# Keeping a single German Blue Ram?



## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I am very interested in GBR's. I have a 20 long with 15 cardinal tetras. I really don't want to breed and would like a single male. I did a length search and didn't find much info. I don't trust my LFS, they have good fish but only the owners are knowledgeable and it rare to get there help. Anyway, is this possible?

I have a few other questions as well. If I get a pair, which seems more likely, how likely is it that I will have fry that make it? I know I will be able to get rid of a small amount, I just don't want to constantly have to find a new home. If I do need a pair and have to always find a new home, this fish isn't for me.

Lastly, my PH is low, around 5.5. My KH is low as well (that is why the PH is low, it is 8.0 out the tap but drifts and has stayed there for atleast 6 months). My GH is really high though, on my test kit, it's at the max which is 180 PPM. Is this problematic?

Sorry, I know that there are a ton of threads on here, I couldn't find this info in a search. I know these fish can be touchy so I want to be extra careful if I decide to buy them.


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## heydude819 (Mar 17, 2009)

I have a pair in my 40 breeder. They lay eggs every other week. My other fish eat them before they even get a chance to hatch.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

heydude819 said:


> I have a pair in my 40 breeder. They lay eggs every other week. My other fish eat them before they even get a chance to hatch.


That's good to know. I would actually like a pair better but still thinking one may be better if it's not hard on the fish.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

i have a GBR and an apisto. i have 4 GBR's in my 55... one died pretty soon after i bought them, one got gassed, and the other disappeared...

the first one i bought for $3 is still alive and doing great, the three that cost me $8/per not so much


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## Krucianking (Jan 19, 2011)

I have 4 gbr and 5 bolivians in a 10 gallon tank before I get trashed, my 72g broke and in the process of doing a beautiful 72g planted home for them. I have had no problems with them they live in perfect harmony, by the way the 10g has several pieces of driftwood which provides lots of hiding space.


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm sure it would be fine but they would be a lot happier in a pair and their colors would be the difference between nice and brilliant! If you need to just stick something in there to munch on the eggs roud:




Krucianking said:


> I have 4 gbr and 5 bolivians in a 10 gallon tank before I get trashed, my 72g broke and in the process of doing a beautiful 72g planted home for them. I have had no problems with them they live in perfect harmony, by the way the 10g has several pieces of driftwood which provides lots of hiding space.


haha, I love how most of your post is just covering your as$
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

but like most of us have.. been there done that :iamwithst


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

MikeP_123 said:


> I'm sure it would be fine but they would be a lot happier in a pair and their colors would be the difference between nice and brilliant! If you need to just stick something in there to munch on the eggs roud:


I did a lot of reading and it seems that if you don't do anything to help the fry to survive, they aren't going to make it. 

I ended up picking up a pair. Unfortunately, they look to be both female. The lighting was really bad and they don't look all that healthy in my tank. One is much more sickly than the other. It sucks because I constantly give this store the benefit of the doubt. They are the only decent store without driving 45 min or more (Albany Aquarium, Aqua Forest Aquarium and others are great for people in the Bay Area, CA, just pretty far away from my particular area).


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

I also bought mine from the store and after reading a lot and people commenting on my posts, I found out that the best way to get them is to order them second "generation wild" from places online. Apparently most LFS have very captive bred ones that down show colors to the max. Slipped my mind b4 :icon_conf

Mine were quite scared when first introduced to my aquarium.:icon_neut Took em a few days with frozen food to get some attitude back. If you think you have room and they do end up being both female I would suggest just adding a single wild(ish) male. I tension only rises between the males so they should do just fine together. Or you could take one back


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

I have one male in my 36 gal tank, so far for a month. He is very happy, very vibrant color. He has taken a good friend though lol my Female Dwarf Gourami. They usually are found in the same area of the tank, doing similar things.


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## fishboy87 (Feb 19, 2008)

If you do get a pair and have good water conditions, it is not uncommon for the rams to spawn within a week of purchase (similar to what happened with mine when I had them). If you have any kind of tetras at all, you shouldn't have to worry about the fry staying live for longer than a week. In my opinion, 2 females (pink stomach colored ones) would be your best bet as they are usually less territorial than males and there would be no risk of spawning. . .


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

fishboy87 said:


> If you do get a pair and have good water conditions, it is not uncommon for the rams to spawn within a week of purchase (similar to what happened with mine when I had them). If you have any kind of tetras at all, you shouldn't have to worry about the fry staying live for longer than a week. In my opinion, 2 females (pink stomach colored ones) would be your best bet as they are usually less territorial than males and there would be no risk of spawning. . .


I made sure to wait until my water conditions where the best they were going to get. I know that is the biggest culprit for death. I still may get a male if they are both infact female, I haven't seen them enough to be certain they are both female, kind of second guessing if one is a female or not. It has a black spot on one side, on the other, it has some blue. 

They are really not colorful and don't look to be doing well. They get better each day so hopefully they make it. One is worse than the other and they spend time together so they both hide, one comes out more than the other. That is the other reason I think one may be a male, it is always around the one I am positive is a female, only coming out every now and then to explore, then goes back to the other.

Honestly, if these guys survive, it will probably be my biggest accomplishment as a fish keeper. I have never started with fish this sick. Even less sick, I haven't had great luck. I hope they make it, but I just am not sure. This thread took another direction, I know, but I am doing my best to keep these things.


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## Pookie Bear (Sep 2, 2010)

I have two pairs in my 40 breeder and they are constantly laying eggs and having fry. Unfortunately, they don't get past the fry stage (I'm not sure if my puffers or my panda cory are eating the fry or if the parents are). Once I got the two pairs in there I made sure I didn't add any other fish or plants first without quarantining them and I haven't had a problem with my GBR at all.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

if you have two of the same sex be sure to have to tank scaped so that site lines are broken up and there are places for them to claim as there own. I have two bolivian rams in a 29 and they have each claimed half of the tank. 

My co-worker had two gbr's in a 20 tall without broken site lines and they chased each other so much until one was so stressed it was hiding up behind the filter pipe and died. 

One this that concerns me is you said your water is ph 8 out of the tap and goes down to 5.5 after several months. Do you do regular water changes to keep the ph closer to a stable 6 or 7?
Reason I mention this is because these fish can be very sensitive to changes in ph.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

kamikazi said:


> if you have two of the same sex be sure to have to tank scaped so that site lines are broken up and there are places for them to claim as there own. I have two bolivian rams in a 29 and they have each claimed half of the tank.
> 
> My co-worker had two gbr's in a 20 tall without broken site lines and they chased each other so much until one was so stressed it was hiding up behind the filter pipe and died.
> 
> ...


The tank is scaped and both hide most of the time. When they are out, they are usually together, when they hide, they hide on opposite sides of the tank.

I do 50% water changes twice a week. That sounds excessive but I use all the water to water the plants so I figure it's better for both the fish, and the plants, as we don't have any water outside, it only slightly harder to change the water than keep bringing water from the sink. I have maintained a much more steady PH.

They are still alive be very dull in color and they hide constantly. I am beginning to see more color and a bit more activity though. Keeping my fingers crossed.


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

I would get exhausted doing 50% water changes twice a week. But hey like you said it serves two purposes. 

My bolivians took about a week to get more colorful. 

As long as they are eating and aren't hiding in a corner looking scared and not panting they should be alright. 

The GBRs my co-worker had....well the scared one died within a two weeks of going in the tank. The other lived for about a month or two then suddenly died for no apparent reason. He said he thought it was a ph changed that killed it, two otos he had also died at the same time.


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