Blue Ram Update

[parker313]

Just got back from the lfs and even though it had been NINE days, they replaced one for me!! I didn't expect that b/c it had been over a week. I brought my water in and my pH tested exactly what theirs did and the nitrates were under 10 so at least I know it wasn't water quality

 

[AmberC]

Aww.. sorry about the losses. Did you get the female that you wanted? Good luck with her!!!

 

[parker313]

I did She's still looking a little pale, but is considerably braver than when I first put her in. I got some pics, but they're not the best.... Her color was much more vivid in the store. She's gotten better since I got her home, but still has a little ways to go.

Some of the fish there had the regular front of the dorsal fins and pink-ISH bellies yet the back of the dorsal swooped way up and peaked, unlike a short round ending. The lfs guy said those were likely to be males and one site I found today said that males will try and color as females to mate with them when their males aren't looking.

Anyone heard truth to that?

 

[AmberC]

No thats not true. They cant 'color match'. But I do know that fish coming from aisa are injected with dye to make them look like females when they are really males. And to tell you the truth, your fish looks like a male to me. Thats just from that picture though. If you can get a clearer picture with the dorsal up.. that would be awesome. I'll post a juvie pic of my male for you and you can compare with that if you cant get a better picture.
This picture was taken RIGHT after I brought him home and put him in the tank. His dorsal was still short there. You can click my website link to see pics of him now.

..the males also have a thicker body than the females and are a little bigger than females.

also .. as juvies.. its sometimes difficult to distinguish the rays on the dorsal fins between male and female unless you know what your looking at.

 

[AmberC]

heres my male as juvie

 

[parker313]

Thanks Amber. The biggest difference that I see between your ram and mine is the end of the dorsal fin. In your male, there is a definite difference in the shape. On mine, it's rounder and doesn't peak up like yours does.

I'll see if I can get a pic, thanks for the help

 

[parker313]

Well, now I can't find where on earth I saw that about the color changing. I could have sworn it was mongabay.com, but now I don't see anything about it.

I did see this though:

The pelvic fin is orange-red (female) or black and blue (male) in color.

Off to try and take some pics...

 

[parker313]

This fish does *not* want to hold still. Here's the best I could get - not very good. I'm sitting here watching the fish flare up all over the place, but when I go try and take a picture, it can't be bothered!

In looking, the dorsal fin does rise up in the back, but just slightly and is very definitely rounded and not pointed. The first rays on the dorsal fin are the same length as all the others.

 

[parker313]

I found this on a site that I stumbled across the other day:

SEXING

Generally, both genders of Rams I've had, display almost irridescent colors of red, blue (especially if you view then from a 45% angle), green, black, tourquoise, yellow, and orange. There is some 'controversy' as to whether German Rams are sexually dimorphic. Aquarists who have kept many varieties will be more apt to say that they are becoming less and less dimorphic. In any case, there are some main differences between the two genders.

Male

1. The male will have long black colored 'spikes' extending vertically out from the tip of the dorsal closest to the head.
2. The dorsal is most often pointed at the tip facing the caudal fin.
3. The male is larger; the pelvic fins are larger.

Female

1. The female will have a pinkish colored pelvic region.
2. The dorsal is rounded at the end.

There are definitely exceptions to this rule but in general it is the most accurate. Since Rams are becoming increasingly more diverse in coloration and size, some aquarists hold opposing views. Ie. there are Blue Ram females with longer dorsal rays (like the Bolivian Ram), similar to many males. As far as I know, Rams most closely connected to the wild form, often show blue spangles/dots on the black spots on each side of the middle of the body. If they contain blue spangles/dots, it most likely signifies a female, however, I have had males with blue spangles on the black spots on both sides of the fish as well (european morphs).

The big thing that catches my eye is the end of the dorsal fin.... Some in the store the other day had definite pointed dorsal fins. I didn't know to check the pelvic fins...

 

[parker313]

I found a ram acution on Aquabid with an excellent pic of male and female rams side by side. Not as brilliantly colored, but good pics of the dorsal fins.

 

[AmberC]

I used that site quite often and actually just put the link up in another ram thread. Its a great site with the most accurate info I've found. I've actually never sexed them by looking at the end of the dorsal fin myself. I always look at the rays at the front of the dorsal fin and the pink belly. To me the end of the dorsal fin only looks different because the male is bigger than the female.

Were you able to get a better pic of yours?

Here is a link of some pics I posted for you.


http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...pic=43846&st=0&

 

[parker313]

Thanks Amber. I think mine is just too young or still acclimating to the new tank to tell reliably. In the store, there was a very marked pink spot on the tummy and as of right now, the first dorsal rays are not any longer.

Part of the problem right now is that all of the colors are REALLY subdued. I think I need to go back to the lfs and just stare at all of their fishies until I get a grip on what I'm doing. I think if I take up any more time looking at their rams, they're going to start charging me rent

I don't think I'd be so concerned about getting a sexed pair if I hadn't just had so much trouble with my other ones

Thank you very much for helping me out, I really appreciate it

 

[apisto_uk2]

Hi Amber,

Okay you definetly 100% got a female Ram there. I have been breeding rams for a while now. When you sex rams, a female always has a gold bar in front of the black spot (the side towards the mouth only), also when she settles in you'll notice the belly starts to get pinker.

Hope this helps.

I'll try and get some photo's of my pairs and put them in the aquarium pictures page.

Cheers

Apisto.

 

[AmberC]

This fish does *not* want to hold still. Here's the best I could get - not very good. I'm sitting here watching the fish flare up all over the place, but when I go try and take a picture, it can't be bothered!

In looking, the dorsal fin does rise up in the back, but just slightly and is very definitely rounded and not pointed. The first rays on the dorsal fin are the same length as all the others.

I missed this post. I do see pink in the belly on this picture. Its still a little fuzzy... I think your right it is a female though. Are you using a flash on your pics? It makes it a little clearer I found, at least with my camera. (and of course.. macro) The first pic you posted her body looked a lot like a males, but shes not as wide looking in this last picture. I think it is a girlie tho.

 

[parker313]

Hi Amber,

Okay you definetly 100% got a female Ram there.

I assume you were talking to me, or were you really talking to Amber? Thank you so much for helping me out too

Amber - I am using a flash but it's daylight out. I'll try again after it gets dark, but my camera is not top notch.