Please help me sex my Blue Rams (pic's included)

[Colin_BC]

I picked up a couple Blue Rams a few weeks back. Both were quite colourful and thought to be males (up until I read more today). We saw some really dull brown rams in the same tank and thought they were the females. Now I was reading on sexing Angels when I came upon something about female rams being colourful. From what I've read, I'm thinking I have a M/F pair now, but I'm not sure. If the pic shows up, I'm sure the big guy on the left is a male. It's the smaller one on the right I'm unsire of. I suspect it is actually a female from the pinker belly, but I really don't know? One behaviour I read about a mated pair is that they will dig a pit with their body and mouths. I have often seen them both together in the gravel wit the bigger one trashing around stirroing crap up. I suppose it could have been digging a pit. I've inspected very thoroughly for ick since this casused my loach to act similar thrashing in the substrate, but it was non-stop and everywhere. The bigger ram sticks to the two front corners now that I think about it.

When I brought them both home they stuck together everywhere in the aquarium and both had brilliant colours. After several days, they bigger one started chasing the little one around and it started to lose it's colour. I figured 2 males, bigger one establishing dominace. In between chasing they still stick together everywhere. The big one occasionally gives chase, but no where near as often, and it's nothing more than chase.

Any help with the sexing is appreciated. If the pic shows, the smaller Ram on the right is the one I'm most curious about. I know the bigger one on the left is a male.

***EDIT For anyone who is having difficulties seeing the pic's, click here to see the page where they are linked from.

Colin

 

[parker313]

I picked up a couple Blue Rams a few weeks back. Both were quite colourful and thought to be males (up until I read more today). We saw some really dull brown rams in the same tank and thought they were the females. Now I was reading on sexing Angels when I came upon something about female rams being colourful. From what I've read, I'm thinking I have a M/F pair now, but I'm not sure. If the pic shows up, I'm sure the big guy on the left is a male. It's the smaller one on the right I'm unsire of. I suspect it is actually a female from the pinker belly, but I really don't know? One behaviour I read about a mated pair is that they will dig a pit with their body and mouths. I have often seen them both together in the gravel wit the bigger one trashing around stirroing crap up. I suppose it could have been digging a pit. I've inspected very thoroughly for ick since this casused my loach to act similar thrashing in the substrate, but it was non-stop and everywhere. The bigger ram sticks to the two front corners now that I think about it.

When I brought them both home they stuck together everywhere in the aquarium and both had brilliant colours. After several days, they bigger one started chasing the little one around and it started to lose it's colour. I figured 2 males, bigger one establishing dominace. In between chasing they still stick together everywhere. The big one occasionally gives chase, but no where near as often, and it's nothing more than chase.

Any help with the sexing is appreciated. If the pic shows, the smaller Ram on the right is the one I'm most curious about. I know the bigger one on the left is a male.

Colin

It does look like a female to me, but it's kinda hard to tell.....

 

[Bangin]

It looks like a female to me too, but, then again, they all look like females to me!

 

[parker313]

Also - in my female, the pelvic fins are proportionally much smaller than on my male and the back end of the dorsal fin is much rounder than the males, which is pointed. The pink belly is a good indicator of it being female, but I've read a couple of times that some fish coming in are dyed to look female when they're not

 

[AmberC]

I cant see the picture

 

[ramesses]

neither can I

 

[parker313]

To see the picture, I hit reply with quoting his message and then copied the URL that was posted and pasted it into my browser address bar.

Webshots doesn't allow remote image linking, that's why the pic isn't showing.

 

[Colin_BC]

Argggghhh........ When I posted last night all the pics showed. When I checked once this afernoon, they all showed (link from my pic's at webshots.com), but every other time the pic doesn't show. Now it shows if I edit and hit 'preview' but when I submit the post it doesn't show. But then others were obviously able to see the pic's earlier? Arrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!


OK then....I just checked the thread again in another window and the pic's were there... I'm confused....again.....Oh well, end result is good!

Rant done...

Now for my Rams. the pic I used earlier was the only decent one I had. I'm still figuring out my new digi (5.1MP ). I took a few more today and cropped the best one I have of the Blue Ram in question. My camera works great, but the Ram won't stay still long enough to get a pic (from being chased by the other Ram and both chased by the Rainbow Shark). It's the pink in the belly that has me wondering...

Colin

 

[Colin_BC]

parker313 Posted on Jul 6 2004, 05:25 PM
To see the picture, I hit reply with quoting his message and then copied the URL that was posted and pasted it into my browser address bar.

Webshots doesn't allow remote image linking, that's why the pic isn't showing.

I figured it was possibly related to webshots controlling their bandwidth. I had the same problem when I tried to used my geocities webpage for linking images. I need to find some free webspace where I can store and link to my pic's without these frustrations.

Now when I view the thread, the pic's show. Is this for anyone else as well, or am I the only one seeing them? If so, would only I see them since they are probably cached on my PC? confused again.....

Colin

 

[Colin_BC]

For anyone who is having difficulties seeing the pic's, you can click here to see the page where they are both posted.

Colin

 

[ouchia]

i have two german rams and have been studying the sexing, so here's my two cents... the ram in question almost undoubtedly looks like a female to me. for three reasons - first, and most importantly, the black dot in the center section has blue within it. this is a surefire way to tell males from females. secondly, the rear tail of the dorsal fin is rounded, and lastly the lower fins are shorter which also sexes. if you look at the pic of both the male and female, you can clearly see the difference in length in the male and female bottom fins.

 

[Colin_BC]

From what I can tell, the larger male has the same blue inside the blackspot. I could be looking at the wrong spot though. I hadn't heard of that distinguishable trait before, but I've also only been reading on this for a couple nights.

I know when I first bought them they both were thougt to be males and had brilliant colours. Now the bigger one chases the smaller most the time and it's colours are somewhat faded. I have a 10G with 4 platy's that has now cycled. I am debating moving the little ram there for a bit of peace. The nitrates, ammonia, pH are very similar on both tanks. The only difference should be that the platy tank has a bit more than a tablespoon of salt. I'm hoping this is weak enough to comfrtably house the little ram until it's a bit bigger.

Colin

 

[parker313]

Webshots and Geocities both prohibit remote linking. You can see the pics in your posts b/c the images are stored in your browser's cache.

If you want a site that allows remote linking, try www.photobucket.com

 

[Colin_BC]

QUOTE=parker313,Jul 7 2004, 07:22 AM]Webshots and Geocities both prohibit remote linking.  You can see the pics in your posts b/c the images are stored in your browser's cache.

If you want a site that allows remote linking, try www.photobucket.com[/QUOTE]
Thanks! I've been searching looking for somewhere for free that I could post my pic's and link to them. Photobucket will do...

Now, sorry everyone for the wasted posts above trying to show those pic's. Let's try again, shall we..

Here are both my German Blue rams together:

Here is my Male Ram

Here is the Ram in question. Let's play a game of...NAME THAT GENDER!!!

Here's hoping these one's work....

Colin

***EDIT***
July 9/04 - Finally got photobucket to link properly!!!

 

[Colin_BC]

OK, I give up....