Advice For New Tank And Set-Up For German Blue Rams?

[MatthewWebb]

Hi all,

I was thinking of getting a Juwel rio 240 in the hopes of being able to keep some German Blue Rams in the future. I have currently 2 electric blue rams in a Juwel record 600, but the conditions are extremely bad for them at this time and I am unsure I will have them for long. I guess I was hoping to be able to transfer them into a bigger tank, but if this is not possible (due to a new tank being un-cycled and other problem) then I shall return them quickly to the local pet store.

This will eventually be a tank for German Blue Rams regardless if the electrics I have now will end up back at the store, so what sort of things would I need if I were eventually house such a brilliant species? Is there a particular substrait, filter, light or tankmate that I need to specifically consider if I am to build up to this final goal?

I have some knowledge of the conditions required, e.g low p.h, slightly higher temperate, soft water, dither fish and hiding places. But I am willing to learn as much as I can.
This is going to be a work towards a particular goal, starting with the tank set-up itself. Indeed, if the Juewl rio 240 is an inadequate tank then I shall purchase another.

I would consider myself a beginner to the hobby, with only 5 months fish keeping experience, so I am not going to get a tank and the rams in overnight. If I have to have this tank up and running for 10 years before I am ready for these fish then that is what I will do. (Note that getting the electric blue rams for the rekord 600 was a HUGE mistake and shall return them to the shop tomorrow, that is unless if it is possible to transfer them - which I doubt anyway).

Thanks for any help on this and any advice shall be greatly received.

 

[thereverendturtle]

Ok, quick question. Why do you think the 600 isn't suitable for your rams?

 

[MatthewWebb]

Well for one there are two in a 63 litre tank, the tank has about 25 fish in it and is heavily overstocked and there is a problem with the nitrate, being at about 80ppm right now, conditions not suitable for them.

 

[fluttermoth]

What's the nitrate level of your tap water, OP? And is it soft or hard?

 

[MatthewWebb]

The tap water nitrate level is about 40-80ppm, I'm not sure what it is closest too, and I have no way of measuring the softness or hardness of my water. /

Do you think it could be a possibility that, due to tap water conditions, it is impossible for me to keep these fish anyway?

 

[fluttermoth]

You probably won't be able to keep them in your tap water, but you could look at using either an RO/tapwater mix, remineralised RO or use a nitrate removing resin.

If you move some of your other fish, the rams would be fine in your smaller tank, and it would be cheaper because of the water.

You'd probably know if your water was hard, because you'd get a lot of limescale in your kettle/showerhead/washing machine. You should be able to find out from your local water companies website; they're normally very good at providing info like that.

 

[sadguppy]

Rams don't need huge tanks, 63 litres would actually be fine for a pair, but one thing they really do prefer is soft water. Where abouts do you live? For example here in Kent, my water is very hard and rams would not thrive in my tap water. However, determined people do keep them successfully using RO water from the fish shop (an expensive option) or, if you live somewhere quite rural and without too may pollutants, collecting rainwater to soften it down is also a possibility.

What is your full stocking? You shouldn't just give up and start again. Aim to re-home the surplus fish causing your tank to be overstocked, and in the meantime try to do 50% water changes regularly In a small tank it won't take too much effort. Rams are beautiful fish when they are happy!

 

[CezzaXV]

The tap water nitrate level is about 40-80ppm, I'm not sure what it is closest too, and I have no way of measuring the softness or hardness of my water. /

Do you think it could be a possibility that, due to tap water conditions, it is impossible for me to keep these fish anyway?

Might be worth checking out your water board's website and seeing what they think the nitrate is. I believe the legal limit in tap water is 50ppm in the UK, though our home nitrate tests are notoriously inaccurate (though in my experience they tend to undermeasure rather than overmeasure).

 

[MatthewWebb]

I live in bexley so I think the water is pretty hard like yours sadguppy, and as my full stocking it goes:
6 Harlequin rasbora
6 Neon tetra
3 Endler's livebearers
4 Guppies
1 pleco (unidentified, but apparently doesn't grow so huge, max 6" I think??).
and the 2 Electric Blue Rams.
I only got the rams because I never new they were only a variant of the German blue, and the pet store owner said they were easy to keep and hardier than guppies.

Oh, and is it a problem that the rams are both male? The lfs said it was fine, but doing some research I am not so sure...

 

[sadguppy]

You are a little, but not grossly overstocked. You should be able to cope re-homing just a few fish, i would say the harlequins and the guppies/endlers. If you need to rehome any of them you are welcome to bring them to me in Tonbridge! Haha.

Do regular 50% water changes for the time being.

So yea, like me, your water conditions are not perfect for rams. Softer water, either rainwater or RO water should be used for water changes. Apart from that they are good community fish. I imagine a pair would be better than two males - the LFS may swap them for you?

 

[MatthewWebb]

I might take you up on that offer sadguppy if things get out of hand ;-). I have just got a larger tank so I hope to move the harlequins and eventually the neons into there.

Turns out that the lfs gave me a male and a female and they have laid eggs! Fingers crossed everything turns out ok for them. I'm also going to start using ro water from now on, so that should help.

 

[sadguppy]

I might take you up on that offer sadguppy if things get out of hand ;-). I have just got a larger tank so I hope to move the harlequins and eventually the neons into there.

Turns out that the lfs gave me a male and a female and they have laid eggs! Fingers crossed everything turns out ok for them. I'm also going to start using ro water from now on, so that should help.

That is great make sure you transfer the filter to the new tank if all the fish are moving, or share the media between the filters if you are keeping the old tank for the rams?

RO water is probably the way to go with rams, but if it gets expensive set up a water butt and use boiled rainwater to mix with tap water.

And it is nice to meet someone (quite) local - if your eggs come to anything I would love the challenge of keeping a pair!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I might take you up on that offer sadguppy if things get out of hand ;-). I have just got a larger tank so I hope to move the harlequins and eventually the neons into there.

Turns out that the lfs gave me a male and a female and they have laid eggs! Fingers crossed everything turns out ok for them. I'm also going to start using ro water from now on, so that should help.

That is great

make sure you transfer the filter to the new tank if all the fish are moving, or share the media between the filters if you are keeping the old tank for the rams?

RO water is probably the way to go with rams, but if it gets expensive set up a water butt and use boiled rainwater to mix with tap water.

And it is nice to meet someone (quite) local - if your eggs come to anything I would love the challenge of keeping a pair!

I'd suggest that you not take a pair from the same parents... Far better to take one from one source and one from another GBRs are sensitive enough, inbreeding is not a great idea.

 

[sadguppy]

A pair of females

I might take you up on that offer sadguppy if things get out of hand ;-). I have just got a larger tank so I hope to move the harlequins and eventually the neons into there.

Turns out that the lfs gave me a male and a female and they have laid eggs! Fingers crossed everything turns out ok for them. I'm also going to start using ro water from now on, so that should help.

That is great

make sure you transfer the filter to the new tank if all the fish are moving, or share the media between the filters if you are keeping the old tank for the rams?

RO water is probably the way to go with rams, but if it gets expensive set up a water butt and use boiled rainwater to mix with tap water.

And it is nice to meet someone (quite) local - if your eggs come to anything I would love the challenge of keeping a pair!

I'd suggest that you not take a pair from the same parents... Far better to take one from one source and one from another GBRs are sensitive enough, inbreeding is not a great idea.

Not to breed from, a pair of females perhaps. Or a singleton, but not to breed.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Gotcha... When I read "pair", I just assume male and female.