Rams and barbs
- Thread starter SMagin123
- Start date
Are there any other fish? If your thinking of putting them with the green terror, you will end up with dead rams quickly.
Blue rams need a higher temperature than average ~ 80-86F, the barbs may not do well at higher temperatures.
Blue rams need a higher temperature than average ~ 80-86F, the barbs may not do well at higher temperatures.
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Okay, then the bolivians and the barbs may work. I don't think the barbs will like the higher temperatures that the blue rams do, so you may also want to look into tetra and rasbora species to see if you can find a match (Harlequin rasboras, glowlight and cardinal tetras are good places to start).
HTH
HTH
tiger barbs can be fin nippers. i had tiger barbs and i got rid of them because they started to attack my other fish. they used to just chase each other around when they were juvies but when they got bigger they went after everyone else in the tank. they dont like any fish with long fins. my gold rams have very long fins, there's no way i could have kept them with tigers. it's a large tank so perhaps the barbs will keep to themselves, but i personally wouldnt mix rams with tiger barbs. there are other barb species, perhaps look into those, maybe they are better suited for higher temps and are more peaceful or as Pumaward suggested look into tetras and harlequins. (harlequins are really cool looking fish, a school of those would be cool).
if you have to chose between the two, choose bolivian rams. a most interesting fish. i suggest several females and two males. i have two males (meant to get a mating pair, but bought them young and ended up with two males). the males in my tank have halved the tank; one owns the right half, the other the left half. occasionally, maybe once a week i'll see it, they'll fight over the middle. they lock lips, and push eachother for about ten seconds. then they break up, and go back to their respective corners. no fin nipping, no damage to either fish. it's like eighteenth century english and french armies lining up on the battlefield and firing potshots at eachother. no loss, no gain, very gentlemanly. very interesting.
If you add females to that tank, then there will probably be loss. These rams, just like their blue ram cousins, are paring, not harem breeders. That means one female per one male. Buying several, on the other hand, should produce a good pair, but the remander should be removed. Two pair may fit comfortably in a 75g however.
I have 8 tiger barbs and 2 male blue rams with no problems at all. The tank is at ~80F and the barbs just play among themselves. I also have 2 angels and the barbs have never nipped them at all. You should be ok with a big group of barbs since they will only be rough with each other.
I would go with just a single pair of rams, and more barbs, maybe 12-14. That would also leave ya open to get some other stuff, smaller plecs, cories, that kind of stuff.