Ram or Gourami?

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Morgie

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
781
Location
North Carolina
In my cycled but empty 20gal tall I'm planning out my stocking list. I have 2 glass (ghost) catfish currently, so I'll definitely be building their school up to five. For decoration I was thinking some kind of root like (fake) structure and some natural driftwood. I have a ton of driftwood at my house of various sizes, it's pretty great living out at the beach/marsh lands. ;)
So my stocking list is...
20 Gal Tall Stocking List:
5x Glass Catfish (middle swimmer)
5x Khulie Loaches (bottom swimmer)

and either

1x Gourami (most likely a pearl) (top swimmer)
or
2x Blue German Rams (full water column swimmer)

I've been using AqAdvisor as a basic overstock guide and both of these options are fine according to their algorithms, and I'm pretty sure they don't take into account fish's preferred territory in the water column.
Advice please?

Which of these options do you think would work out better in the long run? I've had pearl gouramis before (and I love them) but I've never kept rams and would like some basic information from people who own them, and I know they're very popular around here. :>
Do you think any other fish would work better for my tank? I'm really looking for a fish that can be kept solo or in pairs, kind of like a showcase fish since my other fish will be schoolers.

Sorry for the long post, I'll put up some pictures of the set up for the tank as it gets going, probably next week since this weekend my family's taking a weekend vacation to Orlando. (HARRY POTTER WORLD AHH EXCITE)
I'll definitely be keeping up with the thread on the trip though. ;)
 
The rams might get aggressive if you keep them in pairs. They are also very sensitive fish. I'd suggest one Bolivian ram, as they are hardier fish, and maybe a dwarf gourami for centerpiece fish.
 
I think you need a tank at lease twice that size for a school of glass cats. They are happiest in groups of at least 6 and can reach a max size of 6".
 
I think you need a tank at lease twice that size for a school of glass cats. They are happiest in groups of at least 6 and can reach a max size of 6".

They max out at around 4".
There are two kinds of glass cats, one variety reaches 6" and the others reach 4" at max, and they don't sell the six inch ones anymore where I live.
:>

I'll look into Bolivian rams, I just threw the blue German ones out there because they seemed more popular and easier to find.
If I got a male and female pair would they get aggressive with each other? Or are they aggressive regardless if kept in pairs? I read that in if kept in large tanks they'll pair up and ignore the other rams/develop territories.
 
GBRs really are not as aggressive as everyone makes them out to be. Even when spawning, they do not attack other fish, they ward them away, but never are as vicious as other cichlids. We keep GBRs with neon tetras and have yet to see them do harm. We've had constant spawning as well, still no harm. A male and female will protect their territory. Make sure to give them a cave and plants to "border" their turf. They use visual markers for territory, so that sword plant on the left, log on the right, tuft of hairgrass in between, and that river rock at the end surround the cave, that is their turf. Get what I mean?

Now, I personally believe in keeping them in a larger tank, but 1 pair would be fine in a 20 as long as you have the hidey places for them.
 
I'm planning on a fake root ornament, some real rocks and flat stones, real driftwood and planting it. :>
And with your advice I'll also get a cave to put a corner, I'll leave the middle pretty open for swimming space.
I'll post pictures as I get started decorating it.
I've got a 55 gallon as well, so if the GBRs (or whatever fish I get) doesn't work out well in the 20gal it can be moved up.
Thanks for the help :>
 
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