Am I just having very bad luck? (New to Cichlids)

[mas8394]

I'm not sure where else to throw this, so I feel this the perfect spot.

I've been trying to enjoy Blue Ram Cichlids in my 45g tank for a long time now, and they just keep killing each other!
The ratio at first was 4 females, 3 males. 2 of the males joined together and killed 3 females and the other male. I took them back to PetCo. Replaced some.
Ratio was now 3 Females to 3 Males. A single male went and killed 1 female and 1 male. Took the male and the dead back.
Now it's 4 females to 2 males.
The 2 new females are harassing the original females, and the males are harassing all the females. I was hoping they would pair off or something, not viciously kill one another.

It is a 45 Gallon Tank, it is heavily planted in the middle with Java ferns, Umbrella Plants, Java moss, Christmas Moss, and Pellia Moss.
On both sides there is a cave and above there is a floating log.
The Residents are a single Angelfish, 3 Otocinclus, 4 Black Neon Tetra, and roughly 20 Horny Zebra Danios that can't stop mating. (Once there was 4, 1 male and 3 females... Now there are 20! I didn't even help take care of the babies!)

Thanks for any help! My next stop will be to just keep 2, lose the rest, and hope they pair off.

 

[dalto]

Not really uncommon behavior. I would wait for them to form a pair then remove the rest.

 

[mas8394]

Thanks dalto, I've owned tanks for years but never ventured into cichlids. They're very cool looking fish.

 

[Iamtechno13]

Rams can be tough on each other in tanks that are to small or not set up properly (too open, not enough hiding, lines of sight not broken up, etc...) especially once they pair up. You'd be fine if it was all males or all females as I have tanks of both with no issues (it's where I keep my spares). Once they pair up, they stake out a territory and are nasty to all other ram's in the vicinity. Great little fish though. The other thing I would recommend, is to never ever buy Ram's from Petco or Petsmart. They have some of the worst Ram's around.

 

[mas8394]

I honestly just want 2 of them to pair up and stake their territory. I wouldn't buy from PetCo or PetSmart if I had any other LFS nearby - the nearest one that isn't franchised is half an hour away from me, and the only one I trust is over an hour away! Once a pair is set up, the rest are going back to PetCo.

 

[Iamtechno13]

Unfortunately, most every if not all Rams you'll get from Petco/Petsmart, have horrible genetics leading to very short lifespans (1 year if you're lucky) and possibly other health problems. If you can't find them at a close lfs, then I'd suggest ordering them from a reputable source. I know it sucks as you'd have to pay for shipping and what not but I guess it all depends on how serious you are about your fish. I see petco/petsmart as a place you'd buy your son/daughter a couple tetras and maybe a betta but nothing more. I could list off a number of reasons why to avoid them but thats another post for another day. I'm convinced this is the reason that people have negative opinions on Ram's and how difficult they are as they're gettting crappy Ram's, having them die for no apparent reason (although I know the reason) and then having a negative opinion.

 

[mas8394]

I don't consider any fish difficult, as I've kept many different fiery fish together in the same tanks in the past. How ever, I tend not to buy fish from ANY online sources because I've had extremely bad experiences with online purchases. Mostly that I buy, let's say, 7 fish and 6 arrive dead and I lose out on money.

 

[Iamtechno13]

You're ordering from the wrong places. I've ordered 75% of the fish I have and have only lost a couple. My brother orders his fish as well with only a few that have perished. If you're ordering from a reputable source, they will have a good stock of fish, they will know how to properly bag and ship fish and if there are any issues will either refund the money or ship new ones. Just do your research cause you obviously won't find any GBR in your area worth buying but I know of multiple sources you can buy them online and would have no issues.

 

[Iamtechno13]

If you order from a place and fish are dead when they show up and the company won't do anything to help you, you should never have done business with them in the first place. A reputable company or individual would almost alway rectify a situation like that. I'd much rather pay the $20 for shipping and KNOW I'm getting good fish vs. saving the $20 and having the fish be dead within a year anyways. You get what you pay for.

 

[Imat]

What online sources would you go to buy rams? I have heard of one but would like to compare to some others.


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[Iamtechno13]

Yunite has some great Ram's. Wetspot from time to time has some pretty good ones but always decent and there are a couple sources on Aquabid I would trust as well.

 

[Imat]

Thanks for the info. If i am able to get my tank stabilized, that is how i plan on buying my rams.


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[mas8394]

To be honest, I would like to know ANY online reputable sources you may have to share

 

[Iamtechno13]

For what kind of fish? Different places/people specialize in certain fish so it really depends on what you're looking for. I'm all about Apisto's and other South American's like Geo's and such.