Moonlight gourami care
Trichopodus microlepis · Mekong and Chao Phraya basins: Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand
Moonlight gouramis are calm, silvery gouramis with long feeler fins that shine like moonlight under the tank light.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 77 to 84 °F (25 to 29 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one male per tank)
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 5 in
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 2 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep moonlight gouramis
Moonlight gouramis are calm, silvery gouramis with long feeler fins that shine like moonlight under the tank light. One male, or a male with females, suits a 30 gallon or larger planted tank at 77 to 84 °F with peaceful fish of a similar size.
Diet: Omnivore: flakes, pellets, frozen foods, some greens. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Top of the tank.
Moonlight gourami tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Snowball pleco
5 in · 30+ gal · 77–84 °F
Butterfly pleco
5.1 in · 30+ gal · 77–84 °F
Swordtail
5.5 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Green phantom pleco
5.9 in · 40+ gal · 77–84 °F
Kubotai loach
5.9 in · 40+ gal · 77–86 °F
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Bristlenose pleco
6 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F
Siamese algae eater
6 in · 29+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
Silvertip tetra: Silvertip tetras nip long fins like those of moonlight gouramis.
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: moonlight gouramis need 77 to 84 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Tiger barb: Tiger barbs nip long fins like those of moonlight gouramis.
Betta: Bettas fight with gouramis, their close relatives.
Reticulated hillstream loach: No shared temperature: moonlight gouramis need 77 to 84 °F, reticulated hillstream loaches 68 to 75 °F.
American flagfish: American flagfish nip long fins like those of moonlight gouramis.
What a moonlight gourami tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon moonlight gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon moonlight gourami tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Fluval E100
Moonlight gouramis need 77 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding moonlight gouramis.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 77 to 84 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common moonlight gourami problems
- Males squabble; keep one male per tank.
- Fin nippers stress them and nip the long feeler fins.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Trichopodus microlepis. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Moonlight gourami H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Butterfly pleco Alberto Alcalá (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Swordtail Usien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green phantom pleco 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kubotai loach Lerdsuwa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bristlenose pleco André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Siamese algae eater aleander2137, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Silvertip tetra Filtropat; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Tiger barb Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- American flagfish nat_t (iNaturalist), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf gourami Quatermass (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Honey gourami Antoon Dommerholt (Dutch Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pearl gourami h080, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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