stocking

[Sgooosh]

hi can i keep rams, apstios, and gouramis on the smaller side together?

 

[itiwhetu]

Why not. It will depend on the size of the tank and how it is landscaped, but they should be fine. Just give them space.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

What is your tank size? Firstly, make sure that you have soft water.

Usually the advice given is to give each Apisto and Ram 1ft x 1ft of area or 30x30cm area.
They are territorial and will always fight for territories.

Blue Ram/German Blue Ram requires warmer water and may not be suitable to be kept with Apisto.
Bolivian Rams will be fine.

Also, you have to see what species of Apisto. Some Apisto are bigger and more aggressive.
Do you have any species in mind but I am not an expert in all the species as there are too many species of Apisto?
The most peaceful Apisto is the Borelli which is also smaller but they will get bullied by the bigger species.
And make sure that you are not into breeding as they will become more aggressive during breedings.
Cacatuoides can mix with Agassizii as I heard that they are together in the wild.

Gouramis are less aggressive than Apisto. They may also get bullied.
If possible, it's best not to mix them.
Ensure that you have enough space for everyone.

 

[Sgooosh]

What is your tank size? Firstly, make sure that you have soft water.

Usually the advice given is to give each Apisto and Ram 1ft x 1ft of area or 30x30cm area.
They are territorial and will always fight for territories.

Blue Ram/German Blue Ram requires warmer water and may not be suitable to be kept with Apisto.
Bolivian Rams will be fine.

Also, you have to see what species of Apisto. Some Apisto are bigger and more aggressive.
Do you have any species in mind but I am not an expert in all the species as there are too many species of Apisto?
The most peaceful Apisto is the Borelli which is also smaller but they will get bullied by the bigger species.
And make sure that you are not into breeding as they will become more aggressive during breedings.
Cacatuoides can mix with Agassizii as I heard that they are together in the wild.

Gouramis are less aggressive than Apisto. They may also get bullied.
If possible, it's best not to mix them.
Ensure that you have enough space for everyone.

75 gallons

the fish i have: huge school of baby guppy and big guppy (dont worry i have a way of dealing with eating babies, i get the smaller side of the fish and they grow up with their baby guppy friends and do not eat them, i have a pair of huge swordtails that grew up alongside them but do not touch the baby guppies at all)
cories of all sorts
2 big swordtails

im planning on getting a red lizard cat since plecos are probbaly too advanced for me (bioload)
the water is 7.1-3
there is plenty of surface area, my tank is split into 3 sections, one with flow, one with medium flow, and one with no flow, would the gouramis be able to cope with that? the bubble nest can be built among floaters
hmm i really want apstios but maybe ill just get a ram
the apstios im looking at is the ones that have the orange and black fins, borellies are suuper cool too

what rams are cool looking, like special other than bolivians?

gouramis i am looking at pearl gouramis or other similar sized or smaller gourami

 

[Ellebrius]

I can’t help you with Apistos but I have 3 female pearl gouramis and 2 female Bolivian Rams and lots of Cories and everybody gets along just great.

 

[Sgooosh]

I can’t help you with Apistos but I have 3 female pearl gouramis and 2 female Bolivian Rams and lots of Cories and everybody gets along just great.

Nice!
if a male gourami gets in the mix will the school of goruamis still be peaceful?

 

[Ellebrius]

Nice!
if a male gourami gets in the mix will the school of goruamis still be peaceful?

There shouldn’t be a problem, male pearls like to have a harem, unlike the Bolivian Rams who mate for life. Bringing in a male Bolivian would not be good, if he forms a pair with one of the females they will probably end up killing the other female.

 

[Ellebrius]

If you want to see a really nice tank that contains pearls, rummynose tetras and cories check out Aquabarb’s in the tank of the month contest, it makes a really gorgeous mix.

 

[Sgooosh]

If you want to see a really nice tank that contains pearls, rummynose tetras and cories check out Aquabarb’s in the tank of the month contest, it makes a really gorgeous mix.

thanks, link?

There shouldn’t be a problem, male pearls like to have a harem, unlike the Bolivian Rams who mate for life. Bringing in a male Bolivian would not be good, if he forms a pair with one of the females they will probably end up killing the other female.

alright ill look around and be sure, pretty scary... what about 2 pairs?

 

[Ellebrius]

thanks, link?

alright ill look around and be sure, pretty scary... what about 2 pairs?

