Getting Ready To Keep German Blue Rams

[arabballin]

I have decided that my center piece fish for my 29 gallon tank will be a pair of german blue ram cichlids. Now i hear some say they are easy with a little more caution required and some have told me to avoid them because they are for experts only. My tank stays very clean as i have a canister rated for a 125 gallon tank on only a 29 gallon. my stock currently is
6 tiger barbs
2 mollies
2 little oto cat fish
3 cory cats.

I want all the advice and suggestions i can get about what i can do to ensure i have success or if anyone thinks i should go another direction. I am open to getting a different nicely colored cichlid like some form of apisto, but i really like the blue rams.

So please all help is welcome.

 

[fishwatcher]

Let's see....
They like it planted well, they will eat just about anything, they breed on flat rocks (so throw a few big river stones in there if you don't have a couple of flats areas).
Be sure to acclimate them very slowly, and it generally is good if you turn the lights off for an hour or so when they first are in. Tends to help them settle in better in my experience.
They really are great fish... lots of personality, very pretty.
I think they will work great with your other fish.
If you need any more help, just let me know.

 

[thegnu]

isn't it funny how people disagree on things. its all about opinions, information, where you get that information.
personally, i wouldn't keep rams with tiger barbs. it will only take one to show an interest in your rams and that will be the beginning of the end for the ram.
next mollies. i wouldn't keep mollies with rams. they prefer totally different types of water, rams soft and acidic, mollies verging on brackish. some people will claim to do it and all is well .why ive even read one person claiming he keeps his rams in brackish water.
food, rams need bloodworm, frozen or live.most frozen foods like daphnia or krill will be excepted but try to keep a ram alive on dry foods, flakes, and you will fail.
apistogrammas needs are the same as the ram.
so, if you still want to have rams take the TB and the mollies back and get a shoal of tetras and have a look at the bolivian ram, its very pretty and hardier

 

[Castellop123]

Ph of approx. 7, soft water, heavily planted, sheltered areas... Quite easy to keep really...

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I've kept them with both tiger barbs and corys

Tiger barbs - Were always to busy fighting each other to care about anything else in the tank

Corys - Sometimes the rams got a little territorial with the corys. Just make sure there is plenty of cover for them to retreat if need be I'd also add 3 more corys to make them feel more comfortable

As long as you have a stable, mature tank and you keep on top of it rams shouldn't be any troubles for you. Ottos can be little fragile things so if they're doing fine no reason why the ram shouldnt!

 

[arabballin]

Well im not worried about the tiger barbs. They wont bother the otos and those guys are small enough for them to think about eating. Like the person above me said, they only fight between each other. The mollys i donno about, i have never done anything special for them for the water parameters and there totally happy. They just started breeding yesterday actually, so im not the least bit concerned about them.

One question is if i add 3 more corys do they have to be the same kind?

Other than that, anything else i should know?

 

[DazedNCoNfUsEd]

Just keep an eye on the Tigers, just because one person had a good experience doesn't mean they're all like that.

I had a group of seven of them in a 55 gal and they still nipped the hell out of 3 small pictus cats I had. Something to be aware of.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Ph of approx. 7, soft water,

7 really isn't acidic water, it's neutral. They like soft acidic water anywhere from 5-7 PH (5-6.5 is best) and a GH of around 5-15 if i'm correct.


Forgot to mention- I'm not sure about the tiger barbs, but if your just using tap water, and your LFS is using the same source for the tank holding the rams, then they will be okay in your tank water chemistry wise.

 

[thegnu]

.


Forgot to mention- I'm not sure about the tiger barbs, but if your just using tap water, and your LFS is using the same source for the tank holding the rams, then they will be okay in your tank water chemistry wise.
[/quote]

yeah, the rams will turn into a flounder just as quick in your tank as they would in the LFS's tank

 

[arabballin]

yeah, the rams will turn into a flounder just as quick in your tank as they would in the LFS's tank
[/quote/]

sorry but i dont get what ur trying to say.

 

[Rugby]

i find thatt for keeping rams, a of 6.5 is good. i also disagree with that rams will eat anyting u give em. i have tried to break my fish in, but they would rather die then let me win..... lol...... but of course i dont let them die. i feed mine live foods when spawning them, frozen and live when not spawning.

tiger barbs: potential problem, could co both ways. how big is ur tank, and how many tiger barbs

Corys: good!

Otos: personally, i would go with plecos, but thats just me.

mollies: like stated above, different water and food.


"food, rams need bloodworm, frozen or live.most frozen foods like daphnia or krill will be excepted but try to keep a ram alive on dry foods, flakes, and you will fail."

good call thegnu!!!!!!
lol
thats my two cents

Rugby

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

.


Forgot to mention- I'm not sure about the tiger barbs, but if your just using tap water, and your LFS is using the same source for the tank holding the rams, then they will be okay in your tank water chemistry wise.


yeah, the rams will turn into a flounder just as quick in your tank as they would in the LFS's tank

By flounder im thinking you mean dead?? I disagree if thats the case. When buying Discus it's recommended you try to match the water they were brought up in (Ph, GH and temp.) If the Rams were brought up in water that has a Ph of 7.7 then you should keep it that way, as there used to it and have been living in it.

 

[Rugby]

i wouldnt agree with keeping it at that level discusluva, however, its a good idea to have the ph as close as possible when u first get them, then SLOWLY change the ph, by slowly i mean, .1-.2 every two days. some may say to move quicker, but i find its best to be safe and cautous. but thats just me

 

[Bozza]

To your question about the corys. Yes u should get another 3 corys of the same type that u already have. Corys do best in group of 5 or more. I have 2 rams in with my corys and they dont really bother them plus my rams are about 1-1.5" big. My rams were bought near my gf's house and then transported for 40min in a car ride, they didnt stress to much, they've also just recovered from a white spot outbreak aswell, and as far as i know they are still going strong. My rams are very fussy when they eat. Im still finding it abit difficult in finding foor that they are willing to eat. Hope some of that is of help for u.



Torrens

 

[arabballin]

how do i lower my Ph exactly?

Edit: my Ph now is about 7.4