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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome back zilla!
German Blue Ram Discussion
- Thread starter Jchillin
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webgeek
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Rams - mixed results
I have bought four Rams. The frst two came home, acclimated quickly to my mostly discus tank, and grew large in about 6 months. I discovered they were both male and they fought all the time. So at about 8 months I sold the more aggressive male to go get a female and have a couple. The other one died a month later with no apparent physical ailments.
The male and femal that I got to replace them are doing great now. They are about 5 months old and are quite comfortable in the aquarium and together. They are very curious. Always watching me clean or scrub. Not at all timid about my hand, faces at the glass, etc. Full of personality. Unlike others that talk abot shy behavior around larger fish, my Rams are always out and about despite the larger discus they are sharing space with. I quite enjoy them and hope they will continue to do well and perhaps even breed someday.
I am very fortunate to live 3 blocks from a good aquarium store and also very fortunate to have very soft water.
Paul
I have bought four Rams. The frst two came home, acclimated quickly to my mostly discus tank, and grew large in about 6 months. I discovered they were both male and they fought all the time. So at about 8 months I sold the more aggressive male to go get a female and have a couple. The other one died a month later with no apparent physical ailments.
The male and femal that I got to replace them are doing great now. They are about 5 months old and are quite comfortable in the aquarium and together. They are very curious. Always watching me clean or scrub. Not at all timid about my hand, faces at the glass, etc. Full of personality. Unlike others that talk abot shy behavior around larger fish, my Rams are always out and about despite the larger discus they are sharing space with. I quite enjoy them and hope they will continue to do well and perhaps even breed someday.
I am very fortunate to live 3 blocks from a good aquarium store and also very fortunate to have very soft water.
Paul
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to AA webgeek! 
I am glad that you found this thread and shared your GBR experience. I don't know if you've read the entire thread (good reading if you haven't...kudos if you have). You are obviously patient as you have two great and sensitive cichlid species.
Just a couple of history questions:
1. What type of tank did the Rams come from (planted...non-planted) at LFS?
2. What do you feed...tried to feed etc.?
3. Ph of your tank (if known)?
Thanks
I am glad that you found this thread and shared your GBR experience. I don't know if you've read the entire thread (good reading if you haven't...kudos if you have). You are obviously patient as you have two great and sensitive cichlid species.
Just a couple of history questions:
1. What type of tank did the Rams come from (planted...non-planted) at LFS?
2. What do you feed...tried to feed etc.?
3. Ph of your tank (if known)?
Thanks
Michael
Aquarium Advice Activist
HI all, I have two pairs of Blue Rams. One pair is in a 40 gallon Long (48") community tank with Corys, Neons, Featherfin Rainbows, Otto's and a Bristlenose. The Other pair is in a 40 gallon Hex with 12 Cardinals. Both pairs spawn about every two weeks but they eat their eggs, always on the third day.
I purchased two pairs at the Danbury Club Fish Auction in October of last year. They were breed by Bill Cole. About three months later I did lose one male to bloat. At the Bristol, CT auction in May Bill brought me another male, very large. The new male and my odd female hit it off right away and spawned on the third day together. But still, they ate their eggs. I think it's the females.
Personally I would not buy Blue Rams from my LFS's, and I have a bunch of LFS's to choose from. After dealing with Bill Cole, he is the only one I would buy from. I sure I'm prejudice since I feel I've had success with mine but all I hear are stories about them dieing when bought from LFS's.
I purchased two pairs at the Danbury Club Fish Auction in October of last year. They were breed by Bill Cole. About three months later I did lose one male to bloat. At the Bristol, CT auction in May Bill brought me another male, very large. The new male and my odd female hit it off right away and spawned on the third day together. But still, they ate their eggs. I think it's the females.
Personally I would not buy Blue Rams from my LFS's, and I have a bunch of LFS's to choose from. After dealing with Bill Cole, he is the only one I would buy from. I sure I'm prejudice since I feel I've had success with mine but all I hear are stories about them dieing when bought from LFS's.
