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Another setup I am considering


hoges

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Hi All,

I have a spare 2.5 foot tank sitting around empty at the moment and I was thinking that maybe I might finally purchase some gold and blue rams and put a tank together, but I'm a bit wary after a few comments that have been made about them on the forums in relation to the complexity of keeping them happy and healthy.

They won't be the only fish in the tank if I do, do this setup. They will share it with some small clownloaches (probably 4) and 2 bristlenose cat fish - As these fish can't stay in their current tank.

What are people's opinions about these fish?? Will they be okay with cloanies and bristlenoses??? What other fish can I put in with them???

Oh and one more thing I have a smallish very docile festivum that is getting picked on in his current setup, would he be okay in with rams, or is that not a wise idea???

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Hi,,

I've found the festivums get pretty large and can get a little aggro, having said that i have kept them with rams but in a 4x2x2. IMO in your sized tank you'd be better off sticking with dwarfs...

As for ram survival rates - i have had much greater success with imported fish rather than those aus bred ones. With the imported fish if they survive the quarantine process and a couple of weeks in store i buy them straight away and give them a good gill fluke treatment (praziquantel) and quarantine for 4 weeks in their own tank, where i condition them well on live foods etc...

The pair that i had that bred repeatedly were imports, and like others i havent had much luck with the local ones.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/fishylenny/maleram.jpg

http://users.bigpond.net.au/fishylenny/ramspawning.jpg

The imports/wild ones are usually at least double or triple the price, but worth it as they get larger with better colour despite what they look like in store. Just add some TLC and they will spawn readily and sometimes almost immediately in the Q tank..

HTH

Other fish I've kept with rams include most of the available species of Apistogramma as well as various small tetras, guppies tongue.gif, and Ancistrus species of catfish.

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okay cool, well i might see if i can leave festivum where he is and just install some dividers.

so do you think a couple of rams, in with some brissies and clownies would be okay in the 2.5???

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Hoges,

I would definitely ditch the clown loach, grow big and very active, and think twice about the bristlenose. Mainly because Rams tend to lay eggs and then almost ignore them, leaving snacks for all,

As far as Ram survival rates, look very carefully at the fish themselves, good colour, nice coloured bellies on the females. The best rams I have always found charge to the top looking for food as soon as the tank is approached. As a general rule, German Rams (if true german rams and not asian German Rams???) good, Locally bred Rams good (first generation australians), asian rams pretty much guaranteed to die, Wild Rams I have seen and heard people say very hard to keep - but I wanna have a go.

Rams have a bad name with people, but are well worth the trouble. I suggest a planted tank - and make sure the plants are healthy and estabished B4 adding the rams. (Dunno why this works, but it seems to. All my best ram experience either planted or bare bottom with heaps of healthy java moss)

I love cardinals and checkerboards with rams for a great looking display tank, or keep the rams by themselves and let them set up there own family. biggrin.gif

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