I was thinking about adding some dwarf gouramis in my community tank with my neon tetras in the past. I was worried if dwarf gouramis would eat my beautiful neon tetras. I did some research and added dwarf gouramis and neon tetras together.
If you wonder whether dwarf gouramis eat neon tetras or not, this article is for you. I will be sharing my experience.
Dwarf Gouramis are very polite and peaceful in nature that won’t eat Neon Tetras. However, Dwarf Gouramis are omnivores, so they might eat baby Neon Tetras if they could fit in their mouth. Neon Tetras rarely breed in a community tank, so that won’t be an issue.
In this article, I will tell you my experience of keeping neon tetras with dwarf gouramis in the same tank. I will also discuss if dwarf gouramis are ideal tank mates for neon tetras or not. So, keep reading.
Are Dwarf Gouramis Aggressive?
Dwarf Gouramis are very peaceful in nature; they won’t cause any harm to their fellow tank mates.
However, male Gouramis can become protective over female Gouramis and might harass them. To prevent harassment, you should keep two female gouramis for one male gourami.
So, if your tank has Neon tetras, then you have nothing to be afraid of; Dwarf Gouramis won’t harm the tetras. However, Dwarf Gouramis can get aggressive to other Gouramis or similar-looking fish.
Is Dwarf Gourami a Community Fish?
In my experience, dwarf gouramis get along with different types of fish. This makes them a very popular community fish.
If you keep dwarf gouramis in a small tank, then try not to keep multiple male gouramis. Male gouramis can get a little aggressive with each other.
However, if you keep them in a relatively big community tank with fast swimmers like neon tetras or livebearers, then there won’t be an issue. That’s what I have seen.
Ideal Tank Mates for Dwarf Gouramis:
From what I have found, Dwarf Gouramis are tolerant of neighboring fishes. Dwarf Gouramis get along with any non-aggressive and relatively small fishes.
To make dwarf gourami an ideal tank mate, you need to make sure that your tank has the ideal water conditions.
Here is a list of ideal tank mates for Dwarf Gouramis:
- Neon Tetras
- Livebearers (Swordtail, Molly, Guppy, Platy, and Endlers)
- Barbs
- Scavenger Catfishes
- Zebra Danio
- Harlequin Rasbora
- Loaches
To better understand the ideal tank mates, keep the fishes that dwell in the bottom or middle level of the tank as dwarf gourami would like to stay at the top of the water.
Can Neon Tetra Live With Dwarf Gourami?
Yes, neon tetras can live with dwarf gouramis really well as they need similar water conditions, and both are peaceful community fishes.
More importantly, in my experience of keeping dwarf gouramis, they mostly dwell in the top layer of the aquarium, whereas neon tetras tend to stay in the middle.
Keeping a school of 10-20 neon tetras with 2-3 honey or blue dwarf gouramis looks majestic.
6 Reasons Why Neon Tetras Can Live With Dwarf Gouramis:
1. Both Are Community Fishes:
Dwarf gouramis and neon tetras do really well in community tanks. Trust me, both of these fishes look marvelous in the same community tank.
Besides, if you search for ideal tank mates for dwarf gouramis and neon tetras, you will find similar kinds of fish.
It’s not always wise to completely trust what you read on the internet, as all fishes are different and behave differently in different environments.
But, I had no issues keeping neon tetras and dwarf gouramis with other community fishes.
2. Neon Tetras are Relatively Smaller:
I have heard from other aquarium hobbyists that male dwarf gouramis sometimes get aggressive with similar-looking and sized fishes.
So, it’s a good thing that neon tetras look completely different from dwarf gouramis, and they are comparatively smaller in size.
That’s why most of the aquarists out there will never face any issues like gouramis and neons fighting together or trying to fin nip each other.
Both Needs Similar Temperature and Water Conditions:
| Water Condition | Neon Tetras | Dwarf Gouramis |
| Optimum Temperature | Around 75 °F | Around 75 °F |
| pH Level | 6.0 – 7.0 | 6.0 – 8.0 |
| Suitable Water Hardness | Around 10 dGH | Around 10 dGH |
Since both Neon tetra and Dwarf Gourami require the same water condition and temperature, you can easily keep them in the same tank.
Also, to offer them the best living conditions, you should replace around 20% – 30% of the water each week. You don’t need to change the water too frequently.
3. Both Need Similar Tank Setups:
If you have the Neon Tetras or Dwarf Gouramis, you already know that they require at least 10-gallon tanks. Larger fish tanks are better if you have more than six Neon Tetras and two or three dwarf gouramis.
As neon tetras love to stay in a heavily planted fish aquarium, so do the dwarf gouramis. You don’t need to change any of the tank setups that you already have for gouramis or neon tetras if they are already established and well planted.
To offer them good living conditions while setting up your fish tank, try to fulfill the water condition requirements that are mentioned in the above table.
4. Dwell In Different Layers:
Another good reason for Neon Tetras and Dwarf Gouramis to be ideal tank mates is that they dwell in different layers on the water.
I have found that Neon Tetras mostly dwell on the middle water column while Dwarf Gouramis are seen to dwell at the top part of the aquarium.
Also, gouramis are labyrinth fish. Labyrinth is a special organ that allows gouramis to breathe air from the aquarium water’s surface. So, that is another reason why gouramis like to dwell in the top part of the aquarium.
5. Neon Tetras Are Fast Swimmers:
Neon tetras are pretty fast. They can move from one end of the aquarium to the other end in seconds if they try.
On the flip side, gouramis swim slowly, like bettas and goldfishes. That’s why even if dwarf gourami gets aggressive, it won’t be able to catch a neon tetra for sure.
Again, Neon tetras are very polite in nature, and they get along with everyone. So, for this reason, I think neon tetras can live with dwarf gouramis pretty easily.
6. Enjoys Similar Diet:
Both neon tetras and dwarf gouramis are omnivorous, which means they eat both plant and animal-based foods.
My neon tetras and dwarf gouramis are not picky about their foods. I can literally feed them the same food to both neons and dwarf gouramis.
This makes life easier. You don’t have to buy different kinds of food for them. If you have them in the same tank, you can feed them the same thing.
Neon tetras and dwarf gouramis go crazy over live foods. However, you can feed them high-quality pellets as well. Also, both eat algae wafers as well.
Recommended Article: Do Tetras Eat Algae Wafers? Everything You Need To Know
Final Thoughts
Dwarf gouramis and Neon Tetras both are peaceful, community fish, and get along with each other just fine.
If you intend to add Dwarf Gouramis or Neon Tetras to your aquarium, you don’t need to worry about anything; just add them to your tank.
Most of the time, gouramis won’t even notice the tetras, and as they require similar tank setups, water conditions and a balanced diet, you won’t have any issues when you take care of them.