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks for providing the information on your Rams Michael. This is one of the things we have discussed...breeding and sources of stronger strains. Obviously, you have access to a successful breeder.
webgeek
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Thanks for the welcome to a newbie to fish forums . To answer earlier questions:
0. I did not read the ENTIRE thread yet, just a chunk. I am just getting started on the forum, and really only have 9 months with my current tank too, though so far I have had good luck. I have also TRIED to take good care of my pets as well as learn enough to do so responsibly. I enjoy them immensely and they deserve no less.
1. What type of tank did the Rams come from (planted...non-planted) at LFS?
LFS was unplanted. They had about 100 very small Rams on each occasion in about a 10 gallon enclosure. Very difficult to sex at such a young age. Made more so because most of the Rams at my LFS were male. Of the 100, I could only spot about 5 females. LFS employees agreed.
2. What do you feed...tried to feed etc.?
The Rams get the Discus diet actually, but they seem to do well on it. Nutrafin flakes in the morning, variety at mid day, and Bloodworms for dinner. Variety = brine shrimp, plankton, or bioblend tropical pellets, rotated roughly. All of the male Rams I have had have grown quite large (~2.5" at 5 months). I wonder if they are not trying to compete with the discus, which is of course hopeless, on size anyway. The one girl remains a little small, though the male defends her devoutly if ANY fish in the tank even looks at her a little funny. He is the only one that is allowed to pester her, and he does so occasionally, though most of the time they swim around together.
3. Ph of your tank (if known)?
I run 7.0 pretty straight up at about 84 degrees, again this is for the discus. I am crazy about the Rams but the truth is I started out this tank intending for it to be a single species discus tank and my gilfriend later coerced me into making it a community tank. I am so glad she did! The Rams are really wonderful. They have much more personality and are much less skittish than the discuss. My Nitrate levels start the week around 5-10ppm just after water change and at water change day they have usually drifted up to 10-15. I have no ammonia or nitrites that show in tests. We have very soft water here in Seattle so I don't have to deal with reverse osmosis. I change 25% of their water once or twice a week and clean the substrate every time I change the water. I started out with a planted tank but was having trouble with algae growing on the plant leaves killing the plants, so more recently I gave up on the live plants and switched to plastic I still have the fine gravel substrate in, but I am getting ready to switch to a larger rock or marble for the bottom so I can keep it even cleaner.
I am really bumbling still a bit with trying to take responsible care of my pets, but reading up at forums like this one will hopefully help me learn to take the best care possible of my fish. I have learned a lot aready, though I have a looooong ways still to go I just wanted to contribute to this discussion because I have such a strong affection for my Rams, and I feel like I have had pretty good luck with them. My current girl did get pop-eye after I brough some otocynclis (spelled wrong?) home from LFS to try to help the algae problem, but I quarantined her and cared for her and after about a week she was fine. Her eye did not come out thank goodness, only bulged, and she is back to normal now. The oto's were not welcomed by my albino pleco and he ate them in the end anyway. I learned my lesson, stick rigidly to the 30 days in quarantine rule even if it means your plants are going to die from algae! Oh well. Sorry I have rambled on.
. To answer earlier questions:0. I did not read the ENTIRE thread yet, just a chunk. I am just getting started on the forum, and really only have 9 months with my current tank too, though so far I have had good luck. I have also TRIED to take good care of my pets as well as learn enough to do so responsibly. I enjoy them immensely and they deserve no less.
1. What type of tank did the Rams come from (planted...non-planted) at LFS?
LFS was unplanted. They had about 100 very small Rams on each occasion in about a 10 gallon enclosure. Very difficult to sex at such a young age. Made more so because most of the Rams at my LFS were male. Of the 100, I could only spot about 5 females. LFS employees agreed.
2. What do you feed...tried to feed etc.?
The Rams get the Discus diet actually, but they seem to do well on it. Nutrafin flakes in the morning, variety at mid day, and Bloodworms for dinner. Variety = brine shrimp, plankton, or bioblend tropical pellets, rotated roughly. All of the male Rams I have had have grown quite large (~2.5" at 5 months). I wonder if they are not trying to compete with the discus, which is of course hopeless, on size anyway. The one girl remains a little small, though the male defends her devoutly if ANY fish in the tank even looks at her a little funny. He is the only one that is allowed to pester her, and he does so occasionally, though most of the time they swim around together.
