German Blue Rams Colour

[ColR1948]

I noticed today a couple of my Blue Rams are very dark, I have 5 altogether, the other 3 are a lot lighter 2 of which look like males the remaining light one is female along with the very dark ones.

Is this dark colouring some kind of maturity or mating colour or something?

 

[Sammy1911]

I tend to find their colours get bolder when they are breeding, being territorial... got any pics? Fyi the females will have a pink belly...

 

[Questions?]

if it is dark stripes, then it is stressed

 

[ColR1948]

Thanks Sammy, sorry no pics, I was going off the electric blue line going through the black spot on the flank to determine the sex but I may possibly be wrong.
I've also notice a bit of flaring going on too, not the usual aggressive stuff but bodies curled and touching.

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Temp. Of he tank?

 

[ColR1948]

Wow @ Questions, I posted as you did, just saw what you wrote.
I have a couple of Kribs in there that have not long spawned and they are keeping every fish at bay, could this be it then that is stressing them, the other 3 seem fine though?

The temp is high yes because I'm at the end of an Ick treatment and it says raise the temp.

 

[Questions?]

it could be, or that coul just be your fish

 

[Treefrogs1234]

Keep the temp high as rams like it like that

 

[Dazzler666]

If i read it correctly but you have 5 GBR's and a pair of spawning kribs in one tank? What size tank is it please?
If your fish or at least two in particular i would imagine its due to territoriality issues between the kribs and possible 'paired' gbr's as both are VERY territorial and especially when breeding. Note that kribs are african cichlids & GBR's are South/Central American cichlid so they dont really know how to communicate with each other hence
It increases the stress levels in each fish. Ive just had to remove a krib pair & fry from my 5 ft tank andy partner has got them in a species only tank along with a few tetras.
I generally keep GBR temp at around 28-29 but have increased it slightly also to to a bout of Ick.

 

[ColR1948]

Hi Dazzler, I have 5 x GBR's amd I managed to get the Krib 8 x fry out this morning, they are now in a 20L.

When I bought the GBR's I spotted the Kribs in the LFS, I'm new to Cichlids and asked the young lady if they would be OK together she said yes.
The tank by the way is a 360 Litre with a good few hiding places, the GBR's seem to hog the front of the tank and the Kribs the rear.

I was advised on this forum not to put the parents in with the fry as it would be too crowded so I left them where they are but now they seem to be making moves to spawn again but I have nowhere else to put them.

 

[Dazzler666]

Hello mate. I wod honestly monitor it as IMO it has potential to go very wrong. My pair of non-breeding GBR's were VERY terortorial and bulloed my other Central & SA Cichlids that were 4 tomes bigger than they were so dont under estimate the potential aggression of these fish ... They are cichlids after all!!
Yes GBR's and Kribs will go together as i have kept them together for several months but moved my
Rams, aptly nock-named the Kray twins to a dedicated tank however, both of these foah come from different parts of the world & av different means of communicating with other fish hence stress levels increase.
Jusy be wary and at first signs of aggression you will av to step in.
Fingers crossed there wont be tho & all will be ok!!