# Pretty Little GBRs 😍



## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)




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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

I could stare at this pair all day!! I'm so envious!! Thank you for sharing!!!!


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Plinkploop said:


> I could stare at this pair all day!! I'm so envious!! Thank you for sharing!!!!


I do stare at them all day. There were a TON of pictures that got deleted to get these. They never want to hold still.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

They are definitely quick when they want to be. Every time I try getting pics my fish will hold the pose until the exact moment I snap the pic so all I wind up with is a ridiculous looking blur 😅 I wish I was decent at photography, but alas I'm better at living in the moment


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

That was kind of my point with the tons of pictures that get tossed. Photography is a ton of fun, but requires a ton of patience. I remember spending MONTHS chasing (not literally) hummingbirds trying to get a DECENT picture of one. (Talk about something that moves everytime you snap the picture 😅). You're probably great at it, you just have to come to terms with the fact that for every ONE picture you keep, you'll probably toss a hundred more.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> That was kind of my point with the tons of pictures that get tossed. Photography is a ton of fun, but requires a ton of patience. I remember spending MONTHS chasing (not literally) hummingbirds trying to get a DECENT picture of one. (Talk about something that moves everytime you snap the picture 😅). You're probably great at it, you just have to come to terms with the fact that for every ONE picture you keep, you'll probably toss a hundred more.


Oh no, I'm terrible 😂😂😂 I have absolutely horrible depth and light perception so things that look great to me tend to look overexposed and focal points aren't defined right. My ex hubby is an incredible photographer/ graphic/ mixed media artist and we used to joke about it all the time 😂 he tried to work with me really hard...


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Another several hours of snapping and the female FINALLY let me get a good close up 😍


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Just play with it until you get something YOU like. You're not terrible. You just need more time to practice and play 😉 kind of like fishkeeping


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Not that YOU need time with fishkeeping. Just a general analogy. It takes time, and patience. 
To clarify. 
You've helped me a TON with my questions in my beginnerness 😁


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

And most of these people blow me out of the water with their photography anyway. I'm only saying what's worked for me


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Beautiful fish!


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> Just play with it until you get something YOU like. You're not terrible. You just need more time to practice and play 😉 kind of like fishkeeping


You're too kind!! 😉 I'm okay with being bad at photography. I know what I like and I have those around me that do pretty good at capturing most things.... Nobody seems to do that great with aquariums and none of them is interested 😂😂😂 I'll just share my crappy shots, but I will keep trying, even if it's only with my phone.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Love the close up of the female... Looks like her belly is coloring up again 😉 maybe they'll be lucky this time


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

I took all of those with my phone. 😅 
I don't have a fancy camera anymore. Lost that to a pawn shop mid drug addiction about 10 years ago and never got another. Bummer. 
I'm really hoping they have better luck too. Her belly is pink but she turned REALLY pink before her last spawn, so I don't she's quite ready, although the male definitely is (big surprise) 😄


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> I took all of those with my phone. 😅
> I don't have a fancy camera anymore. Lost that to a pawn shop mid drug addiction about 10 years ago and never got another. Bummer.
> I'm really hoping they have better luck too. Her belly is pink but she turned REALLY pink before her last spawn, so I don't she's quite ready, although the male definitely is (big surprise) 😄


Sorry about your camera, but omg congrats on kicking addiction!! I'm an addict too- 20 years sober here. Maybe I'll try upping my photo skills lol but I'll just be doing it for myself 😂 

Ah the eager males. I love how it's always up to the female in the end, though. These are the things that I miss most about watching the breeding process. I loved watching my apistos get all grumpy and dig up and spit out sand trying to woo the females into their cave (ceramic pot). 

I can imagine how pretty she must look fully pinked up!! Beautiful fish!!


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

She died! I spent hours looking for her today and found her in a cave 😭😭😭😭😭
She looked so happy 😭😭😭


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Congrats on your 20 years though! That's awesome. Hard to have money for drugs when you have fish. Spendy little moochers they are 😄


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> She died! I spent hours looking for her today and found her in a cave 😭😭😭😭😭
> She looked so happy 😭😭😭


Omg no!!!! 😭 I'm so sorry!!!!!!


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> Congrats on your 20 years though! That's awesome. Hard to have money for drugs when you have fish. Spendy little moochers they are 😄


And not enough time to think about it when you're setting up and tending to tanks 😉 Thank you. Cheers to your 10!!