3. Ph of your tank (if known)?
I run 7.0 pretty straight up at about 84 degrees, again this is for the discus. I am crazy about the Rams but the truth is I started out this tank intending for it to be a single species discus tank and my gilfriend later coerced me into making it a community tank. I am so glad she did! The Rams are really wonderful. They have much more personality and are much less skittish than the discuss. My Nitrate levels start the week around 5-10ppm just after water change and at water change day they have usually drifted up to 10-15. I have no ammonia or nitrites that show in tests. We have very soft water here in Seattle so I don't have to deal with reverse osmosis. I change 25% of their water once or twice a week and clean the substrate every time I change the water. I started out with a planted tank but was having trouble with algae growing on the plant leaves killing the plants, so more recently I gave up on the live plants and switched to plastic
I still have the fine gravel substrate in, but I am getting ready to switch to a larger rock or marble for the bottom so I can keep it even cleaner.I am really bumbling still a bit with trying to take responsible care of my pets, but reading up at forums like this one will hopefully help me learn to take the best care possible of my fish. I have learned a lot aready, though I have a looooong ways still to go
I just wanted to contribute to this discussion because I have such a strong affection for my Rams, and I feel like I have had pretty good luck with them. My current girl did get pop-eye after I brough some otocynclis (spelled wrong?) home from LFS to try to help the algae problem, but I quarantined her and cared for her and after about a week she was fine. Her eye did not come out thank goodness, only bulged, and she is back to normal now. The oto's were not welcomed by my albino pleco and he ate them in the end anyway. I learned my lesson, stick rigidly to the 30 days in quarantine rule even if it means your plants are going to die from algae! Oh well. Sorry I have rambled on.
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
webgeek said:
No...actually you haven't. You've just provided a snapshot of your tank and what you've accomplished so far. As I had said earlier, you definitely have the most sensitive cichlids in regard to care that I know of.
Keep up the good work...come back to this thread and give updates if you have any questions or suggestions.
Thanks again.
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
woohoo! I made my very first website today using HTML!!! Okay, so I'm using angelfire.com as a host, but still. I'm learning HTML. Okay, so why am I posting this here and not in the lounge? Because my first page was all about German Rams! Yeh, I know there are a few good ones out there already, but I wanted to do one myself as a tribute to the beautiful fish. Any comments/suggestions are welcome. And if there are lots of typos, please forgive me. It has been a long long long day and I am going back tomorrow to check for typos. Soooo, the unveiling of my first website:
http://www.angelfire.com/blog2/daisiesofthegalaxy/rams.html
PS-I'm sure the information isn't perfect so pleeeeeaaaaase correct me if I am wrong.
http://www.angelfire.com/blog2/daisiesofthegalaxy/rams.html
PS-I'm sure the information isn't perfect so pleeeeeaaaaase correct me if I am wrong.
Meredith
Aquarium Advice Addict
Wow ruby!! That was great! I think it was very well written. And the pics were very nice. I especially liked how you show the difference between the male and female.
awesome job!!
awesome job!!
greenmaji
Aquarium Advice Addict
rubysoho...I personaly learned something today from the pictures alone.. Great Work
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
aww, thanks! That makes me really happy
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nicely done rubysoho...very impressive.
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
anything you would want to add? I am going to put in some more detail about their spawning habits, but maybe make that a completely separate page so I can add more pictures and stuff.
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sent you a PM rubysoho.
Just a quick update on my guys. There's an old saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt". Well, from the activity currently going on in my tank, that saying can be thrown out the window.
The rams are now more comfortable coming out more during the day and evening. Though they still have yet to come to the surface during feeding, they no longer wait until food happens to land near them on surfaces to nourish themselves.
One of the males fins are absolutely stunning (I've been trying to get a pic, but those nosy, greedy angels keep blocking any pic attempts so far).
