Black rams !

[flitabout]

I am in love with those rams!!!! When you get them going I am going to have to buy a set! They will be well worth the expense of getting an RO unit to give them just the right parameters!

 

[coralbandit]

I am in love with those rams!!!! When you get them going I am going to have to buy a set! They will be well worth the expense of getting an RO unit to give them just the right parameters!

I think you are going to share that thought with 40-50% of the people. With a possible 40 -60 % who do not like it at all. Some until they learn about it.

Surprisingly the breeder in Israel raises his fish in the conditions I keep..
My tap ! 7.6 ph /2-3kh /9 gh with a tds of 350 from source.
His kh and gh are a little higher.
Better yet his breeding conditions matched mine also.
AT least his ms. converted to my ro TDS level I use.
Now the new eggs were not in full soft water yet and the fact the first set showed any being fertile means they might be ok in the tap or close for breeding.
I like to take my rams down to 75-90 TDS for breeding and they definitely show better in this water hands down..To me the better color and behavior is 'the smile' on my fishes face !

 

[Fresh2o]

Any plans on doing the same TDS drop with the new ones to possibly increase fertility rates? Or wait and see?

 

[coralbandit]

Any plans on doing the same TDS drop with the new ones to possibly increase fertility rates? Or wait and see?

Dropping them since day 1.
I was surprised the TDS was so high from the supplier.
They are just under 200 today with a 5g change on 15 gallons coming.
I will add back 20 TDS water. That should leave them about 150 TDS tonight.

 

[flitabout]

I can't wait to see if these eggs make it!

 

[coralbandit]

I can't wait to see if these eggs make it!

First set of eggs are becoming wigglers !

The second set is looking a little less fertialized. Maybe less then 50% will become wigglers at best if they hatch..

This will change as the fish mature but clearly the #1 alpha pair is a little more grown/mature then #2 .Could also be from water being harder then what the eggs can work with? The whole soft water thing is most important for egg fertilization. If the water is too hard the eggs will become instantly calcified and the sperm from male can not penetrate the egg shell to make it fertile. This is most common for average keepers who keep their fish in hard water.
Still thrilled to see living fish from eggs.. The ball is rolling !

 

[Kitekat87]

This is all very exciting

 

[coralbandit]

This is all very exciting

It's like they are almost demanding attention !
They are sneaky fish which I like !
Look what I found when I stopped looking at the trays and fish !

That would be set of eggs #3 !
I need to set up a tank just for the pair and eggs to stay together ?
That pot half will never fit in anything less then their original 2.5...
They really are rushing me , which is great because I am a pretty good procrastinator when I get around to it !

 

[flitabout]

That is so insane that they are all pairing up so quick and laying! Gratz on your wigglers!

 

[Brookster123]

For those who didn't know. Bandit uses off brand Chinese Viagra in his setups. That explains the insanely fast spawning behavior. I tried something similar. Added some jack Daniels to mine, figures it would get them in the mood.. turns out I had 20 males and 1 female. They beat the crap out of each other and then the biggest dude threw a spongebob pineapple through the front glass panel.. I ran before he could get to me..

 

[Fresh2o]

^^^ Truth. Here is a aforementioned SpongeBob pineapple

 

[Brookster123]

Come on man... I actually forgot about that tank

 

[coralbandit]

Nice !
It is almost that much out of control !

 

[Fresh2o]

Come on man... I actually forgot about that tank

Surprise! The Internet never forgets.

 

[coralbandit]

Surprise! The Internet never forgets.

Brooks digital footprint has been mistaken for a crater I was told ~!

 

[coralbandit]

Another day and another set of eggs !
That is four now meaning IMO I have 4 pair formed out of the 12 fish I got...
2 more sets of eggs would be outrageous and mean I have 6 pairs !!!!
Timing is funny as I have this tank at 84 so I expected the hatching to be a little quicker but what I see today makes me wonder ?
All 3 sets of eggs have wigglers ! Even the 1/2 pot I found yesterday!
I placed the parents in a 2.5 with eggs that is floating in the 20 long.
They looked to be moving the eggs [very uncommon] or eating them ?
Today I see wigglers on the bottom of their tank so maybe they were not eating them..
I know many say fish will eat bad eggs ,but my experience is the parents let the eggs hatch and then move wigglers away from the bad eggs.
To see the parents move eggs and have them hatch is kind of a first for me I think ?
I did say they are sneaky fish..
This going way better and faster then I ever could have planned..
Hopefully today I will build a new rack to hold a 55g on bottom,.a 33 long in the middle and 5/6 2.5 g on the top. Being 12" wide the top shelf could also hold another 33 long if I choose.
I really want to get these guys split apart and let them raise fry if possible..
From my observations fry grown with parents get bigger faster....

 

[Delapool]

For those who didn't know. Bandit uses off brand Chinese Viagra in his setups. That explains the insanely fast spawning behavior.

Must be something they love in the water for sure .... ?! Going great guns.

 

[mbkemp]

Nice rams, beautiful lab! Thank you for sharing that picture. My guy is old, torn acl’s, allergies that just keep getting worse. He is the best boy ever!

 

[coralbandit]

Ok eggs/wigglers with parents have been eaten[both sets #3 and 4].
Sets 1 &2 that I separated are free swimming and I think eating ? I will know better today.
Got new rack all fabricated and assembled.Filled and stocked the 33 long last night with 10 out of 12 of the black rams.
2 got left in the 20 long as I am sure they were getting ready to lay eggs.I expect to find them this am..
New rack has 55g on bottom ,33 long in middle and 8 @2.5 on top which can be switched out for another 33 long.
I am thinking I might start using the 2.5 for floating older fry?
6 more Dip and pours arrived yesterday also....
Pics later this am.

 

[coralbandit]

^^Here are the fry yesterday.. ^^
Fry this am . That is BBS swimming around them..

You never know what to expect and this am I found one on the floor !
Go figure in a 2.5 good.
In a 20 long good.
In a 33 long filled 2" from top jumper !

Probably either jumped when I turned light off [ timer today] of just chased out as new territories are being formed. This is why you don' get just one pair IMO.. You never know. The odd man out is on borrowed time IMO so if can spot him/her I will try to match them up with EBR mate...
I am hoping I can leave 2 pair in the 33 long in the long run or pull them all to individual breeding tanks if I have to .
No eggs from pair in 20 long.
Although they are acting ready no tubes showing yet so maybe another day or so? Sure hanging like the tray is theirs.