I have a 20gal tank with 5 White Clouds, 5 Corys, 2 female platys, and 2 Rams.

The rams are the newest addition and have been in for about 5months.

Why are they still constantly hiding? Is there any way to get them to appear more and maybe breed?

Are some of those fish incompatible??

Also my rams are still very drab....barely any color, the still seem stressed....

do you have lots of hiding places. most cichlids like to hide a lot but for 5 months in your tank it seems to be going on for a long time. can you get a pic of your tank? then maybe we can point out anything you can add or change.
also what readings do you get on your test kits? maybe the light is too bright? but until we can see a pic then im afraid i personally dont know. hope someone can help though.

I can't get a pic....but I can try to describe it.

It is a 20gal long with pale brown gravel. There is a piece of slate in the middle that they love to hide under. To hte left there is a sword plant. In front of the slate is Java Moss. On the right side there is an upside down flower pot with an entrance cut in it (no one hides there). Behind the pot are two plants. (The kind from nooppee...bulbs.)

The light seems to be VERY strong.

Do I need more plants?

personally they may do better with more plants . have you noticed them coming out more when the lights are off? if so then you may need a dimmer light. someone who has these should hopefully give you more advice.

One comes out when the lights are out....the other is NEVER out. Ever

What kind of filtration do you have? Its possible that if there is too much current it could be stressing them out.

Also they can be territorial fish, even though they are "community" cichlids. I would probably add more plants and make sure they have plenty of hiding spaces. The more places there are to hide, the more secure the fish feel and the more likely they are to come out.

I have a HOB filter for 10-20 gallons...Whisper I believe....
There is not a strong current, and the two fsh get along with each other...they just hide constantly

I got 2 watersprite and a red wendeti.....maybe the rams will come out more once the plants grow...?