Angels with Bolivian Rams???

fish1983

ok so i read that angels and Bolivian Ram get along together in a tank and what not, so i did some research. i read that angels need a more alkaline water (around 6.8, which my tank currently sits at) and the rams need more acidic water (around 7 to 7.5) so how is that supposed to work??? i already have a black water aquarium set up with angelfish and some cories. its a 55 gallon and was wanting to add some more fish... any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated thanks...

bones14

Both are adaptdable but both prefer softer,acidic water.They're both SA cichlids and in nature would be found in similar water parameters.You can look at both in the Tropical Fish Profiles at the top of the forum.

fish1983

that's what i thought but can never be to sure... THANKS LEE!!

Byron

You got the acid/alkaline mixed in your first post, perhaps just accidentally. Water with a pH below 7 is acidic, more acidic the lower the number; water with a pH above 7 is basic (alkaline), the higher the number the more alkaline (and usually hard). At 6.8 you are just slightly acidic, and that is perfect for both species mentioned, as Lee pointed out. I just wanted to ensure you had the acid/alkaline straight.

Byron.

LisaC144

I keep Angels and Bolivian Rams together. They mix very nicely.
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fish1983

Oh yeah :) that was by accident. I should proof read before posting lol thank you all for your input. I'm definitely getting some Bolivian Rams!!
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LisaC144

For a 55g I would go with 2 rams. Any more and their could be territory issues.

fish1983

2 males? 2 females? 1 of each? And how do you tell the difference in this particular fish? Other than my angelfish these will be my first cichlids...
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Byron

It is very difficult to sex Bolivian Ram when young, which is the size usually seen in stores. Have a read of our profile on this fish, it explains the gender differences, but again this is only reliable (somewhat) in larger fish.

And from my personal experience with these fish--and I have a pair herding their fry around my 115g tank as I write this--you should add them all at the same time. Same as with angels actually. Adding a ram later when one is already "at home" is asking for problems. If you can get a true pair, they will be fine together from the start. If you get two males they will establish their individual territories from the start (once settled) and should be OK. If you add a second male later when there is a male in the tank, the second male may well get killed. A cichlid stakes out its territory and defends it agains other cichlids of that species, and when a "new kid on the block" appears, it is often made very aware that it is not welcome because the original considers the tank his domain.

As noted in the profile, this species does very sell in isolation (one fish).

fish1983

will def take that into consideration