# German Blue Ram Keepers!



## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

What temps do you keep your rams at? This breeder I am talking to says they need 82-84f to be healthy. Have you found this to be true? I'm wondering if 80F is fine since I'd like other fish in the tank as well.


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

I successfully kept 4 rams in 80 degree water for 2 years, but they do seem to do better in warmer water.


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

Warmer is better for rams. 80 would be the absolute minimum I'd suggest. 82-84 typically leads to better results. If you're not already, I'd suggest reaching out to yunite at [YUNITE] SDRAMS | Your No.1 Source of Quality German Blue Rams


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

double post


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

jcmv4792 said:


> What temps do you keep your rams at? This breeder I am talking to says they need 82-84f to be healthy. Have you found this to be true? I'm wondering if 80F is fine since I'd like other fish in the tank as well.


Hi jcmv4792,

The twenty gallon I keep my Rams (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) in is a steady 77 degrees. I purchased six juvies in January, 2015 and for the last 16 months they have grown and thrived. I have them in with two different species of rainbowfish and none of the fish have had any issues.

20 gallon with Rams and Rainbowfish (left rear plant is Nymphaea minuta I received from Christel Kasselmann)


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Thanks Seattle. What are the parameters for that tank? I've been told by other ram keepers that their rams are happy in the upper 70's, but others tell me that they need the lower 80's for proper immune system function. Too much conflicting info!

Did your rams breed for you at those temps?


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

jcmv4792 said:


> Thanks Seattle. What are the parameters for that tank? I've been told by other ram keepers that their rams are happy in the upper 70's, but others tell me that they need the lower 80's for proper immune system function. Too much conflicting info!
> 
> Did your rams breed for you at those temps?


Hi jcmv4792,

Here in Seattle we have very soft water. In addition I use Safe-T-Sorb #7941 substrate which is a calcined montmorillonite clay that further reduces the dKH/PH and dGH so my water parameters are pretty low......my PH runs about 6.2, my carbonate hardness (dKH) is typically 2.0, and my general hardness (dGH) is about 4.0 - 5.0.

Although they occasionally do a 'mating dance' I haven't attempted to breed them yet since they are just a little over a year old. I haven't even conditioned for breeding, they get mostly dry flake food and some frozen bloodworms.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi jcmv4792,
> 
> Here in Seattle we have very soft water. In addition I use Safe-T-Sorb #7941 substrate which is a calcined montmorillonite clay that further reduces the dKH/PH and dGH so my water parameters are pretty low......my PH runs about 6.2, my carbonate hardness (dKH) is typically 2.0, and my general hardness (dGH) is about 4.0 - 5.0.
> 
> Although they occasionally do a 'mating dance' I haven't attempted to breed them yet since they are just a little over a year old. I haven't even conditioned for breeding, they get mostly dry flake food and some frozen bloodworms.


Ohh I didn't know they had to be conditioned. How do you do that?

Bump:


lksdrinker said:


> Warmer is better for rams. 80 would be the absolute minimum I'd suggest. 82-84 typically leads to better results. If you're not already, I'd suggest reaching out to yunite at [YUNITE] SDRAMS | Your No.1 Source of Quality German Blue Rams


Thanks for the replies. lksdrinker that's actually the breeder I was talking about lol. Luckily he breeds his rams in similar parameters as mine(in alkalinity). 


In that case, what blue ram compatible fish do well in 82F and alkaline water?


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## psych (Jan 7, 2013)

I keep my GBR's at about 79 degrees, but the temperature fluctuates since I don't keep a heater in there. Occasionally a degree or so cooler, and occasionally warmer, especially during the day when my AC is off. I also have pretty hard tap water living in Florida. 

In other news, have Yunite's prices gone up? I swear when I was looking last year they were averaging about $10 a fish. Maybe it wasn't free shipping back then so the prices have been increased to compensate?


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

psych said:


> I keep my GBR's at about 79 degrees, but the temperature fluctuates since I don't keep a heater in there. Occasionally a degree or so cooler, and occasionally warmer, especially during the day when my AC is off. I also have pretty hard tap water living in Florida.
> 
> In other news, have Yunite's prices gone up? I swear when I was looking last year they were averaging about $10 a fish. Maybe it wasn't free shipping back then so the prices have been increased to compensate?


Thanks for the reply. Not sure I just found out about him through a friend. How long have the rams lived in there? No problems in the 79f temps?


