So I've been thinking about setting up a 25 gallon tank in the future, and one of the fish I really have my eye on is the Bolivian ram. I've been searching online for a while trying to find if there are any other fish of a similar size and temperament who would do well with it, but I just want to see if anyone can give me some other suggestions other than mollies and schooling fish. I would really like to have one Bolivian, 1 other nice fish, and probably a small school of Corys, so any info would be greatly appreciated!
Bolivian ram tank mates
- Thread starter bighawk
- Start date
Gee, a 25g is kind of small for more than a pair(?) of Bolivian rams. But a single ram, well, maybe a small school of tetras or corydoras. Nothing that may eventually be ram bite size or ram fin nipper. I don't think you can have a ram & a similar sized fish & a school of anything...
I'm not sure of the dimensions of a 25g. I know 29g & 20g (both long & "regular") as standard tank sizes. Can you tell what shape that is? Bow front? or some other shape tank? There are many it "could be", but "usual", not as much.
Without more info I'd guess a M & F pair of rams & be done stocking.
I'm not sure of the dimensions of a 25g. I know 29g & 20g (both long & "regular") as standard tank sizes. Can you tell what shape that is? Bow front? or some other shape tank? There are many it "could be", but "usual", not as much.
Without more info I'd guess a M & F pair of rams & be done stocking.
Yeah I think they're pretty cool, I like the honey gouramis too, but I've seen mixed reviews on whether they need to be kept in pairs or not. Definitely at the top of the list though
The dimensions are 24x12x20 inches, just a regular rectangle shaped tank. I appreciate the feedback, I've been seeing a lot online saying that 15 gallons should be enough for a pair of rams, but they do seem like the sort of fish that likes having more space, so having more of it makes a lot of sense
With a taller tank you may want to have an upper level fish so there's some activity up there. Both bolivian rams & corys are bottom or very low level swimmers. Pygmy or other dwarf corys might be a good choice for a smaller tank.
If you don't want to have the Bolivians breed then just 1 would be good
. It sounds like you don't & that's ok. Fry can be fun but cichlids can breed every month, it gets old in a way. It doesn't sound like you want a "project" right now.
Most tetras are low-mid water level swimmers. I haven't kept pencil fish or hatchets (the cute little marbled kind) but hatchets will jump!! A tight cover is a must. If you're not New World-centric I love rasboras of several, kinds but mid level schoolers...not really upper level.
A dwarf gourami would be ok size wise but I haven't seen really healthy 1s in many, many years (see iridovirus, dwarf gourami disease. It's fatal). Honeys can get it too but not as likely. I've always liked honeys but never had the right tank at the right time. Some say they're more school-y than other gouramis. I would do a M & F pair, maybe 1M, 2 F, & skip the tetra/pencil/hatchet idea. I'm not sure how a single honey would do...research more!
Let's just mention substrate before you get a tank. Cichlids (& corys to a lesser extent) tend to "chew" sand & either spit out back out their mouths or maybe out the gills if smooth & fine enough. So you want sand or fine gravel so your Bolivian can do that. Even medium gravel will not allow them to do that much & a lot of food & poo will fall between the gravel & you'll have to vacuum it out. No pea gravel, it's too coarse.
& now for my usual live plant nagging thoughts. Some plants are super easy & upper level fish like gouramis & hatchets especially like them. Honeys for the bubble nesting thing, hatchets so they know where the top is & less apt to jump. Just think about it, we can talk about plants later.
If you don't want to have the Bolivians breed then just 1 would be good
. It sounds like you don't & that's ok. Fry can be fun but cichlids can breed every month, it gets old in a way. It doesn't sound like you want a "project" right now.Most tetras are low-mid water level swimmers. I haven't kept pencil fish or hatchets (the cute little marbled kind) but hatchets will jump!! A tight cover is a must. If you're not New World-centric I love rasboras of several, kinds but mid level schoolers...not really upper level.
A dwarf gourami would be ok size wise but I haven't seen really healthy 1s in many, many years (see iridovirus, dwarf gourami disease. It's fatal). Honeys can get it too but not as likely. I've always liked honeys but never had the right tank at the right time. Some say they're more school-y than other gouramis. I would do a M & F pair, maybe 1M, 2 F, & skip the tetra/pencil/hatchet idea. I'm not sure how a single honey would do...research more!
Let's just mention substrate before you get a tank. Cichlids (& corys to a lesser extent) tend to "chew" sand & either spit out back out their mouths or maybe out the gills if smooth & fine enough. So you want sand or fine gravel so your Bolivian can do that. Even medium gravel will not allow them to do that much & a lot of food & poo will fall between the gravel & you'll have to vacuum it out. No pea gravel, it's too coarse.
& now for my usual live plant nagging thoughts. Some plants are super easy & upper level fish like gouramis & hatchets especially like them. Honeys for the bubble nesting thing, hatchets so they know where the top is & less apt to jump. Just think about it, we can talk about plants later.