I want Cichlid's

[pmcsomething]

So I was at the LFS today and saw 4 beautiful Blue Rams. These are really pretty fish and I would like to have a pair in my tank. After talking to the lady who worked there, I found out that 5 of my 13 fish might not be compatible with them. Those 5 are the Buenos Aries Tetras. I am planning on donating them to a LFS or something. I am not sure how to do that though. They are too aggressive for my tank and they beat on each other. Compared to the docile Neon’s and the Otos, the BA's just don't fit in the tank.

Here is the big question, does water kH and pH make a huge difference to these fish? My kH is about 300 (I know that I have hard water) and my pH might be high for these fish. Would they be able to adapt to those parameters over time? Would Java moss bring down my pH? What plants can be used to help lower and maintain pH naturally with out adding chemicals to control the pH.

Where would you come across wild caught Blue Ram? I think they would tend to be more expensive?

I am just looking for info, so websites that you know of would help too.

Thanks

 

[noob23]

this is a really cool website, good info, and you can e-mail their customer service regarding anything fish related (but who needs them when you have us lol) Tropical Freshwater Aquarium Fish: Ram, German Blue

As for the water, i don't think hardness plays a big role unless you are trying to breed, and so long as it stays constant, they should be okay.

 

[pmcsomething]

I would eventually like to breed them, hence why I want a male and a female. I have been doing some more reading, as of right now, there are no real hiding spots for them, and my plants aren't as dense as I would like. So I think there is some more things I need to accomplish before I work on getting them. Now here is the question, would tank breed or wild caught be the best to purchase?

After doing some reading, I am going to guess that the LFS has pretty much the same water that I have. So adapting them to my tank would not be that hard. I just want to get more plants though.

 

[noob23]

well if you plan to breed, then the water needs to be soft. Thats a good question though about the wild caught ones, i don't know if their even available. Try aquabid.com maybe they have some. Wild fish are always way more sensitive than tank bred ones, but they are usually way more colorful. So idk, if you want, and you can find wild caught rams, go for it but they might be hard to keep.

 

[SinisterKisses]

If you're new to the cichlid scene, rams are probably not the way to go. They can be, and usually are, a very finiky species that is difficult to keep alive and well for a lot of people, including experienced fish keepers. They need practically pristine water conditions - as per their natural water conditions, so very soft water and a low pH level. If your water is very hard out of the tap, it will be a lot of work for you to bring it down and keep it there. Peat moss is what will help to lower it, but that of course will release tanins into the water and turn it yellow.

And actually, WC cichlids are often less colourful than their tank-raised counterparts, simply because tank-raised fish have been line bred to enhance their colours a lot of the time.

 

[brooklynfish]

I agree with Kisses. I was at my lfs the other day and they were selling wild caught 'Columbian rams' for $10. However, they did not look as nice as TR rams. Plus, they were $4 more expensive and smaller then the other TR rams.

 

[TabMorte]

If you like the Rams but aren't sure about keeping your water perameters, the Bolivian Rams, while not as colorful as the German Blues, are much more forgiving. Or if you want a colorful fish that breeds well you might want to look at Kribs?

I wanted the rams badly too myself for my new tank but after doing a lot of research into them I decided they weren't the best choice because I too have hard water where I live and I wasn't confident in my ability to keep the water soft and clean enough for them. So we decided Kribs were definitely a better choice given what we wanted and the water sourse we were using.

 

[sweetpickles7]

I disagree with you tab. I think that bolivians are just as nice,if not nicer than GBR's. Also if your trying to breed rams its always a good idea to get them kind of young and get 1 male and 2 females to start out. Rams form a life long pair, but just because you have a male and female doesnt mean that they will breed. Kribs would probably work best for you water wise, but if the levels are stable than it shouldnt matter what you really keep. My water is hard but i had trouble keeping kribs but did great with bolivians, they will most likely adapt. Although i would agree in that you should stay away from the GBR's.

 

[TabMorte]

The only Bolvians I've seen have been at the pet store and so admittedly probably weren't at their best!

 

[pmcsomething]

So it looks like Bolivian’s are going to be the way to go for me? As much as I want to be defiant, and get the GBR's I respect everyone's advice and will look into the Bolivian Rams. Is there an easier dwarf cichlid to get started with? Then I can upgrade to others? I would like to get some fish that have some personalities, not like my current fish who get all jumpy when I move around.