[Lucillia]

I've found conflicting advice on these adorable little buggers, and I'm hoping to get some more concrete advice on here from people who have actually kept them.

I currently have one female Ram in my 20L. I'm waiting for my 40 to cycle and mature before changing her over. How ever.... I would really like to have a breeding pair. I've absolutely fallen in love with this fish.

So far what I have gathered that is the same across the board,
-South American
-Temp of 80-84
-Low pH
-30 gallons min.
-Small water changes weekly are better than larger bi-weekly

Now my questions are... Is my tank appropriate?
My parameters are the same for all of my tanks.

Nitrate - 15ppm
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Hardness - 75
Alkalinity - 0
pH - 6.0-6.2

I use Aqua Clear's for all of my tanks; my ten and twenty have an AquaClear 20 and the 40 breeder has an AquaClear 70.

All of my tanks are pretty densely planted, I'm working on changing up the types as well. Mainly its Anubias nana and Hygrophila corymbosa and wisteria. I'm going to be getting variation I promise XD


I have a few ornaments but I'm trying to get better info on what the Rams like. I've heard flat stones are best for breeding.

In general I'm looking for the best advice I can get with them.

 

[Cichlidsrule102]

Your tank sound ideal for them, yes they do like soft water which u have, and flat pieces of slate around 5" in diameter should be good for breeding. I say go ahead.

 

[Lucillia]

I'm just confused as to why I've only been able to keep one alive. She's gorgeous too. But the rest always die in my qt or I think she bullies them. I've tried rearranging the tank when I put them in too but I don't think it works on her.

 

[Lucillia]

This is my lone one Ram. She has colored up quite a bit since I got her about a week ago.

She is the one to the right as the male didn't make it...





I love her ventral fins quite a lot. They make me think of autumn leaves XD

 

[RackinRocky]

She looks exactly like my little girl that I also got a week ago! Aren't they delightful fish? I never knew they had so much personality! My PH is 7.6, but mine are doing very well. I do a 30% once a week, and about a 15-20% change mid-week, since they like pristine water. I don't vacuum on the second change, though. I got a male at the same time but they are in separate tanks. I hear they can be very nasty when breeding, and I don't want them killing the other little fish I have in the tanks. They were sold to be as a bonded pair, and I hope they aren't missing each other!

 

[Cichlidsrule102]

As to why they died lucillia, most rams nowadays dont have very strong genetics as a result of massive inbreeding, and unfortunately it is all to common that they die for seemingly no reason.

 

[Cichlidsrule102]

RackinRocky, the rams wont be nasty to your other fish, they will chase them away if they get to close to their eggs, but it wont be serious and your other fish will soon learn to stay away from their spawn site. If you think they are nasty, try dovii's or jags-they are KILLERS when breeding. (and when they are not)

 

[Agent13]

RackinRocky, the rams wont be nasty to your other fish, they will chase them away if they get to close to their eggs, but it wont be serious and your other fish will soon learn to stay away from their spawn site. If you think they are nasty, try dovii's or jags-they are KILLERS when breeding. (and when they are not)

Haha.. I might be getting a pair of Dovii with my bf. Those fish will chase your kids if they get near the tank lol. Mean feeeshies .
However some rams can be nasty when breeding . I've had my pair bully a 3rd till I had to get rid of it .. In a 55g so it wasn't lack of space . They're ok now but still don't take well to certain fish.


Sent from Petguide.com App

 

[RackinRocky]

And that's precisely why mine are not together! With my luck, they would be especially nasty. And the tank they would be in is only 20 gallons, so not a lot of space for other fish to retreat.

 

[Lucillia]

Oh geez... No I'll stick to rams. These will be my most 'agressive' fish besides my bettas. And I like my community tanks so I'll keep everything peaceful. I am going to be getting a pair of 'bonded' rams soon hopefully. They'll be coming from the Aquabid seller Yunite more than likely. But in general I'm trying to take as many steps as I can to make it perfect for them.

 

[Cichlidsrule102]

I laugh when people talk about trying to keep their tanks peaceful. I like massive tanks with big hyper-aggressive predators, a lot of my fish had to be maintained singly, I just seem to gravitate towards aggressive predators. And my next goal is a Jaguar cichlid in a 'different' kind of community.

