Rams

[markandhisfish]

due to upgrade tank this year , with a few exceptions most oif my current fish will be rehomed cos i want to get away from the usual tetras etc and have slightly larger fish.

i want to add some blue rams but have read thet they are quite fussy and like a mature tank,

once the new tank is cycled i will put in my pearl gouramis ret tailed black shark and plec
how long after this would you leave it before adding the rams when i read mature tank im thinkin in terms of 6 months

 

[waterdrop]

fwiw, 6 months is the time period I've heard associated with the term "mature tank" also, but I'm not an expert in rams

 

[markandhisfish]

thats what im thinking but dont wanna wait that long for em!!

 

[minxfishy]

Rams prefer a ph between 6.5 and 7.2, however they can be acclimatised to slighter higher ph's (mine are in 7.6 and doing well).

A mature tank is best, possibly 3 -4 months, but more important is water quality. Ie: no ammonia, nitrites and preferably nitrates under 20ppm.

You will want plenty of hiding places and plants as these make them more secure and more likely to come out. I would concerned with the RTBS with them. Rams as with all cichlids are territorial as is the RTBS, so I would re-home him too.

How many where you thinking of getting? What size will the tank be?

They are sensitive fish but providing you keep up with the water quality and keep them with relatively peaceful fish, you should be ok.

Edit to add, they like water temp to be around 80, so bear that in mind when choosing other fish.

 

[ox5477]

I would def say the rtbs and rams are a no go together depending on what sized tank you have (a very big tank is less of an issue). If you have a 150L tank, then I would say a pair would fit in their perfectly. Anything smaller and you might want to just get a single individual for the reason of territory and that if the ram pair breeds, they will harrass all your other stocking to protect their babies (like all cichlids, very good parents).

Ox

 

[markandhisfish]

tank will be 4 ft 240l well planted with piece of bogwood and mangrove root , poss a couple of plec caves floorspace permiting , my red tailed black shark is nearly 3" and is very peacefull he quite hapily swims around the tank mingling with all the other fish even the small ones like neons etc very rarely chases anything.

im hoping that with careful stocking levels this will provide a large enough tank with enough hiding places for the shark to stay as he is my fave fish and i could never get rid of him even my girlfriend likes him!!

have looked at a few other dwarf cichlids but none as eye catching as rams

basicly i really want the rams but not at the expense of billy as i call him ( due to the fact he has "no mates" lol being the sole shark)

do you rekon bearing in mind how peacefull he is and the type of setup i could do it or if not any other pretty dwarf cichlids you can think of

many thanks mark

 

[ox5477]

Well yes, all aggressive fish start off peaceful mark. But, as they grow, they mature and become very protective of their territory. It is a natural instinct to protect it to have a place to show off to a girl and have ample feeding grounds. The rtbs is prob fine with the neons because they are no threat to the rtbs. but, the rams will also try and claim territory so this will be perceived as a threat to the shark...

Ox

 

[markandhisfish]

ok that is a very valid point but have read about rams only really being territorial when spawning?what i am hoping to acheive is to provide enough territory for both is this realistic?

 

[minxfishy]

Whilst more territorial when spawning is true, they still defend their patch regularly. In a 240 you may be lucky but then again....... Its really up to you, if you do decide to get some rams and then a problem occurs, be ready to move either the rams or the RTBS quickly.

You could try to re-arrange the whole tank prior to putting the rams in, thus given them and the RTBS time to find their own home, rather than them all deciding that they want the same spot. Plenty of caves, bogwood and plants is your best bet.

I wouldnt do it personally, but Im sure others have and had success, so its your call

 

[markandhisfish]

hmmm ok not too sure now will give it some thought

 

[vinylman]

hmmm ok not too sure now will give it some thought

Absolutely the best thing to do. FWIW, when I kept Rams a couple of years ago I found them to be very unpredictable; one day they'd be fine, next day they'd be having a go at fully grown Swordtails - and Swordtails aren't exactly shrinking violets, I can assure you.

 

[markandhisfish]

how about firemouth cichlids?

 

[minxfishy]

Even more aggressive than Rams, again with the RTBS that would be a no no - sorry mate.