Blue Vs Bolivian Ram...

[lisa2701]

Hi everyone, 
 
Looking for advice about Rams. i am upgrading to a Roma 125 on Wednesday and I am considering my stocking. I will have 6 pepper corys (currenlty have 3 but planning to up my numbers to six in the week) but other than that I starting with a clean slate....
 
I absolutely adore the GBR but I am getting SO much conflicting advice that I am unsure if my tank will be suitable or not. I have read various websites and asked advice on another forum and no one/site seems to agree on what these need. Some people are saying that the corys and the GBR will not tolerate the same temperatures and others are saying that the GBR are tank bread these days and so will tolerate the temperatures.. I'm so confused! 
 
As I mentioned my tank will be 125 litres, I live in an area of soft water and my PH is 6.8. The temp of my current tank sits around 25 although I might try to reduce it a little (23/24)  to accommodate the corys a little better but my house is quite warm so i'm struggling to get the tank temp down..may have to cool the house.
 
The other option that people have suggested are the bolivian ram, which are lovely and I am seriously considering them, but i just love the colour of the german blue. 
 
I am hoping to also keep a shoaling fish of some sorts, perhaps a species of tetra. 
 
Would love your advice on this matter?
 

 

[Questions?]

i would get a bolivian since GBRs like it more towards 80, 81 degrees farenhiet

 

[lisa2701]

i would get a bolivian since GBRs like it more towards 80, 81 degrees farenhiet

Thanks for your reply... Most people seem to be saying this, but i've had a few people/sites say otherwise, it just gets confusing. The more I look at the bolivian the more I like them. Just wanted to check before I made my mind up. I will be fully stocking my tank otherwise before I add the rams as I believe they require a mature tank and currently my new filter is still seeding (put my old filter media into new filter so is cycled for current fish) so I have plenty of time to get my facts straight on the matter, but I still want to be able to imagine the end result in my tank, and also plan my stocking. 

 

[mishmash]

Hi there,
If you are going to reduce the temp down further any Rams will not be as happy as they could be.  If the cories you have are ok then why lower the temp.  If you want to please both then Corydoras Sterbai are one species that is ok in warmer water.  You could sell your three peppered or ask the LFS to swap them, and because you might then be buying Sterbai (and the rams) they ought to be ok with giving you store credit.
 
Of the two types of Ram you definitely need to go for Bolivians because GBRs or EBRs or even Golds will not be happy at less than 27  But then as I said if you swap out for Sterbai (these are lovely, brown body with creamy spots and orange pectoral fins) then any of them would be happy at the higher temp.

 

[lisa2701]

I am really attached to my pepper corys so would rather keep them and work round them even if that means not being able to get GBR. I have only recently got them so im sure the store would swap them but id just rather not. I was advised that the pepper corys would prefer the water cooler hence trying to drop the water a degree or two, although they seem happy enough.

At 23/24 degrees are bolivian rams likely to be happy enough? If not then I may have to completely scrap the idea of having rams and go back to the Drawing board!

Thanks for all the replies so far.

 

[DrRob]

Bolivians are happy at the lower temperature, and they're highly underrated fish. I'd go for the bolivians.

 

[TallTree01]

Bolivians are hardier.

 

[lisa2701]

Ok great, Bolivians it is then!

Next question- will Bolivians be ok with the pepper cory seeing as they both live near the bottom. I believe they are relatively peaceful fish so I'm assuming they'll be fine with a small shoaling fish such as a tetra of some sorts?

 

[r.w.girard]

Shouldn't be any problem unless your Bolivians start spawning, which will make them pretty belligerent and territorial.  But Bolivians generally don't harm anything even them.  Just chasing.  And the corydoras might eat their eggs.  But other than that, should be no problem at all for anyone involved.