# Expert advice for German Blue Ram



## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

German Blue Rams are probably the most difficult fish I've ever kept. They are very susceptible to infection. IME, they're not a hardy breed at all. Maybe. the ones I've had were inbred. Plus I think they're personalities suck. I got some bolivian rams that are just a pleasure keep.

Marcel


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## BlueRam (Sep 21, 2004)

Blue rams make you work. I have had several die offs with new fish and I lost another female moving her back to the big tank so they can be fickle. The good news is that I have a few approaching a year old and a spawning pair so it can be done.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

No luck here, my pair lasted 1 day for the male and I never saw the female again. I guess mating is out of the question?


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I was just looking at some fish on the net and came across this in the habitat description of the blue ram:



> The Ram is very demanding of great water quality, with low nitrates critical to their long-term health.


So maybe there not suited for the planted tank with high nitrate dosing.


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## baby2boy (Nov 5, 2004)

My Ram went through thick and thin with me with no sign of stress, he seemed to be the strongest in the tank. I had a few lapses in cleaning over Christmas and he was by far the strongest, I would have said he was the hardiest in the tank . Some sites say Rams are still good for beginners and are easy to keep, which certainly rang true to me..... until yesterday!!


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## AlexPerez (Jan 25, 2004)

I've had my Pair for about 2 months now and they have been great little fish. No problems at all. They have laid eggs a few times but can't keep the other fish from eating the eggs, even though they try. They have gone through a massive fish death due, I think to bad de-chlor. they have made it through C02 overdose of over 70 ppm, Nitrate at over 60ppm (Bad Test kit). and are still kicking and lively.


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## baby2boy (Nov 5, 2004)

Alex, you may have something there, it got sick a day after a water change. Maybe it was something to do with that. Hoo Hummm, do I risk a pair for my new tank or are they a risk? Although they are not expensive, I am not a executioner who wants to send them to their death.


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## FMZ (Jul 13, 2004)

I have always found my Blue Rams to be hardy. They've went thru CO2 dose to full ICK attacks on their body. One died, but the other two survived and still kicking in the tank.


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## baby2boy (Nov 5, 2004)

This sounds like good news, I might just have to put it down to one of those things. I will get a pair in 2 months time when I have completely cycled my new tank.

This leads me on to a second question, my gf loves the look of bettas and to keep her happy I may get one however my ram used to chase everyone in the way around the tank, will my prospective 2 rams nip the fins of a betta in a frenzied taxi driver hair (fin) style cut? :icon_conf:


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

If the rams are spawning they'll attack anything that comes within 12" of the nest.


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

i've had luck with rams and female bettas. my betta squares off with the big male ram, both do a little dance and flash some fins, and then go their separate ways. it's fun to watch, and keeps my male ram on top of his game (and nicely colored to boot). I'll also note that I've just picked up a pair of bolivian rams last night. I am going to attempt to breed my kribs, blue rams, and bolivians at the same time (different tanks) and see who:
1. spawns first
2. spawns most often
3. has most successful fertilization
4. defends the eggs / fry most successfully (parenting ability)
5. keeps the most babies alive to sellable age

Oqsy


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

150EH said:


> I was just looking at some fish on the net and came across this in the habitat description of the blue ram:
> 
> 
> 
> So maybe there not suited for the planted tank with high nitrate dosing.


Not really. Once they're acclimated, they're usually very hardy fish overall. Also, even with the amounts of nitrates we're dosing, it's really not that high. Just take a look at all those who keep discus in their planted tanks, which require more care than these guys.


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

m.lemay said:


> If the rams are spawning they'll attack anything that comes within 12" of the nest.


yeah, they even attacked discus when they got too close.


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## FMZ (Jul 13, 2004)

Oqsy said:


> i've had luck with rams and female bettas. my betta squares off with the big male ram, both do a little dance and flash some fins, and then go their separate ways. it's fun to watch, and keeps my male ram on top of his game (and nicely colored to boot). I'll also note that I've just picked up a pair of bolivian rams last night. I am going to attempt to breed my kribs, blue rams, and bolivians at the same time (different tanks) and see who:
> 1. spawns first
> 2. spawns most often
> 3. has most successful fertilization
> ...


