[mcompagno]

Hello,

I purchased some Blue Rams from Petsmart a few days ago that seem to be acclimating well to their knew home, but I have a question.

I have read that these fish like high temperatures and very soft, acidic water. Is this the case for the store bought domestic breed or is this just for the wild caught specimens?

Right now I have them at 80 degrees and did a 90% water change before adding them to the tank, so the water chemistry is basically conditioned tap water with PH around 7 and fairly soft water. I don't have the exact numbers because I haven't tested.

The fish seem to be doing well though.

Thanks.

Michael

 

[lorax84]

All rams like soft acidic water and about 80 degrees. The rams you bought are most likely commercially bred in ponds, which are usually soft water. If you have soft water with a ph of 7 I wouldn't bother messing with it.

 

[Byron]

The common Blue Ram is one fish that is a bit different from the norm. While wild-caught fish of this species absolutely must have very soft water and high temperatures, the commercially-raised fish are a bit different. They should be maintained in water that is close to that in which they were raised. Finding this out can be tricky, as Petsmart is highly unlikely to be able to tell you who raised their fish. I would go with what you have out of the tap, but keep it at 80-82F as the warmth seems to be something this species requires to live its normal lifespan of 4 years. Our profile details all this.

Byron.