Blue rams (and their gold-coloured variants) are among some of the more beautiful fish available to aquatic hobbyists, so it should be no surprise that there is a good commercial demand for them. The catch is that rams are not good beginner fish. They are not easy to keep, and can be difficult to breed.
Rams require very soft water for breeding. The pH level is not critical in my experience; hardness is much more of a factor to pay attention to. To spur spawning, a conductivity level of approximately 50-250 US (hardness 25-125ppm) is ideal, though some captive specimens may spawn at a slightly higher TDS.
Temperature for spawning rams should be in the low 80s. Too much higher than this and the fish will be adversely affected. I've found 80-82 to be an ideal breeding temperature. Spawning can sometimes be induced in finicky pairs by a water change with slightly cooler water. This simulates the rainy season and will indicate to the fish that it is the season for spawning.
Rams are sexually mature at about an inch. They don't grow very large (3 inches maximum), and therefore can mate rather young.
The breeding tank can consist of as small a tank as ten gallons. Fifteen or twenty gallons would be preferred, but rams are not overly aggressive cichlids, even during spawning. I've achieved spawning in a twenty-gallon high tank with a variety of blue rams, Bolivian rams and Apistogramma species. Rams will search for a preferred spawning spot, ideally a flat piece of slate or rock on the bottom of the tank. In a pinch, they may also lay the eggs on the inside of a flowerpot, the bottom of the tank, or just about any flat surface that is available. Both male and female will take turns guarding the eggs.
Soft water is critical for proper egg development. Water that is harder has a lower osmotic pressure, compared to the inside of the eggs. Water will not flow into the eggs and properly harden them, causing the eggs to turn white and possibly fungus. I normally hatch out eggs in straight RO water, with hardness around 5-10ppm.
As with most cichlids, young rams often make bad parents. If you were trying to raise and sell rams, it would be ideal to remove the eggs after fertilization. A quart mason jar works well for hatching out the eggs. If the eggs were laid on a stone or piece of slate, this can be placed into the water in the jar for hatching. If the eggs have been laid elsewhere, they can gently be removed and placed inside the jar. A piece of airline tubing in the jar will keep enough water flow over the eggs to keep them properly aerated. Too strong of a flow may dislodge the eggs, but a steady stream of bubbles should suffice. A slight roil at the water's surface is good.
Keeping the eggs from getting fungus is one of the crucial parts of hatching out any fish eggs. Rams are no exception. There are many different options for warding off fungus, including methelyne blue, acriflavin and formalin, just to name a few. If these methods are used, simply follow the directions on the bottle. Methelyne blue simply shades the water, since fungus requires light to grow. The others are true fungicides and will kill fungus directly. I have been using a new product to keep eggs form fungusing, and have had excellent results with both angelfish and rams: hydrogen peroxide.
Peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent that serves multiple purposes. It is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. After a short while, it breaks down into its base components: oxygen and water. This helps add oxygen to the water for the eggs. It also requires no diluting afterwards. It is, quite simply, the most perfect assistant to egg hatching I have found to date.
The hydrogen peroxide used is the common type you find in most grocery stores and pharmacies. It is a 3% strength solution. It can be used at a rate of approximately 1 ml per gallon. In a small container such as a one-quart mason jar, I use it at a rate of ten drops per jar. Dosage should be repeated every 12 hours or so until the eggs have begun to hatch. At this point, if everything looks fine, you can simply discontinue dosing.
At 75-80 degrees, the eggs should hatch in about 3 days, and be free-swimming by the fifth or sixth day. Lower temperatures will slow down the process while higher temperatures will decrease hatching time. Eggs should be hatched at 70-85 degrees. Extremes should be avoided.
Ram fry are very tiny. Their mouths are too small to accept newly hatched brine shrimp, so an alternative is warranted. A small percentage may be able to eat baby brine shrimp immediately, but the number is very small. Infusoria and other tiny particles can be used, but I've found that the best first food for rams are microworms and vinegar eels. Both are tiny nematodes that can survive in the water column for a day to a week, keeping the water clean. After approximately a week, baby brine shrimp should be added to the diet, as most of the rams will be large enough to eat them at this point. The foods should be mixed for a few days until it is obvious all the fry are eating the brine shrimp. This should be easy to note by the bright orange color of their bellies.
Rams are a slow-growing fish. Water changes and frequent feedings should increase their growth rate dramatically. Keeping the fry in the mason jar for the first two weeks or so may require more frequent water changes, but also allows you to keep the food ratio high so they can eat constantly. Besides, it doesn't take much to change out a half quart of water twice a day.
Cleaning the jar can be somewhat difficult, as the rams are not strong swimmers at this point and will easily get sucked into the siphon. I use a small piece of rigid airline tubing attached to some flexible tubing as a tiny siphon. Covering the tip with some stocking material or a couple layers of veil material will keep most of the fry from getting sucked into the siphon. Keep a close eye on the end of the siphon tube, if any fry get stuck, simply plug the other end with your thumb and they should be able to swim free. Be aware though, there are going to be some that get stuck and killed. It is almost inevitable. Siphon out about half the water, then replace it with new water. Start the siphon by sucking on the end of the flexible tubing, then plugging it with your thumb when the tubing is about half full. I use a small specimen container to siphon the water into. You can easily stop and start he flow by plugging the outlet end. By having the specimen container, and fry that are accidentally sucked up can be easily retrieved and placed back into their jar. Be forewarned: you will get some tank water in your mouth at some point. It won't kill you, but it's best to play it safe and avoid it as much as possible.
I've found it easiest to keep two mason jars in the tank: one on the bottom filled with water, and the other jar with fry placed on top of it. This allows you to keep the water warm, and you simply tip the jar a bit to refill it with new water from the parent's tank. No lids are needed on either jar.
After about two weeks, the fry should be nearing the half-inch mark and can safely be moved into larger quarter. Starting a small (2.5 or 5g) tank with water from the parents tank and a small, established sponge filter should provide an adequate growing environment for the next few weeks. After the rams have started to put on some size and color, they can be moved to a larger tank for final grow out.
Raising rams is not easy work. Nor is it terribly difficult. The most important things to have are a properly sized food supply and the willingness to do water changes frequently. For culturing microworms and brine shrimp, please refer to the articles in the breeding section (forthcoming).
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