New Rams

[bleechme]

regular tetramin flakes, they will pretty much eat anything that you give them.

 

[theamazingmaise]

Good thats what i feed mine. Do males ever chase females or the oppist?

 

[bleechme]

yes they will chase them but not attack them, sometimes it will look like they are biting and pushing them around but as long as the females are not fading colors and are hiding on the top of the tanks then they are fine, but I've heard of some really bad harassments males do to females before. I've never experienced it before though.

 

[theamazingmaise]

That might be what's happening in my case. The one that gets chased and sometimes "pushed" out of one of the rock caves kind of has pointer head then the bullier so it could be a female. If i could return the female to my lfs or give it to a friend do you think it would be okay to try another female with my male?

 

[drw32]

Two SURE ways to sex blue rams....the black spot on the male will have NO blue in it, the female's black spot will have some blue mixed in. The male may also have no black spot at all. Also, look at the dorsal fin (top)...the first couple of fins will be onger than the rest on a male, the females will have a couple of shorter fins first.

As for color, the biggest things are temperature and ph. In a tank at 6.4ph and 84 dergrees, the rams will have amazing color. Look at my avatar...that is one of my male breeders.

 

[theamazingmaise]

How did you get your ph so low, mines at 7 but would like it lower. Do the chemicals help? My temps at 80 dergrees.

 

[drw32]

I buy my water. Where do you live? U.S.? Are you wanting to breed your rams?

 

[theamazingmaise]

yeah u.s. in MI. I'm not really trying to breed them but if they had babies that be great.

 

[drw32]

OK...If you want your rams to be REALLY happy, find a store that sells "Glacier" water. It comes in a big machine and you fill the bottles yourself. It is very soft and has a ph of 6.0. Mix this water with your tap water to get the ph you desire. The ph will not fluctuate because your tap water will buffer. Add some plants and a couple pieces of flat rock (I go to the pet store and buy the broken pieces of slate for about 10 cents). Add NO chemicals other than a little conditioner and some Seachem Flourish (for your plants). Get your water temp to about 84 degrees. Under these conditions, not only will your rams show there true colors, but I can almost guarantee a sucessful spawn.

Good Luck! Let me know how it goes.

 

[theamazingmaise]

Those are some nice pics I will look for glacier water at some of my lfs. What plants do you suggest for my rams? or does that not really matter.

 

[theamazingmaise]

The flat rock is for the eggs right

 

[bleechme]

yep.

 

[theamazingmaise]

yep for what? getting a new female for my male? Or the flat rock

 

[jpedersen024]

Those are some nice pics I will look for glacier water at some of my lfs. What plants do you suggest for my rams? or does that not really matter.

pardon me butting in..... (but I'm excited - my rams come in on friday!! ) but I think the Glacier water is not from the lfs. It's more of a 'bottle your own' for your water cooler type of thing. I'm in Canada, but I think they sell it at some of the grocery stores and hardware stores around town. You'd be better off to check places like that. Good news is that I don't think it's expensive! (amazing how the prices come down when it's not 'fish related'!)

 

[theamazingmaise]

Thanks i'll check there too. Good luck with your rams