Tips for GBR?

[logansmomma1228]

I just got me a GBR today. Everything I have read said they are fairly easy to keep in good water conditions. I have good water conditions, just wondering if there any tricks or tips I should know to help my little guy stay healthy.

Like, is there a certain food they prefer more over others? Should I load the tank with more hiding places? I have a vase in there right now that is like a cave, a piece of DW that forms a small place he could hide, and I am planning on adding some more rocks and cave like things soon.

I also want to get a mate for him down the road maybe... depends.

 

[Aquarium1]

Following

 

[DragonFish71]

1) they love all kinds of foods. Give them a broad diet. Ours eat shrimp pellets, brine shrimp, blood worms, glass worms, algae wafers etc.


2) clean water, clean water, clean water. They don't do well with sudden pH spikes though. Just a warning.


3) they love hidey places, DW, plants etc.


I think the one I saw in your other post is a female but it was hard to be sure. I didn't see a very high first row of spikes which is usually the female. Can you get it to flare out for a better pic?

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

hiding places, and more hiding places. They will soon find one they want to call home.

 

[logansmomma1228]

DragonFish, I will try to get him/her to flare out. How would I do that? A hand mirror maybe? That's how I got the betta to lol. According to the LFS their pH was 7.6, mine is 7.8 I hope that isn't too much of a spike. I suck at drip acclimation so I had to float.

There is a vase in there that I feel like s/he is going to love. It is perfect. When I released him/her s/he went to hide in the plants over by it, and I;m hoping that will end up as home Thanks guys, and I will try to get a better pic.

 

[logansmomma1228]

After doing some research, I am pretty sure my GBR is a female., She doesn't have the longer spike on the dorsal fin, and the blue sheen shows through the black spot/stripe.

 

[WhiteDevil]

small pieces of shale or slate laid flat on the bottom is what they really need. Mine dont hide, only my bolivian does. I tried hollow rocks and the like and it wasnt remotely used by any of my dwarfs, dense planting, some driftwood and those flat stones and thats what they call home.

Rams spawn on flat surfaces ideally, they will pick others that are close basically they settle if not ideal. Mine have a certain one they use as a bed/crib that they decorated with a chunk of java moss.

The ram males take on the classic bullheaded look and the females have more of a grade from their mouth to the top of their head, pink belly and dorsal are the easiest ways to tell though. I also cant keep more then one pair of GBR's in the tank at a time.