Rams?

[abraham3660]

Here's another, Can I have rams thread. I have a 20H planted tank with 6 cherry barbs and 2 otos. I have been wanting to keep rams for a long time. I got my water today and everything was perfect. I also do frequent water changes. I would like to keep a pair of rams, and possibly try to breed but that is way down the road. I have looked at gbr and Bolivian rams. I like gbr a little better because their colors are so amazing. I have read that they are picky about water conditions. What does this mean? What do I need to look out for? I also know I have hard water. RO systems are way too expensive on my tight budget. What can I do to soften my water like a chemical or something? Do Bolivians have any special needs? Any tips or advice would be great. Thank you

[genocidex]

what degree of hard water? whats the ph? you never want chemicals to do your work. if you must lower your hardness then filtering threw peatmoss will do some good. but i would say if your tap is not good readings for a picky fish then dont get said fish.

GBRs from my research (i will be breeding mine as well), need softer water and lower ph. they are picky because they are sensitive to the water quality. if you go without water changes too long or let organic waste build up then they can get sick easily or worst. BUT on the other hand the bolivian are way more forgiving and im sure with the proper aclimation to your tap water they should do better than the GBRs at least.

ive been seeing GBRs tolerate 7.0 ph but ive seen that bolivians comfort is higher and can most likely tolerate harder waters.

if you must get the rams with hard water i would say the bolivian is your safe bet.

but if you have very hard well water you might think of possibly doing a shelly tank..... just an idea.... lol
(an fyi, i was planning a mbuna tank with my 55g.... decided against it cause my ph out of the tap is 6.6 and 0-1 gh (super soft).... sounds like we are at polar opposites lol)

[homemadepopcorn]

Rams are most comfortable at a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 usually... Since you have hard water, its going to be very difficult for you to bring the your water softness down and lower your pH.

The best way to do this would be by mixing your water with DI or RO water but since that isnt an option you'll have to try something else. You could buy distilled water in place of your own homemade RO/DI water, but this is only practical for small water changes even on your 20g tank.

Filtering over peat moss will signifcantly lower your pH and decrease the overall hardness. However, you should know that it will discolor your water significantly. You can always remove the color with carbon, but that just adds to the expense.

Do not use any chemicals to lower pH or reduce hardness. You have a better chance at killing your fish than you do creating a more suitable environment for them.

As far as GBR vs. Bolivian, the Bolivians are easier to keep and tend to be hardier. The GBRs are more sensitive but will do well as long as their water parameters are perfect.

[abraham3660]

Just tested my ph and it's around 7.8..... This is very high considering I have dirt with sand cap and a piece of driftwood in the tank. Will peat moss bring it down to where it needs to be?

[pjaldave]

I think you shouldn't really be messing your pH like so. Just let it be.

A pair of rams will not really work in a 20H anyways. They need more room than that IMO.

[Zanre96]

I agree with pjaldave do a degree... You can try to add more drift wood and use peat in your filter, but water changes will be a hassle for you and stressful for your fish. So maybe not best for gbr. A pair of rams would work fine in a 20, heck I breed my golds, germans, and electric blues in 5g tanks and then when they're done they head for my 70g. I also keep Bolivian rams and man are they attention whores. They will sit at the front of the tank all day begging for food. Never been successful on breeding but I still love em'. I would work out your water issue first before deciding.

[ryann]

I think you could keep bolivians, just make sure you acclimate them properly. I wouldn't try GBRs if I were you. 7.8 is high but it can be done. That's around where my ph is and I have 2 bolivian rams in my 20 gallon high tank. Just keep up with water changes.

I would stay away from messing with ph as well. It's a never ending cycle and its dangerous to mess with it for your fishes' sake.

[abraham3660]

Yes, I have also read that you should not try messing with the ph. I'm having a hard time settling on Bolivians, because I really wanted a colorful, eye catching, fish. But I have to think about what's best for te fish.

[Zanre96]

Guppies are colourful ;)

[abraham3660]

Haha guppies are not exactly my type of fish lol

[pjaldave]

Rams need more swimming space the a 20G high will provide. Especially when they're breeding (or trying to), the female needs space to escape from the male, IMO.

[abraham3660]

Ok so if I only got 1 male ram, what else could I add to my tank? I would like to have some variety. Right now I have 6 cherry barbs, 2 otos, and a small bn pleco.

[Zanre96]

guppies...