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my boy friend is looking to restock his ten gallon tank and fell in love with the german rams at the store( my guppies are preventing a recycling event...haha more room for my fish). I said to go home and do some research. he is restocking since i killed his dwarf puffers while he was away

Would this work

1 ram
6-8 cardinal tetras
and 6 small cories like pandas or pygmies



Amanda

Amanda,

I would say that it will probably NOT work out too well.

A 10G is not a very stable tank size, means parameter fluctuations will occur quickly and with significant impact.

You are planning on 13 fish in this tank, I think that would push the limits. Might your fishies survive for a while? Maybe, but it is not a healthy environment for them, even if you perform frequent (at least once a week) water changes.

I think you could get away with 6 Cardinals and 6 Cories, but even that might be too much. Do you have live plants in the tank? What type and size is the filter?

Hope this helps,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Don't get a Ram for a 10 gal. tank & your list is way overstocked. Try with 6 very small Corydoras & 6 Cardinals & see it will go. You can also add some live Plants.


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Yeah -- you're WAY overstocking that tank, and on top of that, Rams are just about the most sensitive fish there are to dirty water or changing water chemistry. (Also remember that they virtually require water distinctly warmer than the average tropical fish, in order to be able to resist bacterial infections. About 84 deg F -- 29 deg C -- is optimal for them.) Gorgeous though they are, they are just not fish for any but highly experienced fishkeepers.

I agree with all the above. That list seems overstocked. Especially since a 10g can be very unstable with parameters. I would think 6 cardinals would be fine and maybe the cories. but thats pushing it.

A 10 gal would be ok for a pair of blue rams, if they were the only fish in the tank, although I'd go 15 gal or 20 long.

The Amazon Nut...

a 10g would work with exceptions. Live plants...enough that the tank looks planted not just 1 in each corner. this is mostly to help with possable chemistry swings. Also the pair of rams would need to be the only fish in the tank AND be a happy breeding pair.

Blue rams are fragil when it comes to newb mistakes. if you know how to keep a tank completly stable and religiously keep up with water changes then it could work. Nitrates and temp will be the biggest concern. keep the tank away from drafty areas like windows or doors, heaters and air conditioners.

if this sounds like above and beyond what you wanna do for a fish then DONT do this setup.

( disclaimer: personally i wouldnt use anything smaller then a 20 long and dont recommend most to even attempt the above )

I wouldn't jump to any conclusions.
If it is a bare tank with a filter rated for a 10 gallon, then your are overstocked.
However, an overfiltered, medium-heavily planted tank would be able to handle that bioload.

Remember though, this would not be a beginners tank by any means. Live plants need to be taken care of. German rams are very fragile fish. Pigmy cories and cardinals are also not beginners.

If I was personally in your shoes, I would do 2 rams and 6-8 neons. Neons are smaller than cardinals. Also, cories and rams inhabit the same strata of the tank.

I think that two rams plus the tetras would be overstocked. If he really wants to have a ram, then one ram (as you posted) and a small school of small tetras would work. Any more could well push the tank over the brink of instability.

Just as a note, the pygmy/dwarf Corydoras species (usually considered to be C. pygmaeus, C. hastatus, and C. habrosus) will often shoal above the substrate, in the middle or even towards the top area of the tank. They are unlike typical cories in that respect, and will give the ram more space to operate on the bottom area. I still don't recommend these cories for your tank, though.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Try to stay a few gallons above the minimum so there extra happy.

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

The filter is a whisper thats rated for a 20 gallon tank. Its currently not planted. the tank has been stable in temp and water conditions even when my guppies accidently super overstocked it. as i said its my boyfriends tank and he is a lot more religious about waterchanges then i am.....hence y im not allowed to care for his fish anymore.

If he went with one ram and a small school of tetras what would you guys recommend.

Sirbrook-i know that the pygmies dont stay on the bottom since they inhabit my guppy tank currently and i am absolutely in love with them.

I wouldnt go with neons because you run the risk of getting neon tetra disease in your ram.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons

one ram and a small school of cardinals in a medium-heavy planted tank would be good.

anyways good luck.