I'm going to try feeding other forms of cichlid foods this weekend (ie: crumbles/sticks, etc.) and see what happens. They refuse to do anything with the floating pellets...which the tetras keep "stealing", even though they cannot get it into their mouths. Just imagine a 1.5" tetra sailing around the tank with a pellet in his lips being chased by all the others...too funny! They also do the same thing with the freeze-dried bloodworms...a true riot! ROFL.
Just a quick update on my guys. There's an old saying: "Familiarity breeds contempt". Well, from the activity currently going on in my tank, that saying can be thrown out the window.
The rams are now more comfortable coming out more during the day and evening. Though they still have yet to come to the surface during feeding, they no longer wait until food happens to land near them on surfaces to nourish themselves.
One of the males fins are absolutely stunning (I've been trying to get a pic, but those nosy, greedy angels keep blocking any pic attempts so far).
I'm going to try feeding other forms of cichlid foods this weekend (ie: crumbles/sticks, etc.) and see what happens. They refuse to do anything with the floating pellets...which the tetras keep "stealing", even though they cannot get it into their mouths. Just imagine a 1.5" tetra sailing around the tank with a pellet in his lips being chased by all the others...too funny! They also do the same thing with the freeze-dried bloodworms...a true riot! ROFL.
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
yay! glad to hear they are settling in. Have you tried sinking shrimp pellets? My rams looooved those.
fish are hilarious, my rummynosed tetras and danios would do the same thing with food that was too big for them. Then they would swim around trying to stay away from everyone else while the food broke down to an easier size. And the angels are pigs too. Always have to be the center of attention
oh, and pm'd you back
fish are hilarious, my rummynosed tetras and danios would do the same thing with food that was too big for them. Then they would swim around trying to stay away from everyone else while the food broke down to an easier size. And the angels are pigs too. Always have to be the center of attention
oh, and pm'd you back
mumrah
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well, i have a bit of an exciting update on my pair.
I'd been worried about my male b/c he was stripes were darkening and i thought this was a sign of stress. A few days ago i saw he and the female pecking at each other... not really nipping, just bumping into each other's sides. "I hope they're getting along alright..."
A few days later i noticed my male was hanging out in one of the terra cotta pots i had in there. I peaked inside and saw a batch of eggs!!
I have a bunch of good pictures back home. Unfortunatly Dennis knocked out our internet, so i'll have to bring them into work so i can post them.
Needless to say, i was thrilled!
I'd been worried about my male b/c he was stripes were darkening and i thought this was a sign of stress. A few days ago i saw he and the female pecking at each other... not really nipping, just bumping into each other's sides. "I hope they're getting along alright..."
A few days later i noticed my male was hanging out in one of the terra cotta pots i had in there. I peaked inside and saw a batch of eggs!!
I have a bunch of good pictures back home. Unfortunatly Dennis knocked out our internet, so i'll have to bring them into work so i can post them.
Needless to say, i was thrilled!
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
YAY!!!!! That is wonderful I remember when my rams first spawned. I was scared because I thought they were acting stressed. Then I looked closer and saw eggs. So, are you planning on letting the happy couple parent the babies? Or do you think you will remove them to another tank?
IMO, I like watching them parent.
I remember when my rams first spawned. I was scared because I thought they were acting stressed. Then I looked closer and saw eggs. So, are you planning on letting the happy couple parent the babies? Or do you think you will remove them to another tank?IMO, I like watching them parent.
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Jchillin
Aquarium Advice Addict
Excellent news mumrah!!! Considering how you were feeling about them being stressed...this has made my day!
BTW-I just remembered who Mumrah was Go Thundercats!
BTW-I just remembered who Mumrah was
Go Thundercats!mumrah
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'm not looking to raise the babies myself, so i'll let the Rams do their cichlid thing and raise some babies.
Yesterday i was trying to get the tank nice and clean for the babies (gravel vacuum, pwc, algae scrub), but when i got near the "nest" the female started attacking my hand. It was very cute.
Yesterday i was trying to get the tank nice and clean for the babies (gravel vacuum, pwc, algae scrub), but when i got near the "nest" the female started attacking my hand. It was very cute.
rubysoho
Aquarium Advice Addict
haha, did the same. Don't worry about the area near the eggs, they usually pick a good spot and then keep it quite clean.
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