rams and angels

[Jmifflin]

So I am thinking of stocking a 36 gallon bow front with a pair of blue rams and two angels along with some cories and cardnial tetras. Would this set up work? Thanks.

 

[em_witt]

It will work only if the rams arnt a breeding pair. Get two females and they will get along fine.

 

[Jmifflin]

Thanks for the reply. How can you tell the sexes of the rams?

 

[Legit Fish]

blue ram cichlid females will have the blue in their black spot and males will not. males are also bigger than females and males have bigger front dorsal fins.

 

[Sillyfishies]

blue ram cichlid females will have the blue in their black spot and males will not. males are also bigger than females and males have bigger front dorsal fins.

That isn't an effective way of sexing, unless they're wild caught or one of the first generations. If it has a red belly, it's a female.

 

[Oohitsae]

That isn't an effective way of sexing, unless they're wild caught or one of the first generations. If it has a red belly, it's a female.

+1!
Red bellies are the most effective way to tell, but some won't show it all the time.

 

[Rivercats]

The rams can be a pair and it can still work just fine. Just be sure to have plenty of plants, DW, and hiding places so if, and that is a big if, the rams decide to spawn they can have their own little territory. I've never had issues with my rams, even when spawning, in a community tank.

 

[Babakapusta]

I agree, I've had Rams and they did well if the tank is big enough. I'm not sure with angels though. They are one nasty piece of fish flesh. (They are beautiful but I hate them and will never get another)

 

[Rivercats]

Currently I have 12 adult angels in my 220g with rams and no problems. I've kept for over 30 years and they are one of my favorite fish. Rams and angels do quite well together is the tank is large enough.

 

[Babakapusta]

You have far more patience than I do Rivercats. I've switched over to very tame gentle fish. I couldn't handle the fighting.

You can give better advice than I can. I only had them 2 years and then switched to Silver Dollars.

 

[Rivercats]

You just have to understand them. If you have a larger tank keeping 6 or more ensures aggression is more evenly spread out. Plus remember they are cichlids and each one tends to have it's own personality. Once they mature it can often times be large males that develop very aggressive attitudes. If you cull them out things tend to settle down. I started with 14 and by the time they reached about a year old 2 males got mean. So I culled them out and the remaining 12 have done great. Plus you need to understand when to add them to your stock and how to add other stock when angels are in the tank.

 

[Babakapusta]

I have 125 gallon tank and I think I started with 5 angels I don't remember it could have been 4. They did well until they got large and then all hell broke loose. I switched to a different type of fish. I'm not cut out for angels.

I think that is something people have to think about. I read about all the people who set up semi-aggressive or aggressive tanks and I wonder if they know what is ahead of them.

 

[Rivercats]

If people did research before buying fish there would be a lot less problems in the long run. I started with a metal frame tank, I don't think it had a light (that was too long ago to remember), and a little plastic corner in tank filter that held floss and charcoal (that's what they called it back then). There was no way to do research unless you could find a book at the library. But today information is at the tip of your fingers which makes me wonder why people don't take advantage of it and do research (not saying all people are like that). I guess I started with angels so long ago I feel comfortable with them and know what to expect.

 

[Babakapusta]

Have you bred them?

I remember those tanks. I researched Angels, they didn't make it sound too hard. I just didn't like the fighting. They were beautiful

 

[Rivercats]

I did a little in the 80's but was also raising kids so I didn't have enough time to really get into it plus I was more interested in planted tanks. Usually once the pecking order is established they co-exist without too much aggression. I'm not saying they don't bluster at each other but that's about it. There's never any actual damage. But there are always some that are just plain mean but I've always found them to the be exception rather than the rule.

 

[Babakapusta]

I must have had the evil spawn from hell because I had two that killed everything they could until I put them in isolation tanks.