Ram Id

[Primm]

Picked up a pair of these today to complete my community tank.

Labeled as Rams in LFS could someone tell me exactly what type they are and any specific requirements they have.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Jman14698]

Looks like you picked up a pair of german blue rams (the one in the picture looks to be male). If you have a pair you should probably have at least a 20g tank. They prefer low ph but can be kept in the low to mid 7s comfortably. Ph is not as important as hardness, these fish need a low water hardness to thrive. I alternate feeding mine flake food and brine shrimp. The temperature should be kept between 78-86 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[Primm]

Thanks for the response. The tank they're in is 125litre.

I usually feed that tank on alternating pellet and flake and once a week bloodworm. So would I be ok to carry on like this?

Also just to check price wise. I paid £8 for the pair is that a fair price? I thought it was cheap for stunning fish.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Def. a german blue ram. great little fish, very interactive with us hoomans.

 

[KittyKat]

It is indeed a blue ram, although I really doubt that it is from Germany Mikrogeophagus ramirezi have red eyes, as can be seen in the photo, while M. altispinosus have yellow or pale orange eyes.

The fish in the photo has a touch of fin rot and looks like it has missed quite a few meals.

I reckon that it is a mature female, not a male, because the first few dorsal rays are not extended and the tummy is pinkish. From my experience with the species, males never have any pink on the tummy and mature females do have pointy fin ends.

I usually feed that tank on alternating pellet and flake and once a week bloodworm. So would I be ok to carry on like this?

Yes.

Also just to check price wise. I paid £8 for the pair is that a fair price? I thought it was cheap for stunning fish.

I paid £5 each for wild caught individuals directly from an importer, so £8 for a farmed pair from a shop is not too bad.

 

[Primm]

The fish in the photo has a touch of fin rot and looks like it has missed quite a few meals.

What would be the best way to fatten her up without over feeding the rest of the tank?

 

[KittyKat]

The fish in the photo has a touch of fin rot and looks like it has missed quite a few meals.

What would be the best way to fatten her up without over feeding the rest of the tank?

Sticking to a generally good feeding schedule is the best course of action. That will take longer than target feeding, but you will not overfeed her that way. I generally recommend 2-3 small feeds per day with one day per week without any food. It is always best to feed a variety of prepared feeds as no single one provides everything.

 

[fluttermoth]

If you have fish that need fattening up, you will almost certainly end up over feeding the rest of the tank, it's very hard to avoid. You'll just have to do more, or larger, water changes to compensate.

 

[Primm]

If you have fish that need fattening up, you will almost certainly end up over feeding the rest of the tank, it's very hard to avoid. You'll just have to do more, or larger, water changes to compensate.

What about stopping greedy white cloud minnows gorging on the food at the surface before it get down to the rest?

 

[Fintastic!]

I have a mug set aside for feeding fish. Put a little tank water in first then add the flakes or whatever you're feeding and pour it in a couple of different spots in the tank. The food sinks quicker that way giving everyone a chance to grab a bite.

 

[KittyKat]

What about stopping greedy white cloud minnows gorging on the food at the surface before it get down to the rest?

That is why isn't not a great idea to mix fish from different environments. Rams can be taught to hand feed, so that's probably the only other option that is likely to work.

 

[minnnt]

WCMM and Rams? One or both aren't going to be happy. WCMM are temperate fish and Rams like waters that are around 30c.

Does indeed look to be a female Blue Ram.

 

[Primm]

The WCMM are 18 months old and always been at 28c. First fish I bought to cycle my first 10 gallon and never lost one.

 

[minnnt]

Maybe you should research the fish before buying them.

 

[Primm]

Maybe you should research the fish before buying them.

I agree, and I was rather impulsive today.

But with regards to the minnows I don't want people thinking I don't care for their welfare. I bought them at the very beginning of my fish keeping journey and didn't know they preferred the colder temps. But they have never shown any indication of stress or Ill health and have even scattered eggs before.