Blue Rams

[luxum]

I've been reading about these and there seems to be conflicting information. Some sites call them "easy", some sites call them "sensitive." Well just how sensitive is sensitive? Are we talking discus sensitive (i.e. so sensitive i better not consider them)? Or just too sensitive for an uncycled tank? I'm thinking i would like a pair, and they have both long and normal finned varieties at my LFS that look very good. Oh, they are so cute and colorful, and the little pink bellies on the females are adorable. If i got a male and female would they naturally form a pairbond? Or would i have to get a group of juvies and let them pair off and return the extras to the store? Would a pair do well with a school of small tetras (either cardinals or glowlights) in a low light planted 20 gallon long? I'm just a little concerned about the sensitive thing, i don't want to buy them if they require real talent and dedication to care for (ala discus), but i'm not a beginning fishkeeper either.

I wouldn't even be considering these except my tapwater has gotten much softer recently, at first i thought it was the fishless cycle dropping the Ph but then i remembered that the city replaced the water main that supplies my apartment complex and my tap water is much less alkaline that it used to be. I'm looking at a lovely 7.0 Ph in my tank at the moment, of course i'll have to confirm that it's stable at that Ph after i've done the nitrate reducing water changes when the cycle completes. Anyways, tell me what you think. I know the bolivians are supposed to be less sensitive, but i haven't seen any in stores.

 

[cometcattle]

IMHO, the best rams you can buy are tank raised rams that have been acclimated to your local tap water. A reputable LFS owner will tell you this.

My friend bought 2 German blue rams that the LFS just had shipped to them and they died within 3-4 days.

I bought 2 that were tank raised in good ole Chicago tap water about 2 monthes ago. They are doing great. Very colorfull little piggies.

I keep mine with a few neons and cories. Mine are two males. The bigger, dominant one will occasionally chase the smaller one, but nothing serious.

BTW they do like warmer temps. I keep mine at 82F.

HTH

 

[luxum]

Well that's handy to know, my tank is unheated at 80 degrees now and will get warmer as the evil summer progresses, it has never dropped cooler than 76 in the winter in all the years it has been running. Is that sufficient or will they dislike the seasonal cool shift? I always thought it was fairly natural for the water temp to be a bit cooler in winter but i wouldn't want to stress them out. If i go with them i will check to see if they are tank raised, i learned my lesson about fish that have been recently shipped when 3 little otos wiped out my school of dwarf neon rainbows, so sad. Now that i think about it, could i keep a pair of rams with a school of those rainbows? Are the long finned ones more sensitive than the normal ones, and will tetras nip the long finned ones? LOL i am so obsessed with fish it's just ridiculous!

 

[tmlhaus]

I have 2 german blue rams and they have done great. I also bought gold rams about the same time and they both died within a few weeks. The blues are not hard to keep at all and they're the beauties of the tank!

 

[Mandark McKill]

My rams seem to be very hardy. I have kept a pair for about 18 months and they have yet been one single trouble. Magnificent fish to watch, don't take some sites info too serious get them and decide for yourself!!!!

 

[luxum]

Thanks for the encouragement. If they still look good at the store once my cycle finishes and the conditions stabilize, i think i'll get a pair. That's ok, right? Or do i need to get a group and wait for a pair to form?

 

[AmberC]

A group might be better.. let them pair themselves. I bought two males and two females when I first got mine and they paired off themselves. They are very sweet and loving to eachother whereas most people I talk to say that their pair attack eachother. One guy even said the female killed the male cause he kept eating the eggs. It depends on space that you have tho. They are territorial with eachother so you may have to take breeding pairs out of the community tank if you want babies. In a large group you probably wouldn't have an problems. I had two pairs in a 20 gallon and had to put one pair in my 10 because they were getting beat up by the other pair. Its up to you tho.

 

[luxum]

Yeh, it's only a 20 gallon, if it's possible for a pair to form just by getting a male and female i'd rather go that route, although it is pretty well planted and has lots of hiding spots, i don't think there is enough territory for 2 pairs and i'm worried i might not be able to rescue the weaker ones in time.

 

[ramesses]

One of the most beautiful cichlids normal or dwarfs.Just like you I have a pair in a 20 gallon fish tank,its not heavily planted and I had to make a few modification to accomodate the couple.First,I had to get rid of any neon I used to have along with other little fish.Not because I was afraid of the other fish eating their youngs,but because the male ram is too aggreive and would ,and have killed some of the neons.
I also changed my gravel to sand,'cause the youngters will go through the cracks and die trying to come out.
After I made these changes,my pair seems to be much happier.And as I write this,my pair of rams swims along a cloud of about 120 free swimming babies.

 

[luxum]

First,I had to get rid of any neon I used to have along with other little fish.Not because I was afraid of the other fish eating their youngs,but because the male ram is too aggreive and would ,and have killed some of the neons.

Thanks for this comment, i was planning on keeping small tetras with them, glowlights or cardinals, i was under the impression they wouldn't bother them. Maybe i should go for the praecox rainbows instead, they are larger and faster... I'm not real interested in breeding the rams since i only have this one tank.