Cleanup crew for blue rams

[nirbhao]

I'm currently looking for a cleanup critter (or critters) for my 10 gallon with a blue ram pair. I keep it at 82° F, and the pH is consistently around 6.5.

I have snails in our community, and I love them, but even with calcium supplements, they had shell erosion at the low pH. I've read that any and all shrimp would make fantastic lunches for the rams. I'm not giddy about getting a social fish like a cat, and I am not thrilled about the poop that follows plecos.

Do you have suggestions?

 

[Fresh2o]

I believe kuhli loaches prefer warmer, acidic water. Nocturnal scavengers.

 

[nirbhao]

I hadn't considered loaches. This tank is only 10 gallons, though. Would that be enough?

 

[Coursair]

The problem with bottom feeders like Loaches is that many Rams will savagely attack them esp in a small tank. If black Kuhlis hid out during daytime, they might work. A group of 5 ??

You are the cleanup crew. Water changes and a good filter and don't overfeed.

Cories might get killed
Otos are social and that may be too high a temp for them.

Not many fish like that warm a water and none that I know that would fit in a 10g

 

[nirbhao]

Okay. Filtration, water changes, and feeding are not a problem.

I got spoiled with how the snails can get algae out of crevices and corners.

 

[Coursair]

Okay. Filtration, water changes, and feeding are not a problem.

I got spoiled with how the snails can get algae out of crevices and corners.

Can you rotate them into a snail friendly tank ?

 

[nirbhao]

Rotate the rams?

Very recently, we switched from having the rams in the community and female guppies in the 10 gallon. The dwarf gourami was too stupid to stop trying to eat the rams' eggs. We were able to keep the 10 gallon nice and hard when it was the guppy sorority, but then we added CO2 with the rams.

The thought is forming... Need a bigger tank...

 

[nirbhao]

Would moving up to 20 gallons open up any options? Going any bigger than that would require new equipment, which isn't happening right now. But I could feasibly find a bigger box to put the water in.

 

[Brookster123]

A 20long would be ideal. I have panda Cory's and otos in my ram tank. All is well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

DPG is after xmas,don't pay full price for a tank.
I am with brook on 20long being a very popular and efficient tank. Rams will be rams though,so you never know who they like?

 

[nirbhao]

Alright. I'll hang out for that. I was browsing craigslist last night, but I'll save myself the headache.

 

[nirbhao]

So dollar per gallon sale is on.

Reading through this (and other sites), I'm not sure there actually is a decent tank mate for cleanup. Otos don't like the high temperatures. The female ram is not shy about her space. She's perfectly friendly as long as you aren't in HER SPACE. I can count on her being aggressive, so kuhli loaches are probably out of the picture.

So even if I got a larger tank, there would still be compatibility issues.

As the buce was melting, I just kept thinking about how the rabbit snails would make short work of the dying and dead bits, whereas it's actually not easy for me to trim it up.

 

[coralbandit]

I trust brook and fresh.
That being said I keep no others with my rams at any time?
They are not in my display....I feel they need to be #1 in tanks and don't even come close to believing in clean up crews...You always end up cleaning up after them? At best they 'tranform' whatever they consume IMO...Green poop is just algae in another form that still needs to be removed?
Cardinals,rummies,and sterbia cories are common recommendations for tank mates with rams. Most agree the sterbia handle the heat the best of cories.
All these fish will GLADLY except being a #2 fish to the GBR.
GBR can be pissy so to me this is really important...
Many ram links seem to have 'inside' info on cories, as they just say because the cories are too stupid to know better then to stay away from breeding rams [like they understand why!]...
The rams really are a planted tank favorite .

 

[nirbhao]

Hmm. Sometimes transforming is helpful! Especially with decor like a Dory statue. I digress....

Snails really are so great. They spoil me.

Rams species specific it is.

 

[Fresh2o]

Since snails are your thing, can't they be your cleanup crew? Not sure if this was already mentioned.
Whether it's uneaten food or snail poo, it does contribute to the waste in the tank.

 

[nirbhao]

Since snails are your thing, can't they be your cleanup crew? Not sure if this was already mentioned.
Whether it's uneaten food or snail poo, it does contribute to the waste in the tank.

I had a Japanese trapdoor snail. Two, actually. One died. The one that survived showed serious shell erosion despite putting a cuttlebone in the water and adding straight up whiting (powdered calcium carbonate) to the food. She would also hide under some plants, and I never saw her move. She's very active in the community tank. The pH in the ram tank tends to be about 6.6, and, although I've read plenty of places that Japanese trapdoors can handle pH down to 6.5, that's not what I was seeing.

I don't have a problem cleaning up uneaten food... Or poop for that matter. It's mostly the dead parts of leaves that I struggle with. And algae in tiny indentations in decor. Although the piece that had that issue is gone now. One of those bridges available at any pet store. It was hollow, and, when I picked it up, a huge glob of reddish brown gunk came out. Gross.

Between the mysteries, nerites, and rabbit snails in the community tank, I never see algae or dead plants. The algae isn't problematic in with the rams. Just that fine film that makes the glass not crystal clear.

 

[nirbhao]

Okay. Expanding snail considerations. Some places say that trumpet snails can handle a pH below 7, but others say they can't. Given that the rams *love* baby snails ? I wouldn't have to worry about over population.

I may also try to kick the pH up just a tiny bit. Many of my new plants melt, and that's not ideal. They come back, fortunately.

 

[nirbhao]

Here's Linda working on a dying java fern leaf-



She won't eat that little plantlet, but she will eat the dead tip of the leaf. I love that!

 

[nirbhao]

Okay. Got six ramshorn snails. Removed three half eaten corpses this morning.

Ah, I tried. I'll get some plant clippers. ?