Calling On All Successful Breeders Of Blue Rams

[Zante]

I don't know if you have been following my journal, but I have had problems in getting fertile eggs. It's only the fourth spawn, but I was expecting to see at least a few fertile ones, even by sheer numbers, but still nothing.

I'm not talking of hatching, just plain fertile eggs.

I would like to draw on your experience to see what I am doing wrong.

Lately I have been doing large water changes twice a week, and the water is ridiculously soft.

Are eggs photosensitive as they are in some other fish? I have 96w of T5 lights on for 8 hours a day.
I haven't read anything about photosensitive eggs, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

I suspect my male to be sterile, but I cannot be sure ye

In brief... What did you do to succeed?

I know your experience won't necessarily be the same as mine, but I would appreciate a guideline, rather than flying more or less blind as I am now.

 

[minnnt]

Unsure mate, but that is a tonne of light for a 95L tank.

 

[Zante]

Yeah... I was planning to cover the sand with a carpeting plant, but plans change...

 

[minnnt]

Even a quarter of your light would be ample.

 

[Sammy1911]

my gbr's had fry every month at roughly the same date even problem was they kept eating them.... most regular breeding pair ive had to date so ur experience is quite odd imo, somats adrift...

 

[Zante]

my gbr's had fry every month at roughly the same date even problem was they kept eating them.... most regular breeding pair ive had to date so ur experience is quite odd imo, somats adrift...

Yes, I'm seriously starting to think that the male is sterile.
I have been reading about GBRs being sterile because of how they're farmed. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but... You know... Not a fertile egg in four spawnings gives me food for thought...

I have halved the lights and will give them a last chance, but I don't have high hopes, I think they will be going back to the community tank.

 

[Zante]

I have found my other pair has spawned in the same tank. The eggs look different (still early to say if they're fertile for sure) and the parents are a lot more aggressive.

I'm even more convinced that my main pair are simply not fertile.