Ram Cichlids

[hihi100202]

I am planning to put ram cichilids in my 10 gallon, and have a few questions...

1. how many?
2. male/female?
3. tankmates?(if any)
4. tank decor?
5. info on breeding?(can i in a 10 gallon?)


P.S. My knowlege level of this fish is not to high, i have only done minimal reserch. Don't start saying:your tank is way to small! I have so many ppl tell me this, and i know that 10 gallon is fine.

 

[drobbyb]

I know you said not to, but in the interest of the fish's well being...Your tank is too small...by 10 gallons Ram Information

 

[hihi100202]

10 gallons is fine. That website may say 20 gallons, but i see and hear of sooo many people with not 1, but 2 rams in a 10 GALLON TANK. I wonder why? oh, maybe it's because thay do fine in 10 gallons hmm?

 

[drobbyb]

It's your money and apparently you will do what you want no matter what people say. Don't ask for advice if you don't want it.

 

[hihi100202]

whtever

 

[kribensis12]

*sighs* It's people like you that make me wonder if posting is even worth it.

First off, don't treat other member's with disrespect. It is not polite, and is not going to do you any good. Your tank really isn't big enough to work most fish species with.That being said, here is some info.

No, your tank is not to small for rams. That is , only if you have a breeding pair of rams. If you just want them to look at, rams are not a good idea in that size tank. Being the tank size, you would definatly need to do weekly water changes. If I were you, I would not do it though. A smaller volume of water is harder to take care of. You yourself said "My knowlege level of this fish is not to high, i have only done minimal research. " Ram's are not hardy little fish. I myself have not kept a ram alive longer than a week ( was perfectly healthy when bought, and it went downhill ). I would start off with something easier to keep, like Apistogramma Cacaouides ( spelling?). It's similar to a ram, beautiful, and a little more hardy. A really big factor is this, water. What is your pH like? Ram's and Apistogramma's all need a low pH to thrive ( most likely the cause of death for my poor ram ) .

 

[oswoldy]

10 gallons is fine. That website may say 20 gallons, but i see and hear of sooo many people with not 1, but 2 rams in a 10 GALLON TANK. I wonder why? oh, maybe it's because thay do fine in 10 gallons hmm?

I bet you would fit in a ten gallon tank aswell but you wouldn't like it! Lots of people murder people does it make it right?

I have said my piece now so will leave it at that.

Mike

 

[mwood2]

I would suggest investing in a larger tank, I live in WA also and have seen alot of tanks at great prices on Craigslist. If you patently wait for a good price on a larger tank you can get not only Rams but a much nicer selection of Rams. I Bought myself a 30 gallon fish tank with a very very nice hood/filter and it works great and only cost me 50 bucks. Not only will you be happier but your fish will be too. While yes a fish can fit a fish in there but it will only show its true colors and personality when kept in the best environment. I myself am getting some Rams for my 30 which will probably be my final Stocking but it may give you an idea of things you could keep with them.

Also a good suggestion for you may be Dwarf Puffers. If you go to ####.com you will find a good amount of info on them. They have great personality and are pretty smart too. You could fit 2-3 (3 if you have lots of hiding spaces) in a 10 gallon. I currently have 1 and 5 oto in a 10 right now and all of them are doing great.

 

[tenohfive]

10G is too small. Listen to people who've actually kept them and know what they're talking about. You don't know from personal experience anything about Rams, and we do. I've kept a pair in a 15G tank before, and it was a mistake. They're already finicky fish, putting them in too small a tank increases the chances that something will go wrong.

And if you stick around these forums for any length of time you'll see plenty of people sticking up posts about sick rams. A fair chunk of those people have them in tanks that are too small for them. That is not a coincidence - its stress weakening the fish.

And I disagree with Krib - whilst a 10G can be used short term for breeding, its too small to live in for any length of time IME. And again I disagree over pH - whilst lower pH is preferable, its not a necessity - I've kept GBR's in 8.2 pH for about 6 months, and whilst its not ideal it is manageable if the water quality is kept perfect. And when I say perfect, I mean 2 x 30% water changes a week.

