New tank, what to stock with rams?

[Jessman]

I’ve decided to go back to fish keeping after selling my 4 tanks two years ago.

So I’ve just bought a new 160L tank (haven’t picked it up yet so don’t know the parameters or make/model but have been told it’s more than 1meter wide) and I’ve got a list of the fish I would like but need advice on what would go best together etc.

So I definitely want 2 pairs of rams, a pair of german blue and a pair of electric blue, and I’m just thinking what would go best with these? I want a really colourful tank and as full as possible withoutoverstocking. I would also like a red finned/red tail shark.

I like guppies, platys, tetras (any kind), tiger barbs, rainbow fish, rasboras, and fish along those lines, I also had a pleco and corys in mind.

So would anyone be able to give me an idea of a stock list I could have please? Thanks in advance

 

[Byron]

A few issues here to avoid. I'll start with the rams.

The common or blue ram, in any of its derived varieties like Blue, Gold, German Blue, etc, is the species Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. It needs warmth, at least 80F/27C. This will limit possible tankmates as many "tropicals" cannot manage at such high temperatures permanently.

Males are territorial, sometimes aggressively so, and a 160 liter (40 gallon) is not sufficient space for more than one pair. Females also can get aggressive when protecting eggs/fry, and I have had a female kill other females in the tank, and that in a 4-foot 70 gallon heavily planted.

Rams must bond, meaning they must select each other; any male and female put in a tank is not always going to work, usually the female is harassed to the point of death, sometimes it works in reverse. I can explain how you get a bonded pair if asked.

Tankmates must be sedate, not active swimming, and not fin nipping. This lets out all danios and barbs (the cherry barb is an exception, but I would go with characins before cherry barbs, and in any event the high temperature is pushing the barb that is better in cooler water). The Red Tailed Shark is not going to work, the tank is too small and it can be downright nasty if the mood strikes it. Cories, but depends upon species, as most are not warm-water fish.

Water parameters have not been given (your source water). M. ramirezi do best kept in water in which they were raised, which means knowing the breeder (not the store) which is not always possible, so it is probably best to go with what you have and hope it works. [Wild caught rams would need very soft acidic water, but none of the varieties are wild caught.] I will wait until we have the parameters before suggesting suitable fish; many will be wild caught--pencilfish and hatchetfish for one example are ideal dither fish with dwarf cichlids but these will be wild caught with one or two exceptions. Temperature will also have to be kept in mind.

 

[Jessman]

A few issues here to avoid. I'll start with the rams.

The common or blue ram, in any of its derived varieties like Blue, Gold, German Blue, etc, is the species Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. It needs warmth, at least 80F/27C. This will limit possible tankmates as many "tropicals" cannot manage at such high temperatures permanently.

Males are territorial, sometimes aggressively so, and a 160 liter (40 gallon) is not sufficient space for more than one pair. Females also can get aggressive when protecting eggs/fry, and I have had a female kill other females in the tank, and that in a 4-foot 70 gallon heavily planted.

Rams must bond, meaning they must select each other; any male and female put in a tank is not always going to work, usually the female is harassed to the point of death, sometimes it works in reverse. I can explain how you get a bonded pair if asked.

Tankmates must be sedate, not active swimming, and not fin nipping. This lets out all danios and barbs (the cherry barb is an exception, but I would go with characins before cherry barbs, and in any event the high temperature is pushing the barb that is better in cooler water). The Red Tailed Shark is not going to work, the tank is too small and it can be downright nasty if the mood strikes it. Cories, but depends upon species, as most are not warm-water fish.

Water parameters have not been given (your source water). M. ramirezi do best kept in water in which they were raised, which means knowing the breeder (not the store) which is not always possible, so it is probably best to go with what you have and hope it works. [Wild caught rams would need very soft acidic water, but none of the varieties are wild caught.] I will wait until we have the parameters before suggesting suitable fish; many will be wild caught--pencilfish and hatchetfish for one example are ideal dither fish with dwarf cichlids but these will be wild caught with one or two exceptions. Temperature will also have to be kept in mind.

Thanks for your reply.
The water in my area is soft but I am unsure of the pH, do I need to test it or will it say on the water providers website?

As for the pair of rams, I was planning on asking the store for ready paired ones (they have all the rams in one tank) this is what I did a few years ago when I bought Kribs from them. But thanks for the advice I will keep to one pair instead of two.

Like I said I want a full looking and colourful tank but without overstocking, so I would be very grateful for suggestions, thank you

 

[Byron]

As for the pair of rams, I was planning on asking the store for ready paired ones (they have all the rams in one tank) this is what I did a few years ago when I bought Kribs from them.

 

[Byron]

The water in my area is soft but I am unsure of the pH, do I need to test it or will it say on the water providers website?

It might. Check for the GH number and the unit used (mg/l, ppm, degrees, etc), and the KH (Alkalinity or carbonate hardness) is worth knowing if posted. GH and KH tend to remain fairly stable unless something is targeting them and depending upon the value. The pH may lower, but the GH and KH will tell you how this may play out.

It is worth having a pH test kit, as this can be tested periodically and be useful in any problem. The API Master Combo liquid test contains ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH; these are worth having and using.

I'll wait for numbers before getting into fish species. Aquascaping...do you intend live plants, or perhaps an authentic "blackwater" type (no need to actually tint the water, I have "blackwater" habitat tanks that are not tinted but with very soft and acidic water, you can have lots of wood, branches, dried leaves for an authentic habitat. Fish need to be chosen with this in mind too.

As for the pair of rams, I was planning on asking the store for ready paired ones (they have all the rams in one tank) this is what I did a few years ago when I bought Kribs from them.

I have found with rams that it is best to spend several minutes, say 15-20, in front of the tank as motionless as you can be. The males will be obvious by their constant "charging" each other. Look for the females closest to each male, there is usually going to be one that the male ignores. These two should be OK. Not fool-proof, but generally works.

The other method is to acquire half a dozen or more, and let a pair form. Problem with this is, you then have a tank of fish to get rid of. And there is no guarantee the half dozen will result in a bonding pair anyway.