Can a male betta be kept with Cichlid Rams?

Question

Calling all Cichlid Experts!!!
I have a community aquarium which I have had set up for over 9 months which is home to:
1 male betta
3 female betta's
pair of neon blue gouramis
pair of red honey gouramis
3 balloon mollies
8 neon tetras
3 cory cats
1 plec
would it be possible to add a pair of ram cichlids? I was told you can't keep gouramis with betta but I haven't had any trouble. i read a blog on someones website saying that a betta would harras a ram cichlid, also I read somewhere that some cichlids don't go well with cory cats? Please help I can't find much information on the web?

Thanks guys I won't bother with the rams then, my gouramis are dwarf and fully grown, my betta fins have never been nipped- also my male betta tore his tail on a stupid fake plant (which I binned) so I quarantined him in a 10 Gal to heal and he sulked and refused to eat until I put him back in his community aquarium a couple of days later? The female betta are larger than him, they flare occasionaly at each other, my male has been with the females since I got him (purchased altogether) Over 9 months ago as a newbie I put him in (fully grown) with 3 tiney females who I have still got and now have grown larger than him. I know many people I have met through my LFS who also have never had any problems, the problems come when they either try to spawn in the community (becoming very agressive with each other) or the male has been kept in a jar his whole life and has never seen another fish since he was pulled out of his fry tank. They tend to bully any other fish and become very territorial

tank is just over 150 litres not sure what that is in gallons?

Answer 1

You are doing well, blending and proving the ''experts'' online wrong, like how I have always, time and time again.

Rams are one of the most harmless of cichlids, they will not bully any fish in the tank and a betta fish would not attack another fish of a different breed, its not made to hunt like a predator, its definitely not piscivorous.

It would be safe.

Answer 2

The big thing to remember when people bring up behavior of cichlids is that rams are south american not african and therefore a lot of the behavior issues do not apply to them.

The beta and the rams will be fine as they will likely be at opposite ends of the tank. The rams will hang near the bottom and the bettas, being labryinth fish, will stay closer to the top. More importantly Rams are a very timid fish, which is why a tetra tank is ideal for them, they use the smaller fish as lookouts.

The gouramis won't be much of an issue with the betta b/c they are dwarf gouramis, smaller and more timid. If you had larger gouramis they would give chase to the betta, but not neccesarily nip fins.

If you want the rams to look their best you need to drop the pH which won't agree with your mollies very well.

How big is your tank?

Answer 3

Cichlids are very territorial when they have babies ... if you have any other fish ... including too many cichlids ... they will kill them for being in thier "territory" the tank. They also rearrange the tank to their specs and uproot decor etc. So, in my opinion, as I have had several species of cichlids, I would have just like 2 pairs of cichlids to a tank with lots of caves and logs for territory issues. Also, cichlids can be fin pickers even if not in pairs, so I would watch out adding them to a community tank. Just my 2 cents ... good luck!

PS ... Gouramis are not a problem until they get larger ... then they tend to start fin picking other fish ... I advise to separate the gouramis if your betta starts missing fins. I havae had some never bother other fish (especially the dwarfs) but most I have had eventually start picking fins off long finned fish.

Answer 4

The Cichlids might finally end up killing the Betta. Bettas are combating fish yet in straight forward terms to their own they might combat. a minimum of I even have on no account look them shield themselves from different species. Regardless, first I don’t think of the Betta might nicely be in the comparable form of water the Cichlids are assume to be in. If I undergo in strategies wisely the Cichlids might desire to be in water it is medium to extreme in alkaline or brackish water. Bettas on the different hand only want non-chlorinated water or distilled water even although they breathe air. So whether you acquire a Betta reveal case that suctions itself to the interior front of the aquarium the water won't accept as true with the Betta. by skill of how a 10 gallon tank is only too small for a Cichlid, they are excavators. i'm particularly valuable the two fishes you reported are no longer the only 2 you're housing in the tank. the terrific source to examine approximately aquarium sparkling/salt is by skill of an author by skill of the call Axelrod. stable success.

Answer 5

The rams won't be much of a problem assuming you have the space in the tank. Considering your list of fish and their needs, I wouldn't add the rams unless you have at the very least a 55 gallon tank. The rams will eventually form a territory on the bottom of the tank and will not like the corys invading that space so it will cause some minor strife for them, but it shouldn't be any worse than the ticking time bomb you have with the gourami and the mixture of male and female bettas in the tank. Interesting that the blog you read would mention bettas and rams, but not tell you a male betta will eventually kill any females kept in his tank.

MM

Answer 6

I would not put any cichlid in with the type of fish you mention. Ciclids can have indivigual personalities such as angels that are aggressive and angels that are very timid. As a general rule only put south amaericans in together as well as africans in together but there are no sure things that you will not get a bully in the process.

Answer 7

No there would be a fight between bettas and the rams because there both tetorial

Answer 8

Yeah right their both agressive it be like wrestlemania only between fish instead.