# German Blue Rams Pairing



## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

Just bought a male blue ram from the LFS. i am hoping that it will pair up with the lone female ram in the tank. 

As the male is smaller, it got chased by the female all day long.

How will i know if they pair up or not?

Thanks.


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

If you see them hanging around each other alot, rubbing on each other and etc, that's how you should get a good idea. She is also trying to show that this is her territory now, until she welcomes him in... This happens with a lot of species of fish.


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## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

well that's not happening at the moment. the only time they rub each other is when they are fighting. Some fights last 2 - 3 minutes long.


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## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

Other than fighting, they have "stands-off" like this picture above. The male ram is the one on the right.









After 2 weeks, the male ram has grown abit and his colours are out.









Lately, the male has started to chase the female instead.

Is it possible that they might pair up still?


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## Digital (Apr 4, 2008)

Very nice rams, yeah I'd give them some time... any FTS's? (full tank shots)

This is my Veiltail GBR


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## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

yeah. that's the long fin version. I have not see any in LFS in Australia.


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## tbonedeluxe (Mar 10, 2008)

That is one of the most unique Rams i have ever seen!
Caves or clay pots may help enhance your chances of them mating, arthuryeo.
Good luck!


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## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

thanks. i have "caves" using 2 drift woods and 2 large red rocks. so far, they are not interested in them. they do have favorites sites when they rest in the night - usually beside the red rocks close to some plants.


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## DavidZ (Nov 17, 2009)

time will tell
good luck!


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

I have had good luck with them pairing up once the male starts to stand his ground. The fact that he colored up is a good sign. It is a sign that he is getting more comfortable with his environment. Keep an eye on the female's belly. If it starts to plump up, there is a good chance that they will mate. The female will be less aggressive and the sparring matches will slow down. If they do breed, the tables will quickly turn and she will guard the eggs fiercly. Once they get closer to hatching, she will let the male get closer to help guard. When they actually do hatch, the female will EXPECT the male to take his turns watching the fry.

It is a really cool thing to whitness, and from my experience it happens like clockwork every time. I can tell when a pair of German Blues will mate within 48 hours of it actually happening.

I had a pair of rams that exibited the exact same signs that your fish are showing... Four days later, they mated. Just when you think things aren't going well, the tables will shift. Don't loose hope. The sparing and chasing is completely normal, especally when you introduce them at different times.

On a side note, I have had better success when the male is physically bigger than the female. I have also had better success with picking out fish at the store that are extremely colorful with other tank mates. It seems like they fair better with regards to getting comfortable once you get them home.

EDIT: The mating will not happen until your female gets her color back. The female loosing her color is normal too. The bright color of German Blues has a lot to do with dominance and territory. If your female dissappears from site one day or if she will not leave one spot of the tank, look closely at the area surrounding her because she will probably be gaurding a clutch of eggs.


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## arthuryeo (May 13, 2010)

*thank you*

Thank you. I felt much assured. The female is slowly getting her colours back only at night when the lights are off. ]

The male is still chasing her but more like wooing her. The male would meet the female head on and then about turn in the last minute. The female would follow him. when the male turns to face her, she would turn around and swim off. They repeat this numerous time throughout the day. 

The agression and sparring have gone down alot. From what you describe, i think my pair of blue rams are still on track. :red_mouth

Cheers.





BiscuitSlayer said:


> I have had good luck with them pairing up once the male starts to stand his ground. The fact that he colored up is a good sign. It is a sign that he is getting more comfortable with his environment. Keep an eye on the female's belly. If it starts to plump up, there is a good chance that they will mate. The female will be less aggressive and the sparring matches will slow down. If they do breed, the tables will quickly turn and she will guard the eggs fiercly. Once they get closer to hatching, she will let the male get closer to help guard. When they actually do hatch, the female will EXPECT the male to take his turns watching the fry.
> 
> It is a really cool thing to whitness, and from my experience it happens like clockwork every time. I can tell when a pair of German Blues will mate within 48 hours of it actually happening.
> 
> ...


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