[Lloydminster]

Looking for some bottom dwellers in a 40 gallon breeder I was hoping for a pair of gold rams,a pair of regular gbr's and a single keyhole cichlid. Could this work or can I only have one pair also would I still be able to put 3 or 4 copies in the tank?

 

[sir_keith]

Sure you can put more than one pair of Rams in a tank with that footprint, in fact, it often works better than having a single pair. The reason for this is that if a pair of Rams is defending a territory against intrusions by other Rams in the same tank, it strengthens the pair bond, and they will be less likely to get aggressive with each other. It also seems to increase the likelihood that they will successfully raise their fry, for the same reason. Years ago I had two pairs of Rams in a 10-gallon tank, and they would often breed synchronously, and raised many fry. I'm not saying this is the optimal arrangement, but it does illustrate my point.

I can't address the last part of your question, because I have no idea what 'copies' are. Good luck. :thumb:

 

[Lloydminster]

It should say cories not copies, **** autocorrect

 

[sir_keith]

It should say cories not copies, darn autocorrect

Oh yeah, I should have figured that out. I never keep catfish in tanks where I'm expecting to raise cichlid fry, but to be perfectly honest, I don't know if that's an issue or not.

 

[fishybuisness]

In my Bolivian ram community aquarium, I have one breeding pair of rams maybe two. I have 6 individuals in total. My dominant pair are fiercely protective of their fry.
In that tank I have 3 amanos, 4 cories, 2 albino Bristlenose, I think if you plan on raising fry you could use a divider, or if you have great parents you could just keep the lights on all night, to keep the catfish from sneaking up. Whatever works for you!

 

[sir_keith]

... if you have great parents you could just keep the lights on all night, to keep the catfish from sneaking up... !

That's not a good idea. Without a normal diurnal cycle, the parents will get extremely stressed out, and chances of their successfully raising their brood are slim-to-none. Sometimes you have to make a choice between 'breeding tank' and 'community tank.'