German Blue Ram Query

[PKB]

Pls share if u manage to find female rams

Finally found the female ram. Not the XL size type but very visible red bellied and look healthy. Location Tampines Superstar Aquarium, stock just arrived.

[PKB]

Finally found the female ram. Not the XL size type but very visible red bellied and look healthy. Location Tampines Superstar Aquarium, stock just arrived.

Here's the picture of the female.

Female.jpg

[PKB]

Very nice males, and nice tank too. Good purchase. I wish you luck with these Rams.

One of the pair spawned yesterday.

Males Guarding Eggs.jpgEggs.jpg

[PKB]

My 2nd Pair.

2nd Pair.jpg

[barmby]

huh! they don't use a cave to spawn?

[PKB]

huh! they don't use a cave to spawn?

Nope, they need some big leaf, flat surface or soil. I created a flat surface with drift wood and hoping that they will spawn on the drift wood but in the end they choose to spawn on the substrate. Now the male and female take tums to guard the nest. One will stay above the eggs faning them and the other will chase tankmates away from the nest. Very interesting.

[stormhawk]

Rams are substrate spawners. Seldom they will lay eggs in a cave, usually in a pit or some rock or piece of wood. Mine spawned on the roots of Java Ferns.

Congratulations on the spawning PKB. Their egg protection mode is very interesting to see, but wait till the fry appear. Both parents will guard them zealously. Just try not to spook the parents too much because if stressed, they will eat the eggs and fry.

[PKB]

Rams are substrate spawners. Seldom they will lay eggs in a cave, usually in a pit or some rock or piece of wood. Mine spawned on the roots of Java Ferns.

Congratulations on the spawning PKB. Their egg protection mode is very interesting to see, but wait till the fry appear. Both parents will guard them zealously. Just try not to spook the parents too much because if stressed, they will eat the eggs and fry.

I am prepared to lose this batch as this is their first spawn. Better don't pin too much hope for now. But really interesting to watch. When the 2nd pair of ram come close, the male will rush out to take on the intruding male and the female will dart out to fight off the offending female. Male vs Male and female vs female, interesting behaviour.

[stormhawk]

Yup, like a gladiator match. However, if your tank is heavily planted, there is a high chance the fry will survive with good feeding. To prepare for future spawns you might consider covering your filter intake with a fine sponge.

[PKB]

Yup, like a gladiator match. However, if your tank is heavily planted, there is a high chance the fry will survive with good feeding. To prepare for future spawns you might consider covering your filter intake with a fine sponge.

Thanks for the advise. Was planning to cover the intake as well. The tank was heavily planted but the pair spawn really close to my cannister intake, not a good location.

[barmby]

Another lesson learn. Cheers.

[stormhawk]

The other option is to siphon the fry when they are free-swimming, into a separate tank. Those floating breeder traps are useless because the slits for water flow are too big for small fry. Ram parents can be great parents but very often they will just eat the fry for one reason or another.

Fish have a tendency to spawn at places you don't want them to. I had a pair of Rams that laid eggs on my filter intake tube... Needless to say, that spawn did not make it.

[PKB]

The other option is to siphon the fry when they are free-swimming, into a separate tank. Those floating breeder traps are useless because the slits for water flow are too big for small fry. Ram parents can be great parents but very often they will just eat the fry for one reason or another.

Fish have a tendency to spawn at places you don't want them to. I had a pair of Rams that laid eggs on my filter intake tube... Needless to say, that spawn did not make it.

Thanks for the advise, looks that siphon the frys out will give them the best chance of survival. What food do you recommend feeding the frys?

[stormhawk]

Starter food can be microworm with BBS, live Daphnia. After the 3rd week or so can feed them with those powdered baby food. Or use it in conjunction with live BBS. They grow pretty fast once they eat worm foods or chopped frozen bloodworm.

[PKB]

Starter food can be microworm with BBS, live Daphnia. After the 3rd week or so can feed them with those powdered baby food. Or use it in conjunction with live BBS. They grow pretty fast once they eat worm foods or chopped frozen bloodworm.

Thank you for sharing..

[PKB]

Sharing some picture taken last night...

Faceoff 2.jpg

[stormhawk]

Looking excellent as usual. I was at Hong Yang some days ago and saw the remainder of the Rams. Probably the same batch you got your males from. Very good size.

[PKB]

Looking excellent as usual. I was at Hong Yang some days ago and saw the remainder of the Rams. Probably the same batch you got your males from. Very good size.

I wish I can house another pair in the tank. But after consideration, I decided not to do so. The 2 males have since pair up with their female and have also since strike a balance divided their territory. So better don't offset anything now.

By the way, are you still keeping Ram now?

[stormhawk]

No Rams in my tank at the moment. My Laetacara have spawned again. I can see their wrigglers in the gravel pit the parents dug out. Problem is, I want to do some rescaping... will have to siphon the little buggers out when they start to be free-swimming.

That was a good choice not to add more Rams.

[PKB]

No Rams in my tank at the moment. My Laetacara have spawned again. I can see their wrigglers in the gravel pit the parents dug out. Problem is, I want to do some rescaping... will have to siphon the little buggers out when they start to be free-swimming.

That was a good choice not to add more Rams.

I understand that it is hard to control when the rescaping urge is there, . But better don't stress out the spawning pair now.