 gallons so there's room for dense cover.
• Slow flow: both sources say they come from sluggish water and need gentle filtration. Seriously Fish suggests an air-powered sponge filter, which also keeps shrimplets out of the intake; see shrimp-safe filters.
• A tight lid: Seriously Fish says honey gouramis can jump, so the tank needs a tight cover, and the water shouldn't be filled to the top because, like all gouramis, they need access to the humid air above the surface.
• Plants and floaters: Seriously Fish says they do best in a well-planted, shady tank with tall stem or floating plants. Dense mosses give shrimp and shrimplets places the gourami can't reach; see java moss and best plants for a shrimp tank.

Feeding both

• Gourami food: Aquarium Co-Op says they aren't picky and take flakes, nano pellets, gel food, freeze-dried, frozen and live foods, and that its honey gouramis eat both floating and sinking foods. Seriously Fish suggests dried food plus plenty of small live or frozen foods.
• Feed where the gourami isn't: because they take sinking food too, drop shrimp food into dense plants. See best shrimp food.
• Well-fed fish hunt less. Practical Fishkeeping lists keeping fish well fed, with plenty of plants and hiding places, as ways to reduce shrimp losses.

Tank mates around them

Seriously Fish says honey gouramis are slow and easily intimidated or outcompeted by larger, more vigorous fish, so pick peaceful companions. Aquarium Co-Op says they do well with cory catfish, rosy loaches and kuhli loaches, and suggests contrasting schooling fish; see harlequin rasboras with shrimp and kuhli loaches with shrimp for shrimp-friendlier options.

Safer choices if shrimp come first

If you want a colony that grows, The Shrimp Farm and Aquarium Co-Op both point toward shrimp-only tanks for breeding. For a fish that leaves shrimplets mostly alone, see otocinclus. For a small schooling fish instead of a centerpiece, see chili rasboras or ember tetras.

How to try honey gouramis with shrimp

• Shrimp first. Practical Fishkeeping suggests letting the colony build up before adding fish.
• Start with one fish. Aquarium Co-Op says honey gouramis can live alone or in a group (Seriously Fish prefers 4 to 6). One fish is easier to rehome if it starts hunting (our suggestion).
• Have a backup tank. Watch the shrimp count for a few weeks, and separate them if adults start disappearing (our suggestion).
• Quarantine the fish separately. Practical Fishkeeping says many fish medications are not safe for invertebrates. If fish get sick, ask a fish veterinarian or an experienced store about treatment that won't harm the shrimp. See how to quarantine and is copper toxic to shrimp.

Common mistakes

• Buying a dwarf or thick-lipped gourami labeled "sunset" or "honey".
• Adding a gourami to a tank you are counting on for shrimplets.
• Leaving the lid off or filling the tank to the brim.
• Strong flow from a powerful filter.
• Medicating fish in the shrimp tank.

Track it

Log temperature, pH, GH and TDS on the free Water Parameter Log printable so you can keep the tank in the range both species share.

Frequently asked questions

Do honey gouramis eat shrimp?

They eat baby shrimp. Aquarium Co-Op says honey gouramis do not seem to go after adult Amano or cherry shrimp but will opportunistically eat any babies they find. Other references warn against gouramis with shrimp, and individual fish vary.

Can a honey gourami live with cherry shrimp?

Sometimes. Adults often survive in a heavily planted tank, but the colony will grow slowly because shrimplets get eaten. If breeding shrimp is the goal, keep them in a shrimp-only tank.

Are honey gouramis safer with shrimp than dwarf gouramis?

The references treat honey gouramis as the gentler fish. Aquarium Co-Op says dwarf gouramis grow to about 3 inches and are feistier, and Practical Fishkeeping lists large gouramis among fish that do not belong with shrimp.

What size tank do a honey gourami and shrimp need?

Aquarium Co-Op says one honey gourami can live in 5 or 10 gallons and a group of three in 20. With shrimp, about 20 gallons leaves room for dense cover.

Is there a gourami that is safe with shrimp?

The Shrimp Farm names the sparkling gourami as the exception among labyrinth fish, because it is so tiny that a large shrimp outgrows it.

Sources: Aquarium Co-Op, Care guide for honey gouramis (Trichogaster chuna from India and Bangladesh; about 2 in; dwarf gourami T. lalius 3 in and feistier; 'sunset honey' confused with the sunset thick-lipped gourami T. labiosa, 3.5–4 in; yellow or gold most common; pH 6.0–8.0, 74–82 °F, soft to hard water; one in 5 or 10 gallons, three in 20; slower filter flow; peaceful, shy around a tank boss, squabbles when breeding; alone or in a group; good with cory catfish, rosy loaches, kuhli loaches; do not seem to go after adult Amano or cherry shrimp but will opportunistically eat any babies they find; wild diet of small bug larvae, crustaceans and other invertebrates; eats floating and sinking foods; bubble nester); Aquarium Co-Op, 5 best fish stocking ideas for small aquariums (dwarf shrimp not safe with bettas or gouramis; most fish eat adult and baby shrimp; species-only 10- or 20-gallon tank safest for breeding shrimp; honey and sparkling gouramis fairly chill; honey gourami centerpiece with harlequin rasboras); Seriously Fish, Trichogaster chuna (honey gourami) (Ganges and Brahmaputra systems of India and Bangladesh, records from Nepal; virtually all commercially produced; 55 mm SL; 60 × 30 cm base, about 54 litres, for a pair or small group; 22–27 °C, pH 6.0–7.5, 2–15 dGH; sluggish, vegetated waters; shady, planted, floating plants; gentle air-powered sponge filter; tight lid, jumps, needs humid air above the surface; likely preys on insects and small invertebrates; dried plus small live or frozen foods; slow-moving, easily outcompeted; 4–6 with hierarchies); The Shrimp Farm, Shrimp tankmates and compatibility (labyrinth fish such as gouramis and bettas eat bugs, steer clear of most species; sparkling gourami the tiny exception); Practical Fishkeeping, What can I keep with shrimp? (large gouramis don't belong with shrimp; plants, hiding places and well-fed fish reduce losses; build the colony first; many medications not invertebrate-safe); The Shrimp Farm, Red rili shrimp tank set-up and care (Neocaridina range used for comparison: pH 6.2–8.0, 65–85 °F, GH 4–8).