German Blue Rams

[ChrisParsons]

Hi I've heard quite a bit of conflicting information about whether or not this would work in my 10 gallon planted tank.

At the moment I have a bristlenose, a guppy and a shed load of platys (well 3 adults and 6 small fry).

I take a load of platys to my LFS every now and then but I am wanting to try something a little more interesting than livebearers. I have enjoyed keeping them, raising the fry etc but I think I just want to vary the tank a little.

My plan at the moment is to give all but 4 of the platys and the guppy to a friend (leaving 3 female platys, 1 male and the bristlenose).

Would it be too small a tank to introduce a pair of German Blue Rams? I think they are incredibly attractive fish and their personalities sound amazing.

Although platys are meant to thrive at higher pHs and have some salt in the water mine are very happy, healthy and breeding like mad at pH 6.8 with only 1 teaspoon of salt for the whole 10 gallons.

The tank is quite heavily planted as it is but I intend to increase the amount of foliage over time.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 0 and 5 ppm (i try to maintain 5ppm with dosing of KNO3 but the plants grow so damn quick!)

The tank has been stable for a long time and I have seen no sign of diesease ever in any of my fish. I am very regular with a 3 gallon per week water change.

My gH has always been low (I can't remember what it was the last time i tested it) but my kH has been raised 5.6 to allow for decent amounts of CO2 injection.

Sorry for the long post, I just want to give as much information as possible. I have never kept German blue rams before and I understand they are very demanding. I very much want to keep these fish but I do not want to be cruel if the tank is unsuitable.

 

[AndyTaylor]

In my limited experience, your tank is too small. 10 gals per Ram is the rough guide.
I don't think rams will tolerate any salt but either way, your tank is too small. Sorry

 

[parker313]

You *could* make it work, but it's definitely not the optimal setup. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 20 long for a pair of rams as they really do need the territory to stake out. I had a pair of rams in a 10g and the stress from being in a small tank I believe contributed to too much stress which resulted in one of them dying from finrot in spite of excellent water parameters. I put the other ram into my 46gallon and the change was remarkable - she was like a different fish.

 

[ChrisParsons]

Ah well, thanks for the opinions! I certainly don't want to make the fish unhappy and by the sounds of it I would be. Hmm i wonder where i could fit a 20 long........ Nah 3 tanks in my room already another probably isn't a good idea! Any other ideas what I could keep comfortably in a 10 gallon which is a bit more interesting?

I was considering a pair of dwarf gouramis but the extent of disease and parasites amoungst the species due to bad breeding has really put me off.

 

[freddyk]

what I could keep comfortably in a 10 gallon which is a bit more interesting?

Check out shell dwellers from lake Tanganyika in Africa. They are tiny fish with big personality and just about the only cichlid suitable for a tank of less then 20 gallons.

 

[mattbeau]

what I could keep comfortably in a 10 gallon which is a bit more interesting?

Check out shell dwellers from lake Tanganyika in Africa. They are tiny fish with big personality and just about the only cichlid suitable for a tank of less then 20 gallons.

I've done some research on 'multis' the problem he may run into is his PH seems a bit low for them

its the same problem I've run into with trying to figure out what to do with the 10 gallon
granted there are ways of raising the PH, its just nice to have the right water parameters from tap

just mu thoughts though, someone could help under african cichlids

 

[ChrisParsons]

Thanks for the ideas but I think that the shell dwellers (although I'm sure very interesting fish) really wouldn't go well in my tank. Not least because it is heavily planted. I already change the pH of my tapwater so I'm not too worried about that but to have that high a pH and to have a decent amount of CO2 in the water my kH would have to go through the roof.

Anyway! I've been thinking about it some more and have decided to go for some sparkling/pygmy croaking gouramis. A friend had some at one time and they are really beautiful little things.

I think I could keep a small group (maybe 4 or 5) of these without too many hassles.

Convieniently they also seem to be perfectly at home with my current tank chemistry and the fact that my tank is well planted.

Let me know what you guys think about them. Has anyone every kept them? My friend although an experienced fish keeper doesn't always provide the best conditions for all his fish so I don't really want to ask him.

Any ideas if I keep a group of the number of males to females, also how to sex them?

 

[@ombomb]

Best asking in the Gourami forum.

I'd think about rehoming the BN though. Generally the minimum tank size for a Bristlenose is quoted at about 25-30G because they are such high waste producers.