 

[Lucillia]

I laugh when people talk about trying to keep their tanks peaceful. I like massive tanks with big hyper-aggressive predators, a lot of my fish had to be maintained singly, I just seem to gravitate towards aggressive predators. And my next goal is a Jaguar cichlid in a 'different' kind of community.

I have enough issues with my bettas. Hence why I want to stay simple now. They always manage to find a way through the dividers no matter what and it drives me nuts. It's usually after they've almost healed back up. I also don't have big enough space for anyone aggressive for the most part. My biggest tank is the 40 breeder. And my main concern is breeding my show bettas, and now breeding and showing germans. I know cichlids stay smaller but I really still don't have room. And I don't want the headaches later if they eat my rams when they out grow them.

 

[RackinRocky]

Cichlidsrule, I agree that many of the most beautiful cichlids (IMO) are nasty. But I can see your point. My viewpoint, however, is I have tanks to enjoy, and to me, fish chasing each other, trying to maim or kill each other isn't relaxing! And that's one of the main reasons I have tanks--to relax while watching the fish.

One of my new rams was dead this morning. I have no idea why. She was fine last night, in fact looking better than ever. Very active and eating out of my fingers, colored up beautifully. So you can imagine my shock! She was my favorite. I was devastated. I emailed the seller, and even though he only guarantees them at delivery, he offered to send me another female for shipping charges only. I'd had her over a week! So I was very impressed, and I hope I have better luck with the next one. My male, by the way, seems to be doing fine. But I've learned, after doing a lot of reading, that with GBRs, they can suddenly die for apparently no reason, and I'd been checking my parameters religiously, and they are perfect. Maybe a slight change in something when I did a water change? I use treated tap water, so it's possible. I'll probably never know. I do know that if they keep dying, I won't be replacing them. They are such entertaining, personable fish, and I grew attached very quickly. I can't keep going through this heartache.

 

[jaysee]

I laugh when people talk about trying to keep their tanks peaceful. I like massive tanks with big hyper-aggressive predators, a lot of my fish had to be maintained singly, I just seem to gravitate towards aggressive predators. And my next goal is a Jaguar cichlid in a 'different' kind of community.

Boy, I think we are all dying to know names and see pics of these fish!

 

[Lucillia]

Rackin I'm really sorry to hear that!! That's pretty much what happened with everyone but koyo. I think it's genetics. Who is your seller? I haven't completely decided who to get them from but I definitely want a bonded pair. I'm glad your seller is so nice!! Are you planning on breeding yours as well?

 

[RackinRocky]

Lucillia, I guess I can mention the name of the seller on this board. Its Yunite. He sells on both Aquabid and his website, GermanBlueRams.com. He's got an excellent reputation, breeds his own fish, and GBRs are the ONLY fish he breeds. No inbreeding either. He sells bonded pairs as well as single fish, or larger groups, whatever you want. And his prices are super reasonable. So is his shipping. Take a look at his site.

 

[Lucillia]

If you look at my betta logs Yunite is the person I mentioned who I am planning to get a bonded pair from!! Yay!! I'm glad to hear from a forum member that they are awesome! Did you get a bonded pair or just two in general?

 

[Lucillia]

Got a really nice picture of Koyo yesterday.. really wanted to share xD

 

[RackinRocky]

I did indeed get a bonded pair. But I put them in separate tanks as I was worried about aggression and the other fish.

WOW! Koyo is just stunning! My girl was almost that vivid in her coloring before I lost her. That is a totally awesome picture!

I really don't think you can go wrong with Yunite. When I got my fish, they were bright and chipper, and the color wasn't even faded much from shipping. They ate that very same night. I really believe it was something I did wrong, as I had her for 10 days. Probably a slight shift in tank chemistry during a water change or something. It doesn't take much, as you know.

I think Koyo is probably one of the most attractive GBRs I've ever seen, and I mean that.

 

[Lucillia]

Thank you Rackin!!!! She was very pale and stressed when I got her. Unfortunately the male died but she started coloring up slowly. Koyo is the best fish I think I've ever had. She makes me laugh all the time and she's very spunky. I'm very happy and lucky to have her. I've definitely decided that the females are much prettier than the males, which fascinates me because it's usually the opposite case in nature.
Just based on your experience decided my purchase. I just ordered my pair last night!! They will be here hopefully on wednesday!! Yunite was very quick to respond yet again to me! I'm very impressed so far with them!