anyone here keep german blue rams?

[andywoolloo]

I fell in love with them recently and have 4 in their own tank. Waiting to see if they pair off, If I am lucky enough to have a female in the bunch.

I have been staring at them for weeks, sometimes I think I have all boys, sometimes I think one girl three boys.

They are colouring up well. My plan is to add them to the king tiger tank after quarentine. Cause it's warm in there like they like.

Is it bad to discuss cichlids in here. Just wondered if anyone else kept them.

[Mike_Noren]

They're beautiful fish, among the prettiest of all cichlids, and not all that difficult to get to spawn BUT... quite aggressive, horribly poor parents, get tiny fry, and are very short lived (very few see their second birthday).
If you intend to breed them your best bet is removing the eggs immediately after they've been deposited, and hatching them in a separate tank. They'll need infusoria/rotifers the first days, before they can take freshly hatched artemia.

[andywoolloo]

They are so beautiful aren't they! I love them. I love how they can move forward and stop them backup and stop and start and stop!!

They have such vivid colours and they are very feisty. I have them in a ten gal QT tank with java ferns and driftwood and sand and many hidey holes and rocks. They love all types of defrosted frozen food (bloodworms, tibifex, shrimp daphnia etc) and they like NLS small cichlid granules and the Hikari Discus bio gold. They even ate some defrosted herbivore minced! Is that ok?

I am just worried that my QT tank is too small but they all have a spot so far, one took over the left driftwood one took over a far right cave, one is in the middle cave and another seems to go from place to place. There are 4 caves tho total. Some are specific for cichlids. And I have a piece of driftwood laid over the right side caves for cover. And floating plants.

I am surprised how terroritorial they are. I have never kept cichlids just read about them.

Not too sure if I want to specifically breed them, I mean if they do it they do it but I have my hands full with the BN colony at the moment. I wouldn't mind if they were in the king tiger tank and nature took it's course on babies. Is that bad?

Yes I have read 2 years is about max for them. Sad.

[andywoolloo]

I got these for them , the little ones that say cichlid stone cave. they are awesome! I even have a big one in my BN tank! they love it.

http://www.underwatergalleries.com/

[L number Banana]

I got these for them , the little ones that say c*****d stone cave. they are awesome! I even have a big one in my BN tank! they love it.

http://www.underwatergalleries.com/

Wow, those are very cool! I don't usually like to put stuff in the tank but if you have a biotope, who says one of the "ancient native carving" didn't fall into the local river Machu Pichu fish? What fun!
Any pics of your rams?

[andywoolloo]

I didn't get the ones with faces or anything just the simple rock ones with holes. Altho the face ones look kinda cool. I prefer a natural tank look too.

I do not have any pictures yet. They are just starting to colour up and are still a little skittish. They come up and check me out at the front of the glass if I am real still for a bit. But all movement from outside must be in slow motion or they duck into a cave or under driftwood and then peek at me. I like to watch them eat. They dive bomb the defrosted food and the pellets and granules they take in and spit out and take in and spit out. So I think they eat those also.

I will try and get some pics! I hope they live, so much I have read says they tend to just die. We'll see. I am very careful with their water and am always cleaning up leftover food, when there is any, and changing partial water.

[gedtranter]

I have two females in my planted tank, they look amazing. However I now can't find a decent male to add, the majority we get here are rubbish cheaply bred in Singapore. I've tried a few but they don't last long at all. I agree with Mike in that they can get a bit aggressive despite their small size. Good luck with getting a pair.

[andywoolloo]

well they are all out of QT and in the main community tank. I added more live plants and more cichlid caves (8) and driftwood all over. They are with about 15 baby BN and 3 panda cories. They are much more happier then in the 10 gal QT tank. I will try to take pics if they ever come out of the jungle!

They really coloured up in the main tank cause the PH is lower, I guess due to it being established and with driftwood for awhile. I drip acclimated them in a bucker prior with some of the QT water aand slowly adding some community tank water, let them set for a bit then netted them into the tank. In case you were wondering. They love brine shrimp and bloodworms and herbivore minced, and NLS small cichlid granules. I really like them.

p.s. gedtranter, good luck on finding a male. I have no idea what mine are yet. They seem to be hard to see the blue flecks in the black spot on the side and all their top dark fins seem to be tall.

[andywoolloo]

I cannot believe how outgoing these fish are. I am going to try and take pics on these days off, and clean the outside glass first.

[apistomaster]

Rams are best kept in pairs, preferably just one pair per tank.
As Mike Noren pointed out, Rams are naturally short lived. 2-1/2 years is very good mileage.
Their fry are small and do need Infusoria or mikroworms or vinegar eels for their first foods a few days before they can take bbs.
They eat most of their spawns so the best way to produce them is by artificially hatching the eggs.
They come from and do best in very warm water, 86*F is good, Even 88*F is good for breeding them.
I have raised 1000's of Rams over the years.

[andywoolloo]

Rams are best kept in pairs, preferably just one pair per tank.

I seem to have made an error then. I have 8 in a 40 gal breeder. Altho I am not interested in breeding, I mean if they do it fine but I am not wanting to raise and sell the fry.

I have tons of driftwood and live plants and caves all over. I should have stuck with the original 4, but then they had 4 more wee tiny ones so I got those also. All seems fine? they all come to the front and seem happy, but I am sure what you are referring to is when they pair off and breed, the war is on?

Guess I need to rehome some.

[apistomaster]

A group of 8 would do fine in a 40 gal tank.
It is only when you wish to breed them that it is best to provide one pair with their own tank.
They are generally peaceful enough with each other in groups.

[andywoolloo]

oh ok good to know! thanks! I sure am enjoying them. I will try to take some pictures. The smaller four seem a bit defferent from the bigger four, but I am pretty sure they are all the same fish.