How many Bolivian Ram Cichlids can go into a 36 Gallon tank?

A single breeding pair will claim nearly all of the space in a 36g. You could start out with several juveniles, wait for an obvious pair to form, then remove all but the pair. When mature, however, I wouldn't put more than 1 pair in that size tank. They'll probably breed, in which case, you'll need to periodically re-home the fry. read more

You can always just use another type of buffer to bump up the pH long enough to do this. Pure baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is probably the cheapest and easiest to use, or you could get a buffer designed for aquariums. read more