Rams in a community tank

[New Boy]

I've got one blue ram in my community tank (I brought two but one died after a week) and I'm getting worried that he's not getting enough food. He doesn't seem to want to compete with the rosy barbs, congo tetras or rainbows who seem to hoover up everything (and they eat five mouthfuls in the time it takes the ram to have one). I'm bordering on the idea of taking him back to the shop as I don't want him to starve but I've tried live, frozen, flake, veg and even put him in a breeding trap to feed him up and he seems to go on hunger strike. Anyone have similar experiences or have any advice?

Also would I have similar probs with keyhole cichlids or bolivian rams? As I was thinking of getting a couple of either of these two (I should point out that my ph is 7.6 and my water is moderately hard but most books seem to say these fish will be ok as long as kept in those conditions at the fish store)

Any advice greatly appreciated
Thanks
Andy

 

[StrontiumDog]

When I got my first blue Ram in the community tank, he used to gulp the flake in then spit it out. Every so often I feed them either froozen blood worm or Brine shrimp, and what do you know he liked them

so to cut a long story short, Mine will now take flake food to.

So hang in there try some either live foods once every couple of days, but still offer flake food aswell.

 

[shrimpster97]

mine also take flake food, and i do feed them blood worms, for treats j/k i feed them blood worms every so often, i should feed them more blood worm because it brings out their color.

 

[dixaisy930]

Since I have some absolute pigs in my tank and some not-so-assertive eaters, I usually put a block of frozen food in a cup of tank water, and after it's thawed out, I use a turkey baster to distribute it evenly among everyone.

 

[cluster]

my blue ram will eat bloodworms out of my fingers now - but all of them enjoy them actually especially the bala shark and the ram same witht he tubifex worms only thing mine dont like is flake food, im having a problem seeing the sex of the ram so i can get a partner for the ram

 

[evilbunny]

i've had my blue ram for about a week or two now and i still havent' seen it come up to the surface to eat
so now i've started to drop more algae wafers for her and the clowns and i cut up part of a cube of blood worms and stick it under my pirate ship where only the ram goes so that no one else can get to it (apart from my catfish cause he's shy)
so she's eating more now and she has more color

 

[cluster]

i had a ram act liek that well actually the male didnt let her eat - my male hppily eats everything that will drop in the tank unless the kribs snap it first but if i drop a tubifex work square in he will take the whole thing and swim around the tank with it trying to get away from the rest dont work though cuz it spreads bt im sure your ram will come around right now he isnt the dominant one liek he used to be anymore since the biggest male krib tries to run the tank but the krib will be going in my new 29g once its setup so i can buy 2 female rams

 

[Kittycat]

When I feed mine, I hold the food in my hand, stick my hand in the tank, and release the food in the water (scattering as much as possible). This way, the food sinks fast and the rams are able to get some before the other fishies nab them. Uneaten sunken food is not a big concern for me, as all the fishes, later move around the tank floor and pick up what they can find.

 

[shrimpster97]

great picture cluster!

 

[cluster]

thanx i got many pictures