Kissing Gourami Tank Mates

Kissing Gourami is semi-aggressive, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 6 freshwater species that pair well with a kissing gourami — plus the 202 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Kissing Gourami care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a kissing gourami

  • Marbled Hoplo ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 14 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Weather Loach ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 25 cm · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Snowball Pleco ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 16 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Yellow-spotted Pleco ✅ Compatible
    Medium care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Elephant-nose Knifefish ✅ Compatible
    Hard care · Peaceful · 35 cm · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
With caution

Kissing Gourami tank mates that can work with care

  • Adolf's Cory ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 5.5 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Kissing Gourami may bully the smaller Adolf's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Agassiz's Corydoras ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 6 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami may bully the smaller Agassiz's Corydoras, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami and Altifrons Geophagus can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami may eat Amano Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
  • Angelfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Angelicus Synodontis ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Kissing Gourami and Angelicus Synodontis can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Assassin Snail ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Kissing Gourami may bully the smaller Assassin Snail, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Axelrod's Cory ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami may bully the smaller Axelrod's Cory, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.

+ 124 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a kissing gourami

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Kissing Gourami and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.

+ 194 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a kissing gourami

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a kissing gourami, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Kissing Gourami?

We compare each fish against your kissing gourami on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Elephant-nose Knifefish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 35 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Marbled Hoplo✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Snowball Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Spotted Talking Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Weather Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 22–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Yellow-spotted Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 35 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Altifrons Geophagus⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Altifrons Geophagus can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~378 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Altifrons Geophagus in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Angelicus Synodontis⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Angelicus Synodontis can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Black Collared Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 27 cm · Hard care · 23–25 °C (73–77 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Clown Loach⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~400 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Galaxy Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Galaxy Pleco can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Gold Nugget Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Goldfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
  • Leopard Cactus Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Mango Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Hard care · 25–32 °C (77–90 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Mango Pleco can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Peacock Eel⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Pearl Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Severum⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 23–30 °C (73–86 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Severum can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Silver Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Silver Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Spotted Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Sunshine Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Hard care · 23–29 °C (73–84 °F)
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~473 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • True Parrot Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 33 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and True Parrot Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 250 cm predatory alligator gar — it will be eaten.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Clown Knifefish (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Kissing Gourami whole.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 100 cm predatory fire eel — it will be eaten.
    • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 90 cm koi — it will be eaten.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Redtail Catfish (120 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Kissing Gourami whole.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
    • Kissing Gourami is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory spotted gar — it will be eaten.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Kissing Gourami and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
    • Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 30 cm Kissing Gourami whole.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Kissing Gourami and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
    • Watch for Wolf Cichlid picking off any kissing gourami small enough to fit in its mouth.
    • Your 280 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up a kissing gourami community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 280 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose

How to choose the right tank mates for a kissing gourami

Being semi-aggressive, kissing gourami can nip or harass smaller, slower or long-finned fish — give it space, broken sight-lines and similarly robust companions. It mostly occupies the middle of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Kissing Gourami grows to about 30 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 15 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 22–28 °C (72–82 °F), pH 6–8 and 5–20 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Kissing Gourami doesn't need its own kind to feel secure; think twice before keeping more than one if it is territorial. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a kissing gourami live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 6 compatible freshwater species for kissing gourami. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for a kissing gourami?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Marbled Hoplo, Spotted Talking Catfish, Weather Loach. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a kissing gourami?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do kissing gourami tank mates need?

Start from Kissing Gourami's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 280 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Kissing Gourami care guide