I've had my rams for over 5 months with no issues.
The problem with farmed ram cichlids is that they're often "juiced" with antibiotics and hormones prior to being shipped out. There's a period of some months afterwards when they can seem quite hardy. But eventually they do become weak. The species has always been predisposed to
Mycobacteria infections, but
Hexamita infections are another scourge. Often what happens is that the aquarist neglects water changes for a while, nitrate levels rise, and before you know it, one of the ram cichlids starts exhibiting symptoms of one or other infection. This is so common that I get bored writing about it, and I note that Baensch was mentioning this problem more than 20 years ago, so it isn't news. But there are still newcomers to the hobby who aren't aware of the problems with ram cichlids, so shops still keep selling them. If they all vanished from the world's pet stores tomorrow, I for one wouldn't miss them.
The tank is set at 80 degrees. All my research on the Blue Rams states that the water temps are appropriate between the 25.5-29.5 ºC (78-85 ºF) range. The ideal range being between 80-81 ºF.
25 C is far too cold for them; try reading a book dedicated to cichlids and you'll see than 28-30 C/82-86 F is the usual recommendation. These fish come a habitat called the llanos where they live in shallow pools in grasslands. The pools are not shaded, and consequently get very warm during the day. I note you haven't mentioned either hardness or pH, both of which are of crucial importance. If you're keeping them in water harder than 5 degrees dH and above pH 6.5, you aren't likely to have long term success. Optimal values would be 1-3 degrees dH, pH 5.5-6.5. Again, you need to make sure you're reading books by genuine experts, like Paul Loiselle. Beware of preferring "research" that supports your preconceptions while ignoring sources that don't.
They've got great colors, they're fairly active and they eat well. I have done my research on these fish which is why they're still alive. I can only find limited information on assassin snails which is why I'm here.
With respect, you've kept them alive for a few months, which means nothing. Come back after 4 years, and if they're still alive then, that'll be a whole other argument. Ram cichlids are incredibly difficult to maintain for any substantial length of time, and they need completely different conditions to
Clea helena. For every one person who keeps their ram cichlids alive in a community tank for a few years, there are easily ten if not twenty aquarists who watch them die within 6 months.
Cheers, Neale