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

I know! I can't believe she died. I know this particular fish is notorious for that and there was an article saying it has a lot to do with the hormones they give them to be colorful. Sad 😥


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## jake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

What are the water conditions and how old is the tank. GBR are a bit fragile though she should have shown signs of distress. Were there any marks on her ? Also what is the tank temp they really do prefer around 82-84.


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## robmcd (Sep 8, 2020)

Plinkploop said:


> And not enough time to think about it when you're setting up and tending to tanks 😉 Thank you. Cheers to your 10!!


Cheers to both of you. 13 years, 10 months for me!!


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

robmcd said:


> Cheers to both of you. 13 years, 10 months for me!!


Congrats!!!!!


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

jake21 said:


> What are the water conditions and how old is the tank. GBR are a bit fragile though she should have shown signs of distress. Were there any marks on her ? Also what is the tank temp they really do prefer around 82-84.


Parameters were good, and I did up their water temperature to 82°F. I don't know if it's a thing, but after the pleco in the tank ate her wrigglers she seemed really stressed. And when I found her deceased, she was in the cave where she kept them. Do fish mourn the loss of spawn? 
Seems outlandish, but they're notoriously intelligent fish and obviously fairly dedicated parents up to a certain point, I'm wondering if she was just super distraught? Or maybe it threw off hormones? The male seemed ready to spawn again but she definitely wasn't as interested.
I've also heard these fish tend to come from overseas where they're injected with hormones and steroids to be more colorful at a younger age, and sometimes that's why they die so easily.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

This is kind of why I'm super cautious of gbr/ ebr. I've heard of sudden deaths/ sensitivities a lot in these designer ram species. I think they're some of the most gorgeous fishes out there but they are so hit or miss. I would say look into reputable breeders- you may pay a bit more but the lines seem to be way more stable than farmed/ backyard breeders. I've been wanting to add a pair of rams to my 40B for about 6 months now but haven't even claimed a pair of bolivian from a co op simply because of the sensitive nature. Could the male have harassed her to death maybe?


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

I don't think he was being overly aggressive with her. They were a similar size and my tank has a TON of caves and plants, lots of places to run and hide if she needed to. 
Where do you find a reputable fish breeder? I was honestly trying to find something near by but I have no idea where to even begin on that. I got them from a shop about 35 minutes away that I've had success with in the past, but they're notoriously cheaper than their competitors (I've been to all the local shops and they know each other). So I'm guessing that's probably part of my problem. But most of the other stores that I found them in didn't seem to be in the best shape and were much more expensive, so I kind of made a call on what "looked" healthier.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> I don't think he was being overly aggressive with her. They were a similar size and my tank has a TON of caves and plants, lots of places to run and hide if she needed to.
> Where do you find a reputable fish breeder? I was honestly trying to find something near by but I have no idea where to even begin on that. I got them from a shop about 35 minutes away that I've had success with in the past, but they're notoriously cheaper than their competitors (I've been to all the local shops and they know each other). So I'm guessing that's probably part of my problem. But most of the other stores that I found them in didn't seem to be in the best shape and were much more expensive, so I kind of made a call on what "looked" healthier.


It truly is hard to tell based on looks nowadays with the hormones used by some unsavory sellers/ distributors/ importers. I believe there's some members here that might know of some trusted breeders that could possibly steer you in the right direction. I have no trusted sources for them, only bolivian so I can't be of much help there, sorry.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

It seems like being a fish breeder isn't a common job/hobby, whatever you'd like to call it. Which I can understand, when your critter can have 300+ babies, that's a TON of work and TANK SPACE that most people just wouldn't want to dedicate to breeding. Especially when breeder tanks are usually pretty sparsely decorated. 
But you've been a ton of help with other things, and you've at least given me a direction to look, so I appreciate that all the Same 😁


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

And given my new fascination with Rams, I may be asking you about BRs soon. I've got this 55 gallon (brand new, so it'll be awhile), but I'm definitely super into Rams, and am thinking that might be the majority stock for that tank. 
I've been seeing Black Rams that are incredible looking too. They're just neat. I love that they're smaller, less aggressive, versions of the big chiclids I had growing up. 😍


