Blue Rams

[Myrkk]

I've got a pair of blue rams in my 90L tank. I didn't realise when I bought them from the lfs that rams couple for life and had I known this I would have been more insistent that we watched the tank and got a pair that looked like they were a couple. However I didn't and I have had this pair for 7mths now.
They're fine but they really don't seem to have paired up sadly. I've tried changing the tank around completely as I read somewhere that could help but it didn't.
Has anyone a suggestion as to how I can possibly get them to like each other. Currently he is ok with her sometimes but other times he chases her incessantly and she loses all her colour and her fins are all clamped to her body (like last night) and it's difficult to watch.
I'm currently considering seeing if the lfs will have him back as it seems a little unfair on her. Which brings me to the second question. Will she be ok by herself?
TIA

 

[Colin_T]

do you have a male and female or 2 males?
if you post a picture we should be able to sex them for you.

 

[Myrkk]

It's a male and a female. She had a lovely blush abdomen when I got them, he didn't.

 

[Colin_T]

Have you thought about getting a couple more rams and putting them all together so they can pair off naturally. Then separate the prs to different tanks?

1 female or male on its own won't be as happy as a pair but will be ok.

 

[Myrkk]

I'd have to get another tank to do that as I've not got the space to add more fish, it's at a nice capacity at the mo. and I'm going to see about getting the other 4 hatchets if they still have them.
I have a friend getting rid of a tank... hmm, maybe a charm offensive on the other half lol

 

[Colin_T]

get a 40litre plastic storage container to quarantine new fish in and the new rams can live there for a month while you obtain another tank

 

[Myrkk]

lol, you're a bad influence

 

[Byron]

If you have two that get along, you are very lucky. Colour is not necessarily indicative of gender...you could have two females. I doubt very much both are male, though you haven't mentioned anything about how they interact, and this is the clue to gender. If they are male/female, they usually spawn once or a couple times before one will be dead if they don't bond. And the issue is not pairing, its bonding; a male and female that accept each other will bond, which may be permanent or not.

I would not suggest acquiring several more, this as you have said is fraught with issues of what to do with all of them if a pair should form...and there is no guarantee a pair would. It is safer to observe the tank in the store and discern a likely bonding pair.

Rather than getting rid of one and keeping one, if they get along, keep both. ??

 

[NickAu]

Great advice as usual Byron, adding more fish is a BAD idea.

 

[Myrkk]

I am 99.9% they are male/female but on the off chance...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aBz8imKQKrqaiIqbjS0dKOpPJTyVWSdm

sorry, the 3 second video this links to is too big for me to upload it for some reason.

Today they are all luvved up, strange little fish. Last night he was chasing her all over the tank and she took to hiding behind some plants.

Excuse the manky filter in the corner... my main pump is playing up and while I'm awaiting a new one arriving, I've put the air filter in there in case the old one packs up while I'm out.

 

[Byron]

From what you post in #10, I would be inclined to return one of them. The male (assuming it is a male, it seems to be) would be my choice to keep. If he takes a dislike to her, she could be killed overnight. I had that occur with a pair of Bolivians, and in a 5-foot 115g tank well planted.

Another factor might be temperature, this species should be at 80F (27 C) minimum. Not knowing what else is in this tank, so this temp might or might not work. But blue rams need warmth and temperature does drive their physiology and metabolism.

 

[Myrkk]

If he's in their by himself will he not transfer his aggression to tank mates?

The tank is at 25 to 26 degrees. It fluctuates a little.

Hmm, that's a little concerning as the tank is not 5' by any stretch of the imagination. It is well planted, that end in the vid has just been replanted with different plants so I'm awaiting them taking hold and "growing up". But from what you say that won't make any difference.

They're still luvved up today so I think I'll just monitor the situation for a wee while longer and see. I have a 30l tank that's empty, I might get it up and cycling jic.

 

[Byron]

If he's in their by himself will he not transfer his aggression to tank mates?

No. Here we are talking about the natural behaviours or traits of the species. These cannot be transferred to other species, or even within the species. Such traits/behaviours are programmed into the fish species DNA, thus we call them inherent traits/behaviours. They are not learned, they just exist. Why some individual fish display these more or less than other individual fish of the species is something we know exists but cannot explain, at least I can't. All animals, even humans, are like this, aren't they? Individual dogs within a breed may be more aggressive, or alternatively more docile, than the breed in general. Fish are no different.

Male cichlids are territorial. Male gourami are the same. In both cases, individual fish may exert this to a greater or lesser extent. But it is something we cannot generally predict, so we assume each fish will behave according to the norm for that species. Sometimes we can predict things; when shoaling fish for example are maintained in insufficient groups, it increases aggression. This has now been proven in scientific studies with several species. Sometimes though the fish may react totally opposite, becoming so withdraw it refuses even to eat. Stress is behind all of this.

The tank is at 25 to 26 degrees. It fluctuates a little.

This is not warm enough for the common or blue ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. And as temperature drives the fish's metabolism and affects it physiology and functioning homeostasis, it is very important. However, before you ramp up the temp, the other species need to be considered; depending what they are, they may have very different needs in temperature. I am only noting that rams should be in warmer water. If the others cannot manage, you may be better to remove/return both rams. The Bolivian Ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosus, is fine at the stated temperature (25-26). My last male lived well into his ninth year in thee community tank kept at 25C, which is pretty good for a fish with an expected lifespan of only 4-5 years.