a lot of people say that they will adjust to a higher ph as long as it's consistent. i would never use any chemicals (like ph up or ph down) to adjust my ph however i do mix ro water with my tap water to get a ph at about 6.5. in all honesty i think your rams will thrive with a bit lower ph. that said it's really up to you if you want to take the time to get ro water(the ro water i get is from the machines you see outside some super markets) and experiment with the proper mix. i use about a 50/50 mix. my tap water is at least 7.6 probably higher. all the fish i have in my tank like a low ph.dwarf gouramis, south american cichlids(that includes the rams)tetras,etc. you can also buy a piece of driftwood at the pet store that will help lower your ph. just make sure it's been treated to remove the tannins or it will make your water turn brown. you can treat it yourself by boiling it. the peat moss is also recommended. whatever you decide to do about the ph i can't say too strongly that you need to be vigilant about water changes and gravel cleaning. you want to keep your water as fresh as you can. i do a 25% water change every 3 days and gravel cleaning every week. keeping your water pristine is the most important rule of fish keeping i think. it just saves you so much aggrevation and makes fish keeping much less complicated if you keep your water parameters correct. rams are known to be sensitive to the water they are kept in. i've had mine for close to 2 years and they have been no trouble at all except needing frquent water changes. i'm sure with the success you have with your other aquariums you know all these things and more. good luck with the rams. you will love them i'm sure!
