# Blue Ram in a 10gal.



## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Once my 10gal. planted tank is through cycling, I was going to put a few Dwarf Puffers in it, but the more I read about them the less I want them. I have always like Blue Rams and finaly got to see a couple at the lfs, I really really want a pair. Could I keep 2 in my tank, with a few cories? Or is there something they go with better? It's my understanding their not an aggressive fish, am I correct on this?


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

The are complete wussies. They will do fine if you keep your tank cycled nicely, and do very consistant water changes. They need pristine conditions, so if you keep your nitrates under 10, a pair of rams and a few aeneus cories would work well.


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## girth vader (Apr 24, 2006)

they are very tricky as stated above. Any flux in water and it could be belly up. I gave up on them and the golds.... Bolivians are hardier and I think have more personality and they get quite nice too.


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

Yeah, you can, but a larger tank is more forgiving and would probably be better for rams. I had a pair in my 29g. They did fine, but as soon as I let up on maintenance for a nanosecond, whammo. It was over.


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## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Girth Vader, where did you find your's? I looked up the Bolivians, but couldn't find any shops that sold them. Are they difficult to come by?


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## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

no... you must not have very good shops 

around here they are common


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2007)

If your lfs does not have them, they may order some for you if you ask. Most local fish shops are pretty nice about that.


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## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Is there a small Chilid that you would recomend for high ph that also won't mind living in a 10gal.? After doing more Ram research they would not do very well in my tank. The water I use has a ph of 8-9.


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## Sue Gremlin (Jan 16, 2007)

Hm. There are a few "dwarf" varieties, but I think most of them are S American, so they would require soft water. I am no cichlid expert, so others may correct me, but I think that's the case. 
The only smallish african I can think of is N. Brichardi, a beautiful fish, but they get 3.5-4" and would be better in a 20g.


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## Fishboy93 (Jun 11, 2005)

You could do shell dwellers aka "shellies" if you have a high pH


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## MyraVan (Jan 19, 2005)

I am in a similar situation to Giddy, having a 10g planted tank that I've been wondering what to do with. I had also thought of dwarf puffers, and may go that way (I can get plenty of pest snails for them to eat from my other tanks). My water is also pretty hard, although not as hard as Giddy's (it has a pH of 7.8).

At our local shop I saw some shellies in a quite small tank, and they had little babies! So cute... In the shop they had a sand substrate. Is this required? My substrate is gravel. Do they like plants? (I know dwarf puffers do.)


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## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Ok so I bought the Blue Rams and 3 Panda Cories. I am pretty neuratic about kepping my water changes regular, but I have really high ph. They are being held at my lfs for 2 weeks or until I get my ph down, using RO water that has a ph of 5. Hopefully I can get my water down to ph 7 with 2 w/c. From then on I will use spring water, that has a nuetral ph of 7. But this is also a thought I'm having; 2 Blue Rams with 8 Panda Cories in my 20gal. and moving the Betta, Gourami, Molly, and Swordtail to my 10gal. But not sure my Betta and Gourami will be ok in a 10gal, would it be ok to leave the Gourami with the Rams, in the 20gal.?

If anyone has detailed advice on how to keep these guys healthy, I would really really really welcome it. I done a whole bunch of research but would like some first hand experience.


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2007)

should be fine with the rams. the rams are bottom dwellers (sorta) and gouramis are surface dwellers (sorta). the should be fine but expect a few nipped gourami fins. 
I am currently looking into putting a pair of rams into my empty 16 gallon with a few cories and some tetras. good luck with yours!


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## Giddy012 (Feb 16, 2007)

Thanks! Good luck with yours


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