ram breeding

[bocco]

Hi, I have 2 male and 2 female german blue rams in my 200 liter tank along with some tetras, dwarf plecos etc. I am currently trying to breed my rams but they won't even pair. My water parameters are good ph is 6.6, tds is 160ppm and the water is 28 degrees and my nitrite and nitrate levels are low. I feed them 3 thimes a day, at the morning and the evening I feed them either tetra phyll or hikari mikro waffers and at noon I feed them dried bloodworms, decapsulated artemia or dried tubifex worms. Is there any thing I can do to speed up the process and make them breed.

 

[Byron]

Before getting to the breeding question...it helps us if you can always post numbers for tests rather than using terms like "low" or "good" which others sometimes do. Nitrate for instance is a significant issue for cichlids.

To the breeding...rams must select their mates, and they may not accept any fish. However, they often will still spawn, once or even a couple of times, but if they do not accept each other and bond the harmony may be very short lived.

Do they show any interactions at all, meaning the males challenging each other, or allowing a female to be close without incident?

I would change their food, though this alone is not likely having much effect. Omega One is a better brand of prepared foods, and their shrimp pellets are ideal. Frozen (fresh frozen, not freeze dried) bloodworms as a treat but only once a week. Frozen daphnia. Fluval Bug Bites. I would discontinue the dried worms, these are not healthy for cichlids (or much of anything else).

 

[bocco]

Before getting to the breeding question...it helps us if you can always post numbers for tests rather than using terms like "low" or "good" which others sometimes do. Nitrate for instance is a significant issue for cichlids.

To the breeding...rams must select their mates, and they may not accept any fish. However, they often will still spawn, once or even a couple of times, but if they do not accept each other and bond the harmony may be very short lived.

Do they show any interactions at all, meaning the males challenging each other, or allowing a female to be close without incident?

I would change their food, though this alone is not likely having much effect. Omega One is a better brand of prepared foods, and their shrimp pellets are ideal. Frozen (fresh frozen, not freeze dried) bloodworms as a treat but only once a week. Frozen daphnia. Fluval Bug Bites. I would discontinue the dried worms, these are not healthy for cichlids (or much of anything else).

For the nitrite and nitrate I use a six in one test so I’m not sure how accurate it is. But nitrite is zero and nitrate is usually between 10 to 25. I don’t think there is an issue with the nitrogen cycle in the tank. Btw after a water change the tds is around 145ppm right now. I am planning to decrease it to 100ppm.

For the diet, I can’t buy any new food due to the virus but as soon as it is over I will change the diet according to your reccomendation. Also, I have omega ones color enhancer flakes but I don’t want to use it because I’m concerned it might be unhealthy.

All of them are very active right now. The males chase each other and they sometimes chase the females but they usually let the females come near them. I hope these are good signs.

 

[Byron]

For the nitrite and nitrate I use a six in one test so I’m not sure how accurate it is. But nitrite is zero and nitrate is usually between 10 to 25. I don’t think there is an issue with the nitrogen cycle in the tank. Btw after a water change the tds is around 145ppm right now. I am planning to decrease it to 100ppm.

For the diet, I can’t buy any new food due to the virus but as soon as it is over I will change the diet according to your reccomendation. Also, I have omega ones color enhancer flakes but I don’t want to use it because I’m concerned it might be unhealthy.

All of them are very active right now. The males chase each other and they sometimes chase the females but they usually let the females come near them. I hope these are good signs.

Yes these are good signs. Have patience. On the Omega One flakes, those are fine; Omega One is one of the highest quality fish food brands.