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Will not do well in hard alkaline water if you are speaking of the German blue ram's. IMHO
Kept them for three or four year's with Discus at 84 degree's F
Had to cut my hard tap water with R/O water at 50/50 % for the ram's but the domestic Discus did well with my 12 dgh and pH of 7.6 from the tap which over time in the tank,drifted lower to around pH 7.4
Found the ram's to be more sensitive to water parameter's than the domestic Discus, and thouh both species spawned,,the egg's never stayed viable.


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## nyskiffie (Mar 23, 2016)

I may be a fluke, but I just moved a few from my old discus tank into a new pretty heavily planted 40B and they laid eggs within 4 days of the move. 79*F, pH around 7.2. 

I think that rams are a lot like discus, and the closer to wild caught they are the more picky they will be about their parameters being met. IME if you're getting a captive bred fish though, usually as long as your water quality is high, and the parameters are stable, a lot of these fish can thrive outside of their traditional params.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

roadmaster said:


> Will not do well in hard alkaline water if you are speaking of the German blue ram's. IMHO
> Kept them for three or four year's with Discus at 84 degree's F
> Had to cut my hard tap water with R/O water at 50/50 % for the ram's but the domestic Discus did well with my 12 dgh and pH of 7.6 from the tap which over time in the tank,drifted lower to around pH 7.4
> Found the ram's to be more sensitive to water parameter's than the domestic Discus, and thouh both species spawned,,the egg's never stayed viable.


Thanks for the input Road. I know naturally they prefer the soft and acidic waters but this particular breeder has been breeding them in this type of water for 10 years so they should thrive.

Bump: What tank mates would ya'll recommend that can adapt or do well in hard and alkaline water at 82f?(besides angels)


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

Just thought I'd chime in and say that my ram is doing splendidly @78 degrees ph 7.8 and gh around 10, and as to tank mates mine are with cardinal tetras, white clouds (hence the cooler temperature, had a couple sneak in in an order), otos, cherry shrimp, rummy nose tetras and a male dwarf gourami. Only compatibility issues is occasionally the ram and gourami will nip at each other, but nothing serious, and occasionally I will catch the ram trying to eat a baby shrimp (though that is true of all the species and given enough hiding spaces isn't an issue)


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

theatermusic87 said:


> Just thought I'd chime in and say that my ram is doing splendidly @78 degrees ph 7.8 and gh around 10, and as to tank mates mine are with cardinal tetras, white clouds (hence the cooler temperature, had a couple sneak in in an order), otos, cherry shrimp, rummy nose tetras and a male dwarf gourami. Only compatibility issues is occasionally the ram and gourami will nip at each other, but nothing serious, and occasionally I will catch the ram trying to eat a baby shrimp (though that is true of all the species and given enough hiding spaces isn't an issue)


Wow your rummynose tetras do well with that hard water? How long have kept the rummynoses in there? Where did you get them?


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## patfat (Oct 23, 2015)

I got 2 GBR's in my tank in about 78-80 water..they live happy..With 2 gold rams..electric blue Acara.. Bolivian Ram..A clown pleco..different corys..amono shrimp..a loach can't remember the type right now.. And snails..every one loves happy and healthy no problems..all I ever see is the Bolivian ram and Acara go at it every now and again but that's when they swim in each other space and the two gold Rams go at it too just because one is smaller then the other but they swim together all the time same as the Acara an ram..honestly every one gets along..Rams really aren't as hard to keep as many people say..just as long as you get them from a good source you'll be fine


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I would agree that Bolivian Ram's are not all that hard to keep (more forgiving).
German blue ram's,,not very forgiving.
Also agree that it help's to get good stock from a breeder ,and if he/she is breeding them successfully ,,and trading them with fellow hobbyist's who are happy with their success with the stock,,,then I would try and produce same water chemistry.
Would feed same as breeder, Temp's same as breeder,and consider if the fishes will ultimately tolerate CO2 level's that they might see in your/my tank if injecting the gas. And or whether the sharp increase in TDS from the mineral salt's we use as fertz will be tolerated in addition to perhaps water outside their comfort zone Temp.pH,GH .
Is why I believe they are way more sensitive than forgiving.


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## theatermusic87 (Jun 22, 2014)

jcmv4792 said:


> Wow your rummynose tetras do well with that hard water? How long have kept the rummynoses in there? Where did you get them?


A year and a half maybe 2 years on a couple of them, every now and then I'll lose one to jumping. I got them at my LFS, all i know is they were tank bred rather than wild caught, where they came from is anyones guess


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## matt13 (Jul 17, 2012)

Rams will do OK in 80 degree water, but they will really thrive in water around 82-84 degrees.


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