bm5424
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have a 20 gallon that I would like to stock with rams based on ease of care and breeding ability. I also have a 10 gallon if need for fry. I will have homes for fry if I get some.
German or bolivian rams
- Thread starter bm5424
- Start date
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adadkins1
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've always been told that Bolivian Rams are hardier and easier to care for. I think they are about the same difficulty for breeding.
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Blue rams are notoriously horrible parents. I believe Bolivians are leaps and bounds ahead of blue rams in the ease department.
severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
Moved to FW and Brackish- General Discussion.
Bolivians are much easier to keep. Most of the blue rams that you see at pet stores are inferior quality compared to those from breeders.
Heck, even wild apistogramma are easier to keep than blue rams. Laetacara and Nannacara would also be alternatives.
Bolivians are much easier to keep. Most of the blue rams that you see at pet stores are inferior quality compared to those from breeders.
Heck, even wild apistogramma are easier to keep than blue rams. Laetacara and Nannacara would also be alternatives.
Reygan2
Aquarium Advice Addict
I love my Bolivian. He has so much personality. I worried about him getting enough food when I first got him, but I certainly don't have to worry now...he is ferocious at dinner time
. He doesn't bother my neons, betta, or cories, but he darts at my baby angels during dinner. He will actually swim with my cories sometimes. He's very cute.
. He doesn't bother my neons, betta, or cories, but he darts at my baby angels during dinner. He will actually swim with my cories sometimes. He's very cute.
OP
OP
bm5424
Aquarium Advice Activist
Should I buy a gbr and see how it does in my tank since it will fit it better and are more colourful to see how the stock is.
Bolivians are hardier and easier to care for, I hear. I've had a GBR for 2 months now, no signs of him slowing down, still getting brighter. GBR have more colour I think. I just picked up an electric blue ram from a local breeder today, currently acclimating! He is so blue! lol Going to look awesome when lights go back on tomorrow.
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
BR are easier to care for, but arent as beautiful. In a 20 gallon you will only be able to get away with one pair. If you put more than that you will likely wake up to dead females, well thats if you go with GBRs. They require "their" space to call their own. Also over filter the heck out of the tank at least 150%, need need perfect water all zeros. Highly recommend using Discus buffer also, but be VERY CAREFULL with it you can cause major problems if you rush it, add very slowly and check ph stability. Good luck with your Rams they are a ton of fun and will get personalities just like Marine fish.
Is a Penguin biowheel 200 acceptable for a pair of bolivians with 4 guppies and 4 rummy nose tetra?
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
Yes, perfect.
The 200 Bio Wheel is rated at 200 gallon per hour, which according to the manu is rated for 30-50gal. Personlly the rating which manufacture give are over the limits. I would rate this one at 20-40 gal. Now do you have carbon in your media setup? Can cause issues? I dont know the media setup in a Pen
The 200 Bio Wheel is rated at 200 gallon per hour, which according to the manu is rated for 30-50gal. Personlly the rating which manufacture give are over the limits. I would rate this one at 20-40 gal. Now do you have carbon in your media setup? Can cause issues? I dont know the media setup in a Pen
severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
All zeros shouldn't be the readings. Something is wrong with your test kit if that is the case. Any cycled aquarium (with the exception of a heavily planted tank full of fast growing plants) should have a detectable nitrate reading.
All dwarf cichlids appreciate low levels of nitrate.
All dwarf cichlids appreciate low levels of nitrate.
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
I understand what you are saying. I have been running a fully cycled Ram tank for a couple years now, with zeros across the board. My tank is heavily planted which takes care of the Nitrates. Now if your going to keep GBR's or most other Dwarf Cichlids and Discuss can't not tolerate Nitrates at all, you will have deaths. I know this from experience. This is why most people have problems keepingg them alive past a couple weeks. That amount of time of very low levels of Nitrate will kill them.
Before my first breeder allowed me to take any Rams, I was required to bring in water samples to make sure everything was zero. He has a quality guarantee based on 0ed water. Any sign of numbers and he won't give the guarantee.
My tank reads ph6.6, amo 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0 all the time and no mystery deaths what so ever. I also have Peacock Gobies which are as touchy as GBR and Discuss.
Nitrates are also controlled with the frequent water changes which is required of the Rams and Discuss.
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
gallowchris said:
How often do you perform PWC..?
What do you mean for heavily planted.
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
Forgot to ask if you have a full planted setup, carbon will strip the water of all the goodness which the plants need.
As for the Pen setup I don't know what the parts are of the media, but I would imagine there are other options for the carbon. Over the back filters all ways have carbon for some reason yet the canisters we don't add them unless there is a problem. I only add when I need to strip meds from the water but I only use the carbon for a few days. This is in a fully planted tank though.
My media setup is step 1) Mechanical 2) course media/sponge 3) Bio media 3) Algone 4) floss. I never clean in anything but tank water.
One thing you should use is Algone pouches these things are a blessing. In my eyes a must!
25% PWC at least once per week and I use Prime
As for the Pen setup I don't know what the parts are of the media, but I would imagine there are other options for the carbon. Over the back filters all ways have carbon for some reason yet the canisters we don't add them unless there is a problem. I only add when I need to strip meds from the water but I only use the carbon for a few days. This is in a fully planted tank though.
My media setup is step 1) Mechanical 2) course media/sponge 3) Bio media 3) Algone 4) floss. I never clean in anything but tank water.
One thing you should use is Algone pouches these things are a blessing. In my eyes a must!
25% PWC at least once per week and I use Prime
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
Heavy planting, hard one. There are plants every where. Probably 80-100 stems in a 60 gallon, if I had to guess. Just about to add Dwarf Grass to carpet the substrate
ejaramillo01
Aquarium Advice Addict
gallowchris said:Heavy planting, hard one. There are plants every where. Probably 80-100 stems in a 60 gallon, if I had to guess. Just about to add Dwarf Grass to carpet the substrate
What about the water changes? How often? And how much each?
gallowchris
Aquarium Advice Activist
25% PWC at least once per week and I use Prime
Guess you missed that part. No worries. At least 25% once a week.
