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Blue Rams

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  leifthebunny 
#1 ·
Well, my much cherished blue rams got split up this morning. After being bullied by the apistos and gold rams, the male blue ram passed away last night. I saw the female getting pestered quite a bit this morning to the point she did not get to eat, so she hastily got snatched by the net and transfered to my community tank. She looks like she's doing pretty good now and the japonica shrimp hate the fact she ignores their tentacles pushing her off "their" rock. :) Looks like it will be a considerable time before I can add any more fish to the cichlid tank as the plants are just growing too slow to offer much cover. I thought there was enough cover in the tank, but even the gouramis are hiding under the rocks and they are three times the size of any of the other cichlids in the tank. :oops:

The remaining occupants in the tank:
2 flametail apistos
2 german gold rams
2 pearl gouramis
2 bushy nose plecos

Anyone else have this problem with South American cichlids?
 
#2 ·
This behavior is common in all but a few cichlids.Although rams seem to only harass other rams.i've read suggestions that said only keeping one male ram per tank but i've also read the contrary in other books.if you want to keep similar cichlids in the tank with your rams try a keyhole cichlids.they do very well with rams and are also great community fish.
 
#3 ·
Captain Crab said:
Although rams seem to only harass other rams.
This is not always the case. Rams are known to harass other fish as well, not just members of their own species. Still, it is important that they are the ones that dominate the tank as bullying from larger tankmates will not really help them enjoy their environment.
 
#4 ·
Lupin said:
Captain Crab said:
Although rams seem to only harass other rams.
This is not always the case. Rams are known to harass other fish as well, not just members of their own species. Still, it is important that they are the ones that dominate the tank as bullying from larger tankmates will not really help them enjoy their environment.
Well, with the "attackable fish" (I don't think any fish I own thinks the plecos are attackable :p) left in the tank, I notice the GGRs working up the courage to take on the Queen B**** (my female Apisto named for her change in attitude when the first male died from stress (since learned lighting strategies)). She rules the roost so to speak and beats up on the (currently) smaller male and for a while, had the GBRs in check until the GGRs & Gouramis were added. The male apisto has even been known to bully the Rams, but it looks like the tide will soon be turning. I told the GGR that I find one more fish dead and he's ending up in my shark tank with the tiger barbs. :p Somehow I don't think he was listening.

As a side note, after watching the female flametail, I'm now convinced it's possible for fish to get panic attacks despite what several other people have told me. I've notice that when she's scared, she goes light colorations, but when she's panicking, she goes dark and actually has very noticable breathing problems where she pants.
 
#5 ·
leifthebunny said:
I told the GGR that I find one more fish dead and he's ending up in my shark tank with the tiger barbs. :p Somehow I don't think he was listening.
:bluelaugh: :bluelaugh:
You told him?:checkedout: I always thought fish just don't understand our language.;)

I hold terrible memories of my rams and I hate to tell it over and over.:shake: I had one male ram last year attacked almost everyone else. All rummy-nose tetras and neons were killed in a short time. I was in grief. My failure to find a mate for him because rams were hardly available caused the demise of my tetras.:sob: He passed away last January. You can see his picture in Fish of the Moment box.:) He may have done great damage but I have no regrets ever keeping him. I watched over him most of the time, worrying that someday he will be gone. I think he is far happier than being kept in the horrible lfs tank.

I own 4 rams(3 females and 1 male) right now. Two of them are gold strains.:love: The male gold ram has very long dorsal fins. He's not a veiltail strain but I was amazed that he is the prettiest of all male rams I tried.;)
 
#6 ·
Lupin said:
:bluelaugh: :bluelaugh:
You told him?:checkedout: I always thought fish just don't understand our language.;)
The fish listened about as well as my cats when I'm telling them something (counting to 3 on the other hand gets my cats attention at least. :p).



Well, this morning I discovered my GGRs laid eggs. I also determined that my apistos will be fine in the tank with the GGRs as even the male (much smaller than the female) can beat up both GGRs simultaneously while they are fighting right over the eggs. He leaves the eggs alone, just likes to push the territory issue with the rams. :p

Now if I could just get the plants to grow quicker in the tank ....
 
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