Buy a bigger tank if you want to keep rams. Or look at alternatives, as Krib points out there are much hardier, equally colourful fish that will do fine in a 10G. Or if you think you know best go ahead, you've been given some good advice - whether or not you heed it is your decision. If you think you know best, go ahead.

 

[kribensis12]

And I disagree with Krib - whilst a 10G can be used short term for breeding, its too small to live in for any length of time IME. And again I disagree over pH - whilst lower pH is preferable, its not a necessity - I've kept GBR's in 8.2 pH for about 6 months, and whilst its not ideal it is manageable if the water quality is kept perfect. And when I say perfect, I mean 2 x 30% water changes a week.

I said as only in breeding though. Rams hit about 3 inches ( sometimes even smaller ). If you sue the Golden rule, of 1 inch per gallon, a breeding pair would roughly be, 6 inches. That leaves another 4 inches of space available. Now, considering they are cichlids, you might want to give them more room. But, they are a breeding pair, assuming that, they should need much more space if the tank is just for breeding purposes.

Now, for the pH. Assuming your breeding them, a lower pH is require, as the higher pH will harden the egg's and make them not viable, or it could deform the fry.

That being said, a bigger tank is a better , but not completely neccesary.

 

[tenohfive]

The golden rule is fine for tetras etc but goes out of the window with cichlids. So I'll ignore that part.
If you're talking about putting them in a 10G, letting them breed, then removing them once the eggs are hatched etc I see no issue with that. 10G is far too small as a permanent home though.

And as for pH - I'm not saying rams can breed in such a high pH - I'm saying they can live in a high pH. I honestly don't know if they can, though I've heard of it done in the high 7's.

 

[kribensis12]

The golden rule is fine for tetras etc but goes out of the window with cichlids. So I'll ignore that part.
If you're talking about putting them in a 10G, letting them breed, then removing them once the eggs are hatched etc I see no issue with that. 10G is far too small as a permanent home though.

And as for pH - I'm not saying rams can breed in such a high pH - I'm saying they can live in a high pH. I honestly don't know if they can, though I've heard of it done in the high 7's.

I was talking about letting them breed, removing the fry, and letting them breed again. Same with angelfish. They really need to be in a tank bigger than 20g if your keeping them for ornamental purposes, not breeding. But I am working on breeding a pair in a 20g right now, and I know Tolak does the same. Fish that are in a tank with the sole purpose of breeding, do not need as much space. Because they are a bonded pair, so minimal to no fighting. They are not growing , whatsoever. The fish , especially the female's, bodies are using all their energy to make egg's and sperm. They do not grow, or at least by a noticeable amount when it's breeding time. I personally see nothing wrong with it, as long as you keep up with weekly water changes of at least 25 percent. But if you are not prepared to do weekly water changes, just get a bigger tank. It would be a lot easier for you, and the fish.

 

[CichlidGuy]

I have been keeping rams and breeding rams for over a year and i have to say 10 gallons is too small, but 20 gals will just be enough, I have had a male kill a female in 20 gallons because he was over protective, but i did have it very planted and with many hiding spots also. I eventually bought a new pair which i breed now and with very good success as they produce 200 fry every 9 days in 20 gallons. I keep them in a PH of 7.5-7.8 and with a large hatch rate. All though it really depends where the rams come from and what water they were raised in to have this success.

I would suggest buying a 20+ gallon tank and for tank mates i would choose Tetras since they are small and fast but they will eat the eggs/fry. so it depends if u want other fish. Plecos are a hazard to the eggs also so i would remove the eggs after 6 hours of them spawning into an fry tank.

Anyways Good luck i hope you make the right decision.

 

[Bebobb]

Now you guys are making me feel bad because people all ove this forum told me that a single male ram would be fine in a 10 gallon, though It would claim the whole tank as its terrotory. My ram seems to be doing fine in his 10 gallon tank. I have had him for about a month and do a 30-40% water change every week.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

10 gallons is fine. That website may say 20 gallons, but i see and hear of sooo many people with not 1, but 2 rams in a 10 GALLON TANK. I wonder why? oh, maybe it's because thay do fine in 10 gallons hmm?

Extremely rude. And you are wrong. Don't see why people would waste a single key stroke on you. You should be extremely thankful they have after the attitude you have shown...