German Blue Rams

[pituitaryglenn]

Hi, I'm completely new to cichlids apart from a pair of tiny dario dario/ scarlet badis (which aren't really cichlids anyway).
I would really like to keep a pair of German Blue Rams, but I only have space for another 8 gallon tank.
Is that sufficient space for them? If not, will a ram be happy on his own in a small community of other peaceful fish?

[PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn]

what is the footprint of the 8g, I would imagine it'd be substantially smaller than the footprint of a standard 10g (18"12"12"(45cm30cm30cm) (length, width, depth))

if it is substantially smaller then I wouldn't try keeping a pair, and IMO it wouldn't be fair to keep just 1 on its own. from my own observation I found them happier in groups (they did pair off, but did appreciate having 6 of them in the tank together)

[Bojan Dolenc]

Hi, I'm completely new to cichlids apart from a pair of tiny dario dario/ scarlet badis (which aren't really cichlids anyway).
I would really like to keep a pair of German Blue Rams, but I only have space for another 8 gallon tank.
Is that sufficient space for them? If not, will a ram be happy on his own in a small community of other peaceful fish?

For Microgeophagus ramirezi are minimun dimensions for aquarium 50 cm (20 inches) for 1 pair. For more pairs min. 80 cm (32 inches). But really minimum, the bigger the better!

[pituitaryglenn]

Thanks! If I can't keep Microgeophagus ramirezi, is there some other dwarf cichlid that you'd recommend for a small tank (30cm)?

[Bojan Dolenc]

Thanks! If I can't keep Microgeophagus ramirezi, is there some other dwarf cichlid that you'd recommend for a small tank (30cm)?

No, there is no such dwarf cichlid. One of the smallest ones, Apistogrammoides pucallpaensis (males 4 cm, females 3 cm) needs minimum 50 x 20 cm of bottom surface. These can be however very difficult species to keep and breed and can be very aggressive too. This species also prefers to inhabit the upper reaches of the aquarium amongst dense vegetation and needs a lot of space. Majority of dwarf cichlids needs minimum 50 x 40 cm or 60 x 30 cm of bottom surface or more. Buy bigger aquarium for them?
P.s. you can maybe try Spring Pygmy Sunfish (Elassaoma alabamae) from the Family Elassomatidae? They grow only to 2,5 cm.

[PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn]

Majority of dwarf cichlids needs minimum 50 x 40 cm or 60 x 30 cm of bottom surface or more. Buy bigger aquarium for them?

I know a lot of dwarf keepers in the UK use 10g tanks, (45by30 cm (18by12)) to breed apistos and similar dwarfs. obviously there are some which reqire a bigger tank, however a large proportion can be spawned in a tank that size.

however, I do recommend getting a bigger aquarium, the reason being that the bigger it is, the more stable the parameters are, and the fewer problems there are due to aggression. a 2foot tank (60cm) would allow you to keep rams easily enough, though if you get a 3footer you might be able to manage 2 pairs. also the extra volume would allow space for dithers, which would make the dwarves happier.