What goes with rams???

[Moe]

OK I talked to LFS they say they will take back the tiger barbs. They just would not get along with anything. They even took a chunk out of one of the cory cats. That was the last straw. Now my tank has nothing in it. Some other fish were moved to a 10G. I'm starting fresh.
I would like to get some blue rams and a pair of Krib to start. Tank is 20G planted. How many rams should I get and what else can I put in the tank with them?

 

[reg2k2]

Tetras...for one.

 

[Dionaea]

I love Rams. I kept one for about two years in my 10g planted tank with cardinals, red phantoms, and Corydoras trillineatus. The Ram would half-heartedly chase the cories at feeding time just to show them who was the boss, but was otherwise peaceful.
For the 20, I would get one nice male, or a pair. If you get a pair, and they decide to mate, they can become territorial, so be cautious. Also, I would introduce any cichlids (even Kribs) last. The cories were added after the Ram, and they are the only fish he bothered. You could keep a few more if you just wanted to keep Rams and Kribs, but for a community tank, I'd recommend what I said before. HTH.

-James

 

[aernympha]

I would of thought that two pairs of cichlids eg. rams and kribs tere isnt enough room for there territories i would surjest only one pair , and also kirbs come form africa and rams from south america its might be hard to keep both speies happy with water conditions!!! i would go with th ram s cos they are very sweet!!! and then u can get some tetras!!!!

 

[Moe]

Got the rams, love them. Am thinking of adding a school of tetras or danios and possibly a gourami and some cory.

 

[teknikz]

I GOT A RAM N HE'S LOVELY.......VERY HARDY TOO.....HE'S THE ONLY FISH I HAVE THAT SURVIVED MY NEWBIE MISTAKES

THE ONLY THING IS THO....THAT HE HATED THE GOURAMI.......THE GOURAMI PESTERED HIM LOTSLY WITH HIS FEELERS.....BUT MAYBE THAT WAS JUST MY 1

ANYWAY.....GOOD LOOK WITH THE RAMS AND IF U WANT THE COLOURS TO BOOM THEN FEED FROZEN OR LIVE BLOODWORM

Tek

 

[Alien Anna]

I would imagine a gourami would be too territorial to cope with the equally territorial cichlids (rams or kribs). If you want to base your tank around a pair of rams I think a couple of schools of tetras would be great.

Alternatively, consider Beckford's golden pencilfish - they are small (although they can be 2" long, they are incredibly thin so don't really count as 2" fish), they have tiny mouths so can't cause any damage, very colourful and easy to keep, despite the dire warnings I seem to read everywhere about how difficult they are. Sadly, they aren't very long lived (about 18 months - 2 years) so I've only got one of the school left but I'd have them again in a heartbeat (if I had room). They do need a well cycled tank, nitrates must be no higher than 25 ppm and you need to be diligent about water changes. I don't really know why the various species of pencilfish aren't more popular than they seem to be.

For upper water, have a look at marbled hatchet fish. I haven't kept them myself but a friend surprised me by saying they are also relatively easy to keep, despite their reputation. I think what it comes down to is good tank management practices which most people, frankly, don't have the patience for. Marbled hatchet fish require very similar water conditions to pencilfish so would go well. Like pencilfish they are also insectivores and like daphnia, bloodworms etc.

Just some slightly different suggestions.

P.S. Don't keep SAEs and pencilfish in the same tank - the SAE mistakes them for other SAEs and territory disputes can occur.

 

[aernympha]

i think that rummy nose tetras/preetty tetras/ cardinal tetras would be good with ur rams !!! a big shoal of them would be very impressive!!! dnt get neons cos they are too small and not very hardy!!!

 

[Alien Anna]

i think that rummy nose tetras/preetty tetras/ cardinal tetras would be good with ur rams !!! a big shoal of them would be very impressive!!! dnt get neons cos they are too small and not very hardy!!!

Rummy-nosed tetras are quite delicate in my experience. But no worse than some of the other fish I suggested (pencilfish and hatchets). There is also the size problem, given that this is a fairly small tank: rummy-nosed tetras are about 2.5".

 

[aernympha]

i got rummy nose tetras down as 2 inches lol, but they are so cute i really want some!!! but not enuogh room but if i had a million pounds, i'd buy a small house and fill it with tanks muhahhaha!!!!!

 

[Moe]

Oh My God. I read all your info thought it sounded great, set out to LFS. By the time I got there I got mixed up and thought you all suggested a school of danio. I got 6 zebra danio. When I got home I put the fish in they are so cool, swim a lot, don't seem to be bothering the Rams. I went to the computer to say thanks for the great advice and realized you all said tetras not danios. I have to start writing things down. I hope the danios and rams will get along well. Anyway thanks for all your help.

 

[Alien Anna]

Oh My God. I read all your info thought it sounded great, set out to LFS. By the time I got there I got mixed up and thought you all suggested a school of danio. I got 6 zebra danio. When I got home I put the fish in they are so cool, swim a lot, don't seem to be bothering the Rams. I went to the computer to say thanks for the great advice and realized you all said tetras not danios. I have to start writing things down. I hope the danios and rams will get along well. Anyway thanks for all your help.

Danios will be great! It's just that people think danios are a bit boring (I disagree) and want something more exotic. But danios can cope with practically any water conditions and are great little survivors.

Danios are also fast swimmers and some people prefer the graceful tetra drifting to typical danio haring about, but if you like danios that's just great!

I'm sure they'll get on fine with the rams - especially since danios prefer middle to upper water. I'm sure somebody did mention danios earlier on in your musings, it's just that traditionally people put rams and tetras together (because presumably they come from a similar part of the world). Oh, and danios are a little larger than some of the tetras we discussed, which is an issue with a smaller tank if you want to get a lot of different fish in.