My new ram cichlid tank

[colematthewmalaka]

Hi i was wondering how to get the PH at the right level in my ramirez cichlid tank and how to keep it maintained. Also should i use live or fake plants. I intend to breed them also and i read that everything has to be just right for the eggs and fry to survive.

 

[SWerner13]

I don't know too much about breading as I haven't had a chance to get into it yet but I do know that If you are going to have the fry with the adults in the tank mosses such as java moss make good hiding places for them.

 

[bs6749]

I don't know too much about breading as I haven't had a chance to get into it yet but I do know that If you are going to have the fry with the adults in the tank mosses such as java moss make good hiding places for them.

I don't think the OP is going to filet and cook them, rather they are wanting to BREED them LOL. JK!

Rams don't need a certain pH. Mine spawn in a pH of 8.0 and a GH of 300ppm with 100% fertility (one pair) or in the upper 90's.

Also, fake plants and live plants aren't necessary. What IS necessary is that you put a pair by themselves into a tank to raise them. If they prove to be bad parents then you will have to remove the eggs and artificially hatch them.

 

[colematthewmalaka]

Oh i see i heard there was ways you could manipulate the male to female ratio by adjusting the PH, carbonate hardness, and temperature. Is this true?

 

[bs6749]

Different pH ranges will give you more of one sex than the other. I'm not sure what those ranges are to be exact. This is true with many fish.

 

[colematthewmalaka]

My water is alkaline about 7.6 this won't cause infertility or effect the babies. I can spawn my rams in this PH.
Also i can't leave my more than one pair of rams in a tank to breed?

 

[bs6749]

The best situation is to have only a single pair per 10g tank that way they don't get stressed, which could cause them to eat the eggs. Sometimes the male or female won't be allowed near the eggs by the other parent and it's best to remove the one that isn't being allowed near them. This doesn't happen often but it does happen. The purpose of a breeding tank is to allow you to produce the most fry that you can by being able to control the environment that the fish are in. Other tankmates will cause stress, may eat the eggs, etc. Granted this happens in the wild, but then again you may only end up with up to 5% of the eggs surviving to adulthood, and sometimes that's MANY times more than actually survive. Some fish can produce tens of thousands of eggs and they only have 3-4 survive.

 

[colematthewmalaka]

i have 5 rams 1 male and 4 females should i take the best female and put her with the male and put the other females in my platy tank?

 

[bs6749]

You could try that and if he doesn't pair with her you could try keeping him in with all of the ladies and see which one he will pair with and then separate them to a tank.

 

[colematthewmalaka]

He's one lucky guy lol. I still wanna lower my PH is bogwood a good idea?

 

[bs6749]

First you should determine your KH. If there is sufficient buffering then bogwood/driftwood won't make any difference. You could always mix your tap water with distilled water or something to remove some of the buffering capacity (KH) and then try to adjust your pH.

 

[colematthewmalaka]

Oh I'm lazy and just use normal tap water i do have a reverse osmosis system that is used for drinking and cooking will that remove any buffering capacity?