What to put with female rams (tropical)?

[starfish4]

Can anyone give some advice on what fish would go with our two female rams. We've had them in a small tank for six months. DH transferred them over to a larger tank a month ago. One was always chasing the other so is more dominant, but has suddenly calmed down.

We thought about a couple of male rams. Will the males go with females? What other fish would be good? DH reckons we can put up to 12 fish in our tank.

[EauRouge]

How big is the tank? Rams can be utter bastards if they breed. I had a pair in a 4ft tank once and I don't think I would have put another pair in, they would have murdered each other.

Apart from that, are you looking for something small and shoaling? How big is the tank?

[TreeSparrow]

Indeed, size of the tank is key. I wouldn't keep more than one breeding pair of rams in anything less than 3 or 4 feet. As EuRouge says, cichlids can be nasty bastards.

Do you know if you have hard or soft water?