ram cichlids

[aquarium_kid]

hi,
i am thinking about getting some ram cichlids, so can someone give me recommendations for what the tank environment be like, what is the temperament of ram cichlids, and if i can put them in a tank with other tropical freshwater fish.

i would like to hear your recommendations,
thanks,

 

[mambee]

Rams have a very spunky attitude but are inoffensive. Blue rams really need to be kept in warm water to thrive (about 80). Other fish which appreciate warm water are cardinal and rummynose tetras. Blue rams have different variations (gold, blushing, German, etc.) but they are all the same species. They have a reputation for being delicate.

Bolivian rams aren't as colorful but are much more hardy. They also do better at average water temperatures.

 

[coralbandit]

Rams have a very spunky attitude but are inoffensive. Blue rams really need to be kept in warm water to thrive (about 80). Other fish which appreciate warm water are cardinal and rummynose tetras. Blue rams have different variations (gold, blushing, German, etc.) but they are all the same species. They have a reputation for being delicate.

Bolivian rams aren't as colorful but are much more hardy. They also do better at average water temperatures.

^^+1^^
They like 80 as a minimum and do best 82-84 IME.
Get only one pair.
Know they are male and female.
If you can't tell from all "the tells" on sexing then get second biggest and second smallest.
They are not a beginner fish and appreciate a mature tank and good water quality.
They should be #1 most important fish and most dominant fish in tank IMO.
Most say it is best to get from a known and respected breeder...

 

[mambee]

There is a seller on AquaBid.com named Joe Gargas who seems to be a reputable breeder.

AquaBid.com - Item # fwapisto1479245401 - 6 Show Quality German Blue Rams Free Shipping - Ends: Tue Nov 15 2016 - 03:30:01 PM CDT

 

[nirbhao]

There is a seller on AquaBid.com named Joe Gargas who seems to be a reputable breeder.

AquaBid.com - Item # fwapisto1479245401 - 6 Show Quality German Blue Rams Free Shipping - Ends: Tue Nov 15 2016 - 03:30:01 PM CDT

Also CoralBandit himself. If the ram we have weren't a balloon, we would have one of his pairs on the way to our tank right now.

 

[thupp11]

Noticed the ram thread...I just bought a two GBR and wanted to know what others thought... Is this a male and female sample? Hope they will pair up.

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[coralbandit]

Noticed the ram thread...I just bought a two GBR and wanted to know what others thought... Is this a male and female sample? Hope they will pair up.

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Looks like two males to me....99% certain
Good looking males.
Front one

is Dominant. Hope sub dom has space and shelter to hide?​

 

[thupp11]

Yeah, thanks for the input. That's what I was afraid of. There are plenty of caves and plants, but the fact that his color has faded makes me want to rehome him. Don't want him to be stressed.

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[thupp11]

How would the sub dom do in a 10 gallon with a pair of sword tails?

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[coralbandit]

As long as water is good he will be fine in 10g.

 

[thupp11]

I will have to go back to the lfs and search them out a couple lady friends...if that doesn't work, you wouldn't happen to any good sources to order a few GBRs would you? ??

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[thupp11]

Separated the two males and check out the color..

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[coralbandit]

I breed ,sell and ship rams! I am listed in the classified here ,AquaBid and on my home site that I can not link.
I do pairs for $30 including proper shipping.
I could send you two females...
If you go to theLFS just look for red belly or the smallest/smaller fish...
Females are ALWAYS smaller then males.
That is the sub dom all colored up huh?

 

[nirbhao]

Hey @CoralBandit, can you verify sex for me? This lovely lady was sold as female. She has a pink belly and U shaped anal fin.

This light is really yellow, so you can't really see how blue her scales are. Both she and our male have great coloration when not viewed in incandescent light.

 

[thupp11]

These are tricky, cause I had read that the length of the fist two rays of the dorsal is an indicator also. Longer is male? Can someone confirm if that is true?

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[Brookster123]

That's a girl, that's the perfect example of what a female will usually look like..notice the short frontal spikes on dorsal compared to a males which are longer and tend to flop over a bit. End of dorsal is rounded off as opposed to slightly extended,.almost coming to a point. Obviously the pink belly when applicable. And the more you look at body shapes, the more the female looks like a nerf/mini football while the male looks like an NFL football

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[coralbandit]

What Brook said^^^...
Nice female. The anal fin trick for me is if it passes the base of the tail it is male.
Sometimes it is hard to tell if the fin is pointed for me?
As for spikes I have had females with spikes that whip most of the big boys!

 

[Brookster123]

What bandit said

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[nirbhao]

Thanks, guys. I had been sold a female that was actually a male from another place, so the spikes definitely made me nervous. She's fierce. She's as tiny as the Harlequins but seems to be the boss.