The problem with Bolivian Rams is they want to pick their females themselves, they decide who they will pair with. The experts suggest getting 6 and see if 2 or more will pair but after you usually have to rehome the others. Unless you are real lucky and you get two pairs and have the room to let each pair have it’s own territory which they will fiercely defend.

 

[Byron]

The tank size is a significant factor; generally speaking, only one species of cichlid should be housed in a tank (there are a few exceptions, but largely depending upon the size and species), and also generally, cichlids and gourami do not co-exist--again with a few exceptions. @Ellebrius mentions all females, and this is a key, sometimes anyway--I can assure you, most males of any of these fish would not see invaders of their territory (other males) as tolerable for very long.

Several years ago I had a trio of Apistogramma in a 4-foot 70g well planted tank, one male and two females. Everything was fine (or seemed to be), until the male and one of the females spawned; the male didn't seem too concerned over the other female, but within a couple of days the female that was guarding the eggs killed the other female.

Rams of both species (common blue and Bolivian) must select their mates and bond, as someone noted. Here again, the dominant male is most likely to consider the tank "his." My Bolivian certainly did, and that was in a planted 5-foot tank.

 

[Ellebrius]

thanks, link?

alright ill look around and be sure, pretty scary... what about 2 pairs?

Here is the link to his/her journal
Thread 'Big River Rio'
https://www.fishforums.net/threads/big-river-rio.470829/
Happy reading.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

75 gallons

the fish i have: huge school of baby guppy and big guppy (dont worry i have a way of dealing with eating babies, i get the smaller side of the fish and they grow up with their baby guppy friends and do not eat them, i have a pair of huge swordtails that grew up alongside them but do not touch the baby guppies at all)
cories of all sorts
2 big swordtails

im planning on getting a red lizard cat since plecos are probbaly too advanced for me (bioload)
the water is 7.1-3
there is plenty of surface area, my tank is split into 3 sections, one with flow, one with medium flow, and one with no flow, would the gouramis be able to cope with that? the bubble nest can be built among floaters
hmm i really want apstios but maybe ill just get a ram
the apstios im looking at is the ones that have the orange and black fins, borellies are suuper cool too

what rams are cool looking, like special other than bolivians?

gouramis i am looking at pearl gouramis or other similar sized or smaller gourami

If you like Blue Rams or German Blue Rams which require warmer water, you can consider either one of these:
1) Blue Rams
2) Electric Blue Rams
3) Golden Rams.
They are all from the same species but different colours only.
I find that Electric Blue Rams colours are the most striking especially in the dark.
Make sure that you give them enough space.
And sometimes you may get the Alpha male Ram which is extremely aggressive and may beat up other Rams.
How to identify the Alpha male when you enter the fish shop?
Usually the alpha male will be at the front of the tank showing off it's colours. Alpha male usually have the most striking colours compare to the rest but it's the most beautiful among all.
If you see the alpha male attacking every Ram in the tank, then maybe it's not a very good idea to buy it.(just my opinion)
Those males at the back of the tank are usually less aggressive.

 

[Sgooosh]

If you like Blue Rams or German Blue Rams which require warmer water, you can consider either one of these:
1) Blue Rams
2) Electric Blue Rams
3) Golden Rams.
They are all from the same species but different colours only.
I find that Electric Blue Rams colours are the most striking especially in the dark.
Make sure that you give them enough space.
And sometimes you may get the Alpha male Ram which is extremely aggressive and may beat up other Rams.
How to identify the Alpha male when you enter the fish shop?
Usually the alpha male will be at the front of the tank showing off it's colours. Alpha male usually have the most striking colours compare to the rest but it's the most beautiful among all.
If you see the alpha male attacking every Ram in the tank, then maybe it's not a very good idea to buy it.(just my opinion)
Those males at the back of the tank are usually less aggressive.

thanks, will the rams attack guppy? like the big guppies?

i will get the alpha male and try it out if i remove him will the second "prince" male become the king?

 

[Lajos_Detari]

thanks, will the rams attack guppy? like the big guppies?

i will get the alpha male and try it out if i remove him will the second "prince" male become the king?

Rams are Cichlids and they are territorial.
They will chase the Guppies.
Be careful if you have big tail Guppies that are slow moving and are easy target for the Rams.
Sometime it may work if the Guppies know how to avoid the Rams though I can't really remember when was the last time that I kept Guppies.
By the way, Guppies require hard water whereas Rams require soft water.
So, it's best not to mix them as they have different water requirements.

All Cichlids will want to be the king of the tank.
And yes, if you remove the dominant male, another male will take over.