Your experience with German Blue Rams?

[NODAK1979]

I mentioned in another thread that we're keeping a few GBR's in our aquarium currently. We are not experienced aquariests, though we have done a ridiculous amount of reading about the fish that we put into our aquarium.

We had to get our GBR's from a particular store because no other fish store would even carry them due to sensitivity. The store we did buy them from wouldn't guarantee them like they guarantee other fish. However, so far so good with ours. They seem to be thriving.

So....if you've had GBR's or know anybody who has, how has the luck been with them?? Is the sensitivity a bit overstated (as I saw one aquarium blogger say) or are they really that tricky of an investment?

 

[jasurf21]

I purchased a male and female ram a couple months ago. The female ram ended up dying a week after purchase. The male is still doing great. On Saturday I purchased another female ram who was very stressed out since day one for no reason. No fish in my community tank was bothering her and there are plenty of hiding places. She died yesterday. The male is going strong but I have lost two females so far. I am debating about trying again LOL

 

[Fishfan321]

I have bred them for about a year now with shy of 1000 babies!!! I love the colors they get when ready to breed and how they tend eggs/ young fry

 

[jasurf21]

Can you send me a female that won't die?

 

[DragonFish71]

We have gone through countless pairs of GBRs and gold rams. We finally have 3 pairs that have survived longer than a month (knock on wood)


We originally set up our 40g as a ram tank. Nothing went right with it. After water changes they would die off. We changes out the substrate and still had the same problem. We set up a 115 for angelfish and tetras, never giving up our fondness for GBRs, we broke down and got a pair. They lived, so we got another, they lived. Both lived through a tank crash that killed over 100 neon tetras. Now we have 3 pairs that spawn about every other month. No idea why they are doing better in this tank than the 40 but hey, I'm not complaining.

They are highly sensitive to water conditions and seem to stress easily. Also the stock has a alot to do with it. Ph fluxes really can do them in. It needs to be as steady as possible. I know they suggest lower pH, but it has to be steady.

 

[Fishfan321]

The trick is to get a paired couple and ask the supplier for details. Be careful with lighting or algae blooms will start. If your fry needs the light, Use a night light

 

[NODAK1979]

I've read there's a huge quality difference between rams from Asia and ones from Europe. I called the local pet store and they get theirs farm raised from Florida. Is this typically good?

 

[Fishfan321]

I've read there's a huge quality difference between rams from Asia and ones from Europe. I called the local pet store and they get theirs farm raised from Florida. Is this typically good?

I've never heard anything like that but it might be true.

 

[BigJim]

I'd believe it. I've heard that a lot of Asian fish farmers do questionable things with hormones to get the fish to color up.

 

[meegosh]

I've read there's a huge quality difference between rams from Asia and ones from Europe. I called the local pet store and they get theirs farm raised from Florida. Is this typically good?

I've heard the same thing. Not sure about the stock from Florida though. The European ones seem to be the healthiest but do not compare to a nice tank raised specimen from a hobbyist. There are even some long finned ones coming out of Europe that LOOK nice, but I can't vouch for their quality though.

 

[Homedog98]

I heard that locally bred and raised ones are less sensitive to water conditions then wild caught or Asian. So the ones from Florida are probably tougher.

 

[logansmomma1228]

I mentioned in another thread that we're keeping a few GBR's in our aquarium currently. We are not experienced aquariests, though we have done a ridiculous amount of reading about the fish that we put into our aquarium.

We had to get our GBR's from a particular store because no other fish store would even carry them due to sensitivity. The store we did buy them from wouldn't guarantee them like they guarantee other fish. However, so far so good with ours. They seem to be thriving.

So....if you've had GBR's or know anybody who has, how has the luck been with them?? Is the sensitivity a bit overstated (as I saw one aquarium blogger say) or are they really that tricky of an investment?

You know everyone says that they are so sensitive, but I've had mine for months now and s/he's doing just fine- she's as lively as ever. I change my water once a week but there have been times when I just didn't get to it. Maybe it depends on the rams and how healthy they are when you get them