I wouldn't mind getting some young fry's off your hand since we live in the same state :wink:


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## Oqsy (Jul 3, 2004)

i'll keep you posted... there will definitely be a post in the swap forum since I don't have the capacity for that many adults 

Oqsy


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## baby2boy (Nov 5, 2004)

Oqsy: That sounds like a very interesting plan, I'll have $50 on the Kribs. Good luck with the breeding, let us know how you get on.

Thanks for your feedback the rest of you, I feel more confident about the rams now.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

Ibn said:


> Not really. Once they're acclimated, they're usually very hardy fish overall. Also, even with the amounts of nitrates we're dosing, it's really not that high. Just take a look at all those who keep discus in their planted tanks, which require more care than these guys.


I just got a pair of Bolivian Rams this week, two weeks ago I didn't dose at all (I had been dosing at high levels and having problems) to get everything back to zero and then only dosed about one third of what I had been after my weekly water change. Man, what difference for these new rams, no hiding they just came right out the next morning and ate with everyone else. I don't know if it was high levels of NO3 or if something was wrong with the previous pair of Berman Blue Rams. I just glad to see there happy, cause they are really a interesting species.


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## RoseHawke (Mar 10, 2004)

m.lemay said:


> If the rams are spawning they'll attack anything that comes within 12" of the nest.


Emphasis on _every_thing --- tweezers, scissors, tongs, fingers ... Although personally I think it's kinda cute to be "attacked" by a 2" long fish :tongue: (as long as it's not a piranha, of course.)


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I also picked up a pair of Kribs along with the Rams, I'm new to Cichlids and didn't realize that some are good with the planted tank. I guess I thought that they all have to be in bare tanks with special water conditions. If you don't mind could someone give me a short list of small Cichlids that are colorful and will do well in the planted tank with other fish like tetras etc. I love the color on these guys, there almost as colorful as saltwater fish.


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## GTApuffgal (Feb 7, 2005)

150, I stumbled across Keyhole Cichlids one day at the LFS and while they don't have the flashy color of many Cichlids, they are absolutely lovely fish. They have (watch as I reveal myself as a woman... :tongue: ) adorable faces and interesting markings and they seem to get along with everybody. (Dwarf Gourami, Harlequin Rasboro, Cardinals & Black Neons, Hatchets) I also picked up a pair of Anomalchromis Thomasi (African Butterfly Cichlids). They also seem to get along with everybody and are sort of similar in shape to Rams and are covered in jewel-toned sparkles. Both species gets to know their person too. Be sure to provide hiding places - they don't like it when you mess around with the tank! Otherwise, charming and lovely fish, both.

The Keyhole will get to be around 2-3 inches, but the Butterfly is a squirt. And both eat whatever I toss in, but leave the plants alone. So far - I have just had some plants hanging about in the tank for a few days. I am scaping FINALLY now! (Flourite cloud is settling and the gang is pouting in a holding tank waiting to go home...)

Kathy


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

150EH said:


> I also picked up a pair of Kribs along with the Rams, I'm new to Cichlids and didn't realize that some are good with the planted tank. I guess I thought that they all have to be in bare tanks with special water conditions. If you don't mind could someone give me a short list of small Cichlids that are colorful and will do well in the planted tank with other fish like tetras etc. I love the color on these guys, there almost as colorful as saltwater fish.


Glad you ended up w/a budding appreciation for dwarf cichlids. There's actually quite an extensive list of fish which are compatible in planted tanks. Most of them are pretty mellow, except during breeding, and even then it usually doesn't result in casualties (lots of hiding places in a planted tank). 

Species/genus which do well include:

Apistogrammas (too many to list)
Pelvicachromis (P. roloffi, P. taeniatus, P. subocellatus, etc.)
Nannacara sp.
Nannochromis sp.
Microgeophagus ramirezi
Lamprologus sp. (includes members from Alto. and Neo.) - Africans

There's more than that, but among that group, there's a few hundred species to choose from.


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## jy13131 (Mar 10, 2005)

*I Love Those Fish!*

I believe my Blue Ram is a german and I used her as one of the first fish to cycle my tank. I kept very close tabs on the water conditions and she now has a new boyfriend I got from Heather's Angels. She is HAPPY! Her belly is fuschia and fat! So far so good. I saw a whole tank of juveniles when I picked my new guy up and it was lovely-thanks Heather!

My Blood Parrot is very sad though because I think they had a little thing going before the correct species came to the tank! :wink:


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

If anyone's interested I stumbled aross this site, check out the fish index there is much more here than the title implies. Lots of good pics for ID.

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/


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