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

As a former large SA/ CA cichlid and apisto breeder I can 100% confirm the work, time and money that goes into it. It takes a passion. I'd definitely do some asking around about black rams. I was just reading a thread on them here and it seems lines are getting a bit muddled.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Seems people destroy all good things, if they're given the opportunity. ☹
I'll definitely be doing some research before I get anything. That's kind of how I choose the GBRs, I was looking for stock ideas and came across the little fellas. Then I read about them and how small they stay and had to at least give it a shot. Despite expecting a few deaths. They were just too cute.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

At seems money will make people do crazy things. I really wish it wasn't so profitable to overbreed these poor little guys. I'd keep an eye on your male for any signs of stress, hopefully it was just a fluke.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

People do it with dogs, cats, basically anything that can net a profit. It's really very sad. 
Male seems to be doing well. So are the danios and the pleco. Although that pleco is growing too fast. I knew he would get big (spotted sailfin, ~24" max I think), but he was less than an inch when I put him in my 10 a couple months ago and got big, so I put him in this 20, and it seems like he's already outgrowing that. The common pleco I had when I was a kid took a long time to get bigger, as I remember. Must have been wrong 😅🤦‍♀️
He's definitely going to be a member in the 55 once that's up and running.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)




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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

He's actually in the background of one of the ram pictures in the original post, but the focus and the fact that he's in a cave make him blend really well.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Lol I'd get that tank running ASAP 😂 that "little guy" is going to grow faster than you think 😉 everything seems to go by much quicker than when I was young.


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Thedevilsbacon said:


> He's actually in the background of one of the ram pictures in the original post, but the focus and the fact that he's in a cave make him blend really well.


I "spotted" him 😉😶 I know, that was terrible...


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

We've got a 29, a 37 and a 65 currently running that we could move him too if it really gets out of hand. We're waiting on an over/under stand for the 2 55s before we set anything up. It's been ordered, just a waiting game at this point.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Wait for the stand, wait for the cycle, wait to get fish. SO much waiting 🤣😅


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

The male Ram lives on, and thankfully seems to be doing well. I was thinking of naming him Ramathorn, for the Super Troopers fans, like myself. 👮‍♂️


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

😂


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## jake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

It is possible the male harassed her this is not uncommon. Also it could be age. Also rams are extremely sensitive to temp change as well as change in water parameters. One of my rams died when the power went out and the temp dropped a little for a few hours. Another died when the water temp changed 3 degree during a water change. Sensitive little critters. Btw I'm partial to gold rams. Same as GBR just a different colour morph.

One of the problem with rams is to get the extreme colours of domestic breeds there is a lot of inbreeding. Btw this is also true of some apisto - the common domestic breeds (like cockatoo) have a lot of inbreeding and are not as durable though not as delicate of rams.



Thedevilsbacon said:


> Parameters were good, and I did up their water temperature to 82°F. I don't know if it's a thing, but after the pleco in the tank ate her wrigglers she seemed really stressed. And when I found her deceased, she was in the cave where she kept them. Do fish mourn the loss of spawn?
> Seems outlandish, but they're notoriously intelligent fish and obviously fairly dedicated parents up to a certain point, I'm wondering if she was just super distraught? Or maybe it threw off hormones? The male seemed ready to spawn again but she definitely wasn't as interested.
> I've also heard these fish tend to come from overseas where they're injected with hormones and steroids to be more colorful at a younger age, and sometimes that's why they die so easily.


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

Ramathorn (Thorny) successfully paired with a new female I've named Bobbi, and they have eggs. He's a much better parent than her so far, but she's small and learning. 😁


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Nice!!! Congrats!!!!


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## Marcos Costa (Apr 22, 2021)

This fish is amazing, I have two electric blue and two golden.
I love this fish and your fish are very beautiful, congratulations!


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

First batch didn't make it, but the second is now free swimming fry.


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## Dreya (Nov 18, 2020)

Man their heads are so big! Stewie Griffin of fish! I like the one by the leaf turning to look at the camera. 50% eyes


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## Thedevilsbacon (May 14, 2021)

I know! Just little swimming eyeballs 👀 🤣🤣


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## oReceltornic121 (Jun 29, 2021)

They really do look cool.


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## feneco5 (Jun 3, 2014)

German blue rams are so fun. You really got their colors to pop!


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