Bolivian Ram tankmates in a 29g tank?

[CheshireCat]

Hello everyone! I'm new to this site, so I'm just getting the hang of things. I recently bought a 29g tank off of craigslist and I've been trying to decide what to put in it. I know I want to do cichlids, and I also know there aren't many options for a tank on the smaller side. I love the look of rams, but I'm not going to buy German Blue Rams since they are much more fragile. They'd die and I'd waste money. So, I took a look at Bolivian Rams, and I love the look of them, and the fact that they are much hardier. I looked at other cichlids that I might put with them, and came to the decision that I don't really want Angels or "Apistogramma" species. That definitely limits things. So I looked for Cichlids that caught my eye, and I think there may be 2 that work. Some may say that they don't fit, but I have seen them in 29g and smaller. Here are my 2 ideas:
1.
2-3(I'm not really sure of a number) Bolivian Rams
1 Firemouth

They(fire mouths) reach 6 inches max, and are on the less aggressive side of cichlids, so I thought they might just work with the right decorations and such. I'd buy them and have the rams start off a bit bigger then the fire mouth so they'd get a head start on growing.

2.
2-3 Bolivian Rams
1 FEMALE Convict

I read that female Convicts not only are more docile but also get a little smaller than males, so the size would be closer. Again, I'd buy the rams bigger and put down lots of territory markers.

So, what do you think? Would one of my 2 ideas work? Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Pckerfreak44]

I have 2 German blue rams and 2 keyhole cichlids. Keyholes are very peaceful for cichlids. I also have a dwarf gourami in there and it's a pretty peaceful tank. I did have 4 Angels with the rams and there wasn't any problems. Just a few options for you

Welcome to AA btw

 

[CheshireCat]

Thanks for the suggestions! What do you think about the ideas I posted?

 

[Borderlesscott]

Personally I've never seen a peaceful convict and I would stay clear. Firemouth are pretty laid back until breeding, but they can get quite big so would add a lot to the bioload, which could be a problem unless your really well filtered. As mentioned by someone else Keyhole's are peaceful guys as are cupid cichlids which would go better with the Bolivians or Festivum's.

 

[Pckerfreak44]

Personally I've never seen a peaceful convict and I would stay clear. Firemouth are pretty laid back until breeding, but they can get quite big so would add a lot to the bioload, which could be a problem unless your really well filtered. As mentioned by someone else Keyhole's are peaceful guys as are cupid cichlids which would go better with the Bolivians or Festivum's.

I agree with everything he just said haha and i would personally go with keyholes. They are very fun to watch

 

[CheshireCat]

I'll take a look at Keyholes, Cupids, and Festivum. Thanks for the suggestions! So the convict is out, and the Firemouth creates a lot of bio-load. Right now I have a Marineland Penguin 150 Bio-Filter. Is that enough? Also, how many Bolivian Rams should I keep in the tank?

 

[Pckerfreak44]

Try to get 1 male and 1 female. Defiantly not 2 males. And if your lucky they will pair up

 

[Tetra1990]

Try to get 1 male and 1 female. Defiantly not 2 males. And if your lucky they will pair up

2 Bolivian ram males will do fine together in a 29. 2 females together will fight. Im not sure why, but I've been told it will work.

 

[Tetra1990]

Here is how my 29 gallon is stocked: 7 blackskirt tetras, 2 Bolivian rams, male/female, a clown pleco, 4 kulhi loaches and about 14 ghost shrimp.

 

[Pckerfreak44]

Well either way just get 1 male and 1 female and you will be fine haha

 

[CheshireCat]

Ok. I was hoping for just 2, since it makes territory problems smaller. So just the two Bolivian Rams could/should be fine with a single firemouth? I have made sure to add many territory markers and items that blocked vision. I could take a picture of the tank setup if that helps.

 

[Tetra1990]

Ok. I was hoping for just 2, since it makes territory problems smaller. So just the two Bolivian Rams could/should be fine with a single firemouth? I have made sure to add many territory markers and items that blocked vision. I could take a picture of the tank setup if that helps.

Yeah, a picot two would help.

 

[severum mama]

I wouldn't try it, especially in a 29. The firemouth I used to have would have ripped any dwarf cichlids to shreds.

 

[Pckerfreak44]

Let's see a pick. And I would defiantly go with more dwarf cichlids with the rams

 

[CheshireCat]

The pictures should be in my album. On the left side of the tank I have the vase, a real anubias, and a lace(?) rock to provide cover for whichever fish were to stake its territory there. The right side I only have the blue cup(for the time being) since I haven't found another piece of decor the right size. What do you think? Is my setup OK or is there something I could add?