Blue ram compatibility

[magnadeuce]

I want to stock three german blue rams in my 29 gallon long tank. I have two pictus cats right now and I have heard they can get along. Should I get rid of the cats? I have rocks, plants, some pottery for hiding in the tank.

[chaibill]

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile70.html

I think you need a bigger tank

[Coler]

If you have the option to rehome the pictus cats then do so - they get hooooog.

There are plenty of other nice cats that will suit the tank and the rams - any amount of plecos for a start, a school of corydoras (could do both in fact).

And welcome to AC :)

[bs6749]

You should only keep rams in sexed pairs. A 29g is fine for two sexed pairs of rams if the other tankmates are compatible.

[jpappy789]

hooooog? LOL

I agree, remove the pictus cats as soon as you can...

And I wouldn't say that rams need to be in pairs. Single rams or a group of females can work...in some situations harems work as well.

[magnadeuce]

yes, after researching a little further, I agree. I read that I could have three (2 females, one male) but I think two are just as good. I am trying to decide on some top dwellers, maybe angels. any good ideas?

[jpappy789]

not in that size tank...

Tetras and corys make great tankmates.

[Pittbull]

I agree with pappy..

[jbradt]

Harlequin rasboras make a nice counterpoint to GBR's in my opinion, and they get along well.

[bs6749]

GBR's are not harem spawners. This was one of the reasons why they were removed from the genus Apistogramma. If you have any odd number of rams in the tank or if you keep them in ratios other than 1M to 1F you will have the unpaired rams being picked on constantly, which will cause them continual stress and will eventually lead to the death of those unpaired fish. You'll be reporting back in two months time asking why your lone ram is being picked on and asking "what should I do?". Well, I'm letting you know beforehand that you will have problems if you go with ratios other than 1M to 1F.

I've successfully kept 4 breeding pairs in my 55g. I only ordered 3 but was sent 4 and didn't have room for the 4th pair. I was worried at first that things wouldn't work out but I made it work by having the tank heavily planted. Four pairs in a 4ft long tank was fine because the pairs each require a 1ft square area footprint of the tank. Two pairs will not be a problem in your 29g. The two pairs will stay on opposite ends of the tank once two pairs for. The only time that you will see any displays of aggression would be during feeding and when the rams get close to the center line of the tank. I've had rams for years so I know these fish and how they act.

[Star_Rider]

you could keep heavy cover in the tank.. offer line of sight cover.. rams tend to not have a large territory. breaking up the line of sight will allow a place for any 3rd wheel to go. but you will probably have to understand there could be some aggression in the tank.

a 29 is fine for a single angel with the rams.

[Kennedy327]

I had 1 male gbr in a 29, his tank mates were a trio of panda corys and a small shoal of harlequin rasyboras. I love corys and the rasyboras worked as good entertainment for the ram, he would usually do his own thing till the rasyboras came close then he would throw a fit and chase them for a minute. Good times.

[magnadeuce]

Can I mix two different species of Rams in my tank? I found homes for all my old fish (thank god, it would be hard for me to kill them).

[Bubbles2112]

Some marbled hatchet fish would also be a good tankmate with your GBRs.