Advice on setting up for rams needed

[Lardeelion]

Having never kept rams, I'm going about this slowly and with as much advice as I can get. This post is about aquascape/hardscape. I know I need driftwood and flat rocks. The photo is the right side of the 55-gallon. I need more driftwood and rocks on the other side (if I can find a piece of slate...Lowes?), but is this generally the kind of habitat I should be aiming for? More hiding places? More flat rocks?

And yeah, it's a little unkempt right now. So is my kitchen.

 

[Lardeelion]

I got these pieces the other day. Are they "rammy" enough? All of them? Some of them?

 

[matty2085]

I keep Bolivians in a similar set up. You have some nice planting there and they'll definitely appreciate that. The driftwood looks good too. Breaks in line of sight help a lot - at least they do for me as my community tank is on the small side. What rams are you getting?

 

[Lardeelion]

I've been leaning towards Bolivians because they're hardy. At the moment, my LFS is having a 20% off fish sale and they have GBR, electric blues, balloon rams and German gold. My tank has been established for 10 years so I probably could handle the more delicate rams. Not sure.

 

[matty2085]

I would have had GBRs had my pH not been too high. Wish you luck with them Oh and your aquarium doesn't look unkempt...it has a natural look that I love. Looks great!

 

[Lardeelion]

Thanks! I wasn't blessed with an eye for aquascaping so the natural look is prolly the only way to go.

 

[nacho1cheese]

Honestly I can say that my gbr are the best fish that I've ever had! You won't regret getting them. I have 4 and one pair has laid eggs! I will definitely praise you for starting this thread and wanting to know more on these fish. I see too many beginners with new tanks getting gbr without knowing anything about them. I'd be happy to help with any questions regarding them

 

[Lardeelion]

Honestly I can say that my gbr are the best fish that I've ever had! You won't regret getting them. I have 4 and one pair has laid eggs! I will definitely praise you for starting this thread and wanting to know more on these fish. I see too many beginners with new tanks getting gbr without knowing anything about them. I'd be happy to help with any questions regarding them

Well thanks! I have plenty and if I screw up, I want to know why. About six or seven years ago I was the person saying, "Oh, lovely fish. I'll take a couple." And then of course, belly up within a few weeks and I hadn't even considered a ram in years until I educated myself about them recently. Er, started to educate myself.

I'm nervous about these rams. I've got everything they need, physically (except soft water, but my water is softer than the LFS's water). I've read and read and read until my eyeballs hurt.

At some point I have to ask questions at my LFS, and I never know if I should. They're not the Petco idiots. This is a LFS like none I have ever seen. I know they know their stuff; I can't decide whether the boss tells them that the bottom line is more important. I went up yesterday and got balloon rams. They were the ones on sale (no Bolivians at all) and only after I thought about it did I realize that these fish probably have the deck stacked against them even more with their man-made deformity. Anyway, the dude told me 3 would be an appropriate number, and of course my iPhone was dead and I couldn't Google it to confirm or deny. The LFS is a long drive, so I can't just pop in. I took home 3, not knowing if that was an appropriate number or not.

So far, so good. A little bit of bickering between two of them. They're staring at me through the glass, I swear.

 

[nacho1cheese]

Aaww balloons! Yeah rams are very observant. The will recognize you when you come up to the tank and will grow attached to you. I did have a conversation with someone on the delicacy of electric German rams. because they are selectively bred to look like that they tend to be a little more sensitive but not impossible. Three is good you just wanna know what gender thy are. Idk how old they are right now but when they pair off they will get a little more aggressive. You should find out what gender they are. There is a difference between three males and three female. Males might kill each other but I've never had balloons before

 

[nacho1cheese]

Oh and about the water, that driftwood you put in will soften it for you. don't use any altering chemicals thats a huge no, no

 

[phishfriend]

First, there is nothing wrong with you aqua scaping skills! I like your tank and so well your rams. You will have to post some pics of your new guys or gals! Also I think one of the tricks to rams is lots of small water changes to keep the nitrates down. Good luck!!

 

[Lardeelion]

Here are some photos. Two of the rams are a bit less intense in their color, and one has a pronounced black spot on its shoulder area, but those are the only differences I've taken note of so far. (It's tough to spend an hour staring at the tank when my 2-year-old is ripping keys off the laptop...)

Ammo is 0, trites 0, trates maybe 2 at most. Water changes will be a priority!

Thanks for your input everyone!

(I like the first photo: Fish lips!)

 

[nacho1cheese]

Cute! Wih water changes I just do two 50percent water changes a week, one on Wednesday and one on fri/sat

 

[Rivercats]

Two things, remember with your plants you need to keep your nitrates around 10ppm. I keep 8 rams in the 220g and keep my trates at 10ppm and alittle higher. I have other rams in other tanks and dose with nitrates for the plants.

Another thing, as odd as this sounds you might want to get in the habit of feeding cooked, deshelled peas, smashed a couple times a week. Balloon rams have odd shaped swim bladders like heavy bodied fancy goldfish and they can have constipation issues same as the goldies.

BTW those are nice looking rams!

 

[Lardeelion]

They are lovely buggars aren't they? I give peas to the bettas so I'll make sure the rams get some too.

As for the trates...seems kind of tricky to balance out the plants and the rams, if indeed they want pristine water. I wonder if I got rid of the wisteria, might I have higher trates/nutrients in the tank? At the moment the rams seem to like its protective cover. My next thread will have to be about how to keep from going down the road of deficiency.

 

[Rivercats]

You can always dose dry ferts PPS-Pro but dose low. You know I have a ton of Rams and dose heavy on ferts. I run my tank low nitrates (right at 10ppm) and higher phosphates (1ppm or slightly higher) due to the type of plants I keep. With the dry ferts you can adjust how much you add and by monitoring them with a test kit you always know where you stand. My rams have spawned in tanks with 10-20ppm but seem to do best at 10ppm. Over 20ppm of nitrate Rams suffer. I'd leave their plant and seriously consider a different dosing plan. Plus dry ferts are cheap, a years supply is probably $20 plus shipping.

 

[Lardeelion]

Would you be able to direct me to a site, my friend?

 

[Scottyhorse]

Wow. Your rams are SO pretty. I am going to hitchhike and follow the thread! I want to get some german blue rams for my future tank.

 

[Rivercats]

Would you be able to direct me to a site, my friend?

I deleted this post... read the next one down!

 

[Rivercats]

Would you be able to direct me to a site, my friend?

Duh were you asking for a dry fert site? Greenleaf Aquariums... I use this package of micro and macro ferts... Micro & Macro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums

I use these dosing bottles but I get 3 so I can mix micros in one, nitrates in one, and phosphates and potassium in one. This allows me to customize how much of what I want to dose with. Fertilizer Dispenser | 1000 mL (32 oz) | Green Leaf Aquariums

Then here is a thread about dosing PPS-Pro. Only read up to the dosing, don't bother with all the after posts. Just get the information...
Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central

Also add 5ml Flourish Excel per 250ml of micro and macro solution to keep mold/fungus from developing during storage.