Can Cardinal tetra Live With Dwarf gourami?

Commonly available tetras are among the tankmates listed as suitable for a dwarf gourami, and the cardinal asks for the same kind of tank the gourami wants: planted, dimly lit, over a dark substrate.

Temperature is where this works better than the neon version of the same pairing. The cardinal's 23 to 29 °C overlaps the gourami's 22 to 27 across 23 to 27, a wide band, and pH 6 to 7.5 suits both.

The gourami's rules still hold. Keep one male, or a male and a female, and not two males outside a large tank. Avoid gaudy, brightly coloured tankmates, which are what set males off; a shoal of 10 or more cardinals holds the middle water and gives a territorial male nothing to answer. Floating plants, shaded corners and quiet filtration suit the gourami, and the cardinals take small dried and frozen food they can catch quickly.