# German Blue Rams with RCS and CRS



## 19ginger90 (Jan 7, 2011)

Ok, I know that this has been asked before and I've already read a lot of people's opinions on the matter but I'm looking for some more :icon_bigg

I have a very densely planted 55 gallon tank with plenty of stems and foreground plants, not to mention the driftwood and rocks. I have 10 true dwarf platys with 5 babies, 2 guppies with dozens of babies, 2 pygmy corys, 15 CRS, and like 100 RCS. I would like to eventually add one pair of german blue rams to the mix. My plan is to get them as young as I can sexed and to feed them very well. I'm thinking I will have a fair amount of success by getting them used to seeing the shrimp around before they are big enough to eat them and that there are lots of places to hide in the multitude of plants. I know I will have some losses with the baby shrimp, but I'm hoping maybe they will ignore them and maybe get side tracked with the guppy fry. Any chance this could work? I just want to see both shrimp and fish in the same tank.

Thanks for any comments!


----------



## Geniusdudekiran (Dec 6, 2010)

A member by the name of Led kept a single GBR with many RCS as well as some golden white CRS all in a 5.5 gallon. He will tell you that it very much depends on the personality of the ram. You could try keeping them in, say a 10 gallon for two, with ten shrimp to start with. Then you can count them at the end of the trial. But it doesn't always work. Have you considered an of the apistogramma species instead? Good luck!


----------



## Burks (May 21, 2006)

I know my GBR's would have all made quick snacks of smaller shrimps. How do I know? I used to cull my RCS (or sick/dying ones) in my tank. They'd barely last a few moments before being quickly snatched up.

They completely left my Amanos alone though. Never even tried to pick on them.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

the rams i had completely wiped out my rcs. every last one of them. it took a couple of months.


----------



## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

I have plenty of RCS in my 180 with 12 GBR's.
They pick them off, the dumb shrimp etc, but since I have a thick ground cover, the RCS have plenty of hiding areas. I also have 12 checker board cichlids as well. 

Both try and eat them. The starougyne provides a lot of cover for the shrimp though. CRS likely will be eaten and might be worth too much to risk.


----------



## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

I had a pair of bolivians in a 20 Long and they destroyed all my cherries, except one. I thought they were all dead but found one big adult doing great when I redid the tank - must have been an expert hider.


----------



## 19ginger90 (Jan 7, 2011)

:frown: So do you guys think it wouldn't matter if I got the GBRs really young and had them "grow up" with the shrimp around when they can't eat them? How well will my guppy fry fare then? Per Plantbrain's comment, I will probably end up moving the CRS to my betta's tank; he completely ignores them.


----------



## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

lol no, fish won't feel any bond with the shrimp that will prevent them from seeing their friends as food. If only life were really like "madagascar"


----------



## 19ginger90 (Jan 7, 2011)

haha no! I meant like maybe they would just get used to see them around and that if their mouths are too small to eat the shrimp when they are young, they might not regard them as food when they are older. Not an emotional attachment sort of thing haha! plus they might get distracted by all the guppy fry swimming around...


----------



## Navigarden (Jun 25, 2010)

All it takes is one nibble... and then they find out shrimp are tasty tasty food. IMO at some point a nibble will occur whether or not they are exposed as juvies.


----------



## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

I'll tell you my story and let you decide from there. I had about 3 gbrs 2 female 1 male. Once one of the females paired up with the 1 male you can kiss any shrimp that comes near the nest of eggs goodbye if they decide to breed. I had cheap ghost shrimp nearly the size of the small female*about 1 inch or so* only to be chewed up and attacked relentlessly, then came the 1.5inch male and finished it off, just because it was clueless and picking at the gravel near the nest. I'm glad I didn't put crs in the tank or else it would of been a quick snack since they are smaller than ghost. NOW if you have a lot of cover via mosses and thick plants and say you put rcs which breed much faster than crs than that's pretty much the closest you'll get. Good luck with whatever choice you make.


----------



## 19ginger90 (Jan 7, 2011)

Okay, you guys convinced me! Maybe after multiple tank syndrome sets in a few years down the line I will get GBR, but for now I'm going to leave my planted tank a friendly community one. I'm thinking I'm going to add some Scarlet Badis though... Anyone have any good ideas on a peaceful colorful "centerpiece" fish to add to the tank?


----------



## MChambers (May 26, 2009)

*My experience*



19ginger90 said:


> :frown: So do you guys think it wouldn't matter if I got the GBRs really young and had them "grow up" with the shrimp around when they can't eat them? How well will my guppy fry fare then? Per Plantbrain's comment, I will probably end up moving the CRS to my betta's tank; he completely ignores them.


I have some RCS with a young Bolivian ram. So far, the RCS seem to be doing well, but not reproducing quickly.

I also recently added two young German rams to a tank with lots of RCS, heavily planted tank. So far, no shrimp sushi.


----------



## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

> have some RCS with a young Bolivian ram. So far, the RCS seem to be doing well, but not reproducing quickly.
> 
> I also recently added two young German rams to a tank with lots of RCS, heavily planted tank. So far, no shrimp sushi.


I think the operative word here is "young". Just wait ;-)


----------



## MChambers (May 26, 2009)

*Yep*



reignOfFred said:


> I think the operative word here is "young". Just wait ;-)


I understand completely. I did this knowing there was a risk, but I had a surplus of shrimp and was willing to take the chance. Interestingly, the shrimp quickly disappeared, and I thought they had been eaten, but a few weeks later they all reappeared and now seems that they are successfully reproducing. I've seen them swim right in front of the Bolivian Ram with absolutely no interest on its part.


I'm not recommending this; just relating my experience.


----------



## bonaparte (Feb 21, 2011)

Burks said:


> ...GBR's...completely left my Amanos alone though. Never even tried to pick on them.


Has anyone else had success with Rams and Amanos? Or _failure_ with Rams and Amanos? 

I really really REALLY want a Ram or other dwarf cichlid but I can't give up my shrimp.


----------



## Master Se7eN (Aug 23, 2010)

Are the apistogramma species better with shrimp? can't find alot of info on them...


----------



## andyl9063 (Oct 22, 2010)

bonaparte said:


> Has anyone else had success with Rams and Amanos? Or _failure_ with Rams and Amanos?
> 
> I really really REALLY want a Ram or other dwarf cichlid but I can't give up my shrimp.


there's no guarantee with rams or any apistos...... if it can fit in its mouth, it will try to eat..........


----------

