German Blue Ram Discussion

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rubysoho said:
oh! Here are some more questions you should consider, Jchillin.

How long had the rams been at the fish store before they were purchased?

What shape did they look to be in when purchased? (a lot of the ones who come through my LFS have no-so-great fins, torn or shredded)

I always try to wait extra long (upwards of two weeks if sell business is slow) before purchasing rams because I know they are so sensative. Also, I make sure that their fins are in good shape.
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I think this was mentioned...possibly not. But this is what we do know.

Since these guys are in great demand, they usually fly off the "shelves" quite quickly. Oftentimes, you will not find a Ram that has been in the stock tanks for more than a week. Every LFS that I've been to the the Greater NYC area are identical in this regard. So, for most folks, getting a LFS "seasoned" Ram seems or is almost impossible.
 
Meredith said:
Ok, I finally got a good pic of the little one.
its a bit dark but the best I have so far


This one is a bit blurry, but you can see the pinkish hue on the little one there


I am so proud of the the big guy. He is turning out to be a gorgeous fish!
Click to expand...

The top one looks very similar to my female Meredith. From all appearances, it very well could be.
 
I guess time will tell. I had no intention of trying to breed these when I got them, but I am thinking more and more about it. I'm not sure my water chemistry is right for it though. I think they prefer softer water and higher temps??
 
I just read through the whole topic...wow, it was long! Anyway, I just got a new 29g and was looking for a centerpiece fish/pair, and the rams caught my eye...they are gorgeous!

Currently this is my tank:
29g with a penguin 170 filter and a whisper 2-10i filter, a heater (don't know the wattage, but the tank is at a steady 75 F, sand for the substrate with scattered smooth pebbles. I just moved my danios from my 10g along with filter media and a cup of gravel from my other established 29g (goldfish). I am waiting for my master test kit to come, and it should be here any day, but until then I can't give any water perameters... :oops:

So my question in would rams work with the danios? My thought was so add a school of small cories and kuhli loaches, and then a pair or two of rams. would this set-up work? Would the danios be to active for the rams?
 
the danios are very good with most any fish, including rams. Their constant activity puts nervous/cautious fish at ease. Rams do like the temperature to be a bit higher, around 80 degrees and cories seems to thrive (from my experience) in cooler waters of 70-75 degrees. However, I think the rams would be okay in 75 degree water (a happy medium for cories and rams), perhaps they won't color up as much??
 
Here is what I just got from a website on Kuhli loaches:

They accept a wide range of water chemistries - pH of 5.5 to 7.5 and hardness up to 200 parts per million (ppm) - although optimum values seem to be more like a pH of 6.3 to 6.8 and a hardness below 80 ppm. Cool temperatures are preferred (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit), but they will accept temperatures into the low 80s for short periods of time.
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source: http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/kloach.html

I really think that if your temp is around 75 degrees you'll be able to keep the cories, loaches and rams. Just make sure you have enough bottom space for the cories and loaches :wink:
 
ok, so the 75 I have it at now should work! =) I'm going to be gone for 10 days in July, so I'm going to wait until after that to get the rams, since they seem to be fairly delicate... I'm going to work on getting it planted and everyone else in place so that I can get the rams when I get back!
 
good choice in waiting. Turns out I'll be doing the same thing. My LFS wont have GBRs in for another two weeks and then I'll be leaving the next week for 15 days *sigh* so no fishies for me unless one female turns up in lets say, the next day or so :roll:
 
Meredith said:
I guess time will tell. I had no intention of trying to breed these when I got them, but I am thinking more and more about it. I'm not sure my water chemistry is right for it though. I think they prefer softer water and higher temps??
Click to expand...

Meredith: Ideally, a low ph (6.0 - 6.4) and temp @ 81-83d stimulates breeding but, folks have bred them in most any ph and temp that their tank was at.
 
Well, to avoid ph swings, i've given up on messing with filtering my tap water and adding peat etc. I figure once i add a CO2 system it will lower my ph a fair amount. Also, i will eventually get a small RO filter, probably like 30-40gpd.

Anyways, since one of my females has passed, the aggression in that tank has decreased significantly. All three of the rams (2 males, 1 female) now hang out in close proximity. Occasionally the paired 2 will gang up on the third, but it's become increasingly rare. I still plan on moving the lone male back to the 55g community. I may get a female for him when my lfs gets it's next shipment.

Ever notice what their front dorsal fin does when they get mad? It's pretty cool looking. It flares up and the fin sort of fans out and gets these red tips on them.

I'll get some pictures up once i steal my parents camera.

-David
 
Ever notice what their front dorsal fin does when they get mad? It's pretty cool looking. It flares up and the fin sort of fans out and gets these red tips on them.
Click to expand...

LOL...I've seen this before and it looks like it's shimmering as they move it.

I'll get some pictures up once i steal my parents camera.
Click to expand...

Good idea. :D
 
as i went to move the non paired male into the 55g, i realized i didnt know which one it was! I've watched them for 10 solid minutes trying to figure out who's with who.

Maybe they're having a little menage a trois. If they continue to be passive i will let them live together. However, the lone angel in there (recovering from being bullied in th 55g) is starting to show aggression to one of the males.
 
Since these guys are in great demand, they usually fly off the "shelves" quite quickly. Oftentimes, you will not find a Ram that has been in the stock tanks for more than a week. Every LFS that I've been to the the Greater NYC area are identical in this regard. So, for most folks, getting a LFS "seasoned" Ram seems or is almost impossible.
Click to expand...

Usually, I LFSs have 3-4 Blue Rams for sale. About three weeks ago, I went to a store on Delancey Street (NYC) and found a whole tand of these fish. There were about 20 of them and all looked healthy! I've bought one and it is alive and well. It's much smaller than my Bolivian Ram and gets chased sometimes, but it doesn't hide from its bigger cousin. I was thinking of getting two more from the same store, but haven't had time to drive there from Brooklyn. Now they must have been all sold, but at least, I think, the guys from that store know good sources for healthy Rams.
 
I picked up three German Blue Rams over the weekend and they are in my quarantine tank right now. I believe I got two males and a female but they are so skittish that they hide behind decorations and equipment whenever I get close to the tank. If I sit still for ten or fifteen minutes then they start to move around a bit.

My LFS almost always has these fish in stock. It is very rare that they ever run out. The store has also been very good at getting dwarf cichlids in recently (including several species of apistos) as well as some spectacular bettas.
 
newhobbyist said:
I went to a store on Delancey Street (NYC)
Click to expand...

No fair newhobbyist, what's the name and exact location of this place...I think I know it but may have lost track of it...one New Yorker to another...LOL.

Have you ever been to New World on 38th between 2nd and 3rd in Manhattan?

Gene - If you can, get some pics of your new guys :D

(afterward, you can let us know what your marble is doing in your avatar).
 
I'll post pics of my rams as soon as I get a chance.

(My angelfish was eating food off the bottom of the tank in that picture.)
 
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