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Can you help sex my blue rams?

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Mikaila31 
#1 ·
Hey guys im having trouble because these guys tend to fight alot and I had to move one into another tank. Currently I have a 29 gal set up for the 2 but only have one in that tank right now do to the fighting. In the first two photos/ the darker photos is one ram, and the lighter photos is the other. Let me know what you guys think? thanks. When I bought them I asked for a pair but the fighting gets pretty intense and the one in my 29 gal/ the darker pictures gets beaten up and hides up top near my hornwort from the other. Water conditions are great as well if that matters.
 

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#2 · (Edited)
The female fish is smaller than the male and have more pink pigmentation on her ventral region. If you look at the anterior region of the dorsal fin, you can see that her fin rays are less developed. It is also common for females to have a plumper body shape and more rounded edging of the tailfin. The back of the dorsal and anal fins have a more pointy edge in the male ram, and the tail fin is also more sharply edged. The male ram can be recognized on his V-shaped tail fin and the elongated second ray that is present in the dorsal fin.

Looking at them it looks like 2,4 are male and 1,3 are a female. They may have also not colored up enough to be able to sex with some certainty.
 
#3 ·
It's usually easiest to sex rams by looking at them in comparison to each other. The bottom fish (lighter photos) is almost definitely a male. The top fish (dark photos) may be female, but it is hard to tell. If the top fish is significantly smaller then I would probably say it is female. They may be M/F but not a bonded pair.

What type of "fighting" are you seeing. I've seen aggressive behavior out of my rams at times, chasing and the like, but no injuries. Do you ever see the two fish hanging out together and not being aggressive?
 
#4 ·
What type of "fighting" are you seeing. I've seen aggressive behavior out of my rams at times, chasing and the like, but no injuries. Do you ever see the two fish hanging out together and not being aggressive?
Umm basically wherever the fish in the darker photos goes the other one tries to chase it around, even if it is just sitting there the other fish has to nip and chase it. However the fish in the darker photos does not like this and has had some small nips out of its fins so I decided to relocate the fish in the lighter photos to another tank
 
#6 ·
He said its only two fish. The first two photos are one fish, the second two are another fish.

Umm basically wherever the fish in the darker photos goes the other one tries to chase it around, even if it is just sitting there the other fish has to nip and chase it. However the fish in the darker photos does not like this and has had some small nips out of its fins so I decided to relocate the fish in the lighter photos to another tank
Just going on the behavior you describe I am sure the second fish (lighter photos) is male. The chasing behavior you describe is pretty normal for rams, even matched pairs. My Male ram chases the female pretty regularly and I know they are a matched pair (they have spawned). You could try adding plant or decorations to your tank to break up sight lines.
 
#7 ·
I think both fish are male. I would not keep them together since from your description to date the one will be severely stressed and injured or even killed before long. There is not enough space in a 29g for two males.

As you wanted a breeding pair, I would return them both because you did not get what you asked for. The best way to get a pair with this species is to observe the fish in the store tank for some time. You will see bonded pairs by their behaviours; buy one of them.

Byron.
 
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