Gold Rams Breeding

[hotdogoramer]

hey, my gold rams lay eggs every 3-4 weeks, this is the 4th time. they lay eggs which they watch over for about 30 hrs, and then the eggs disappear slowly. but i have not seen one fry as of yet. but i do see transparent things near the remaining eggs within those 30 hrs. does anybody know what is happening?

 

[meguro]

either the eggs are being eaten by other fish (most likely ancistrus or some such) or the parents are eating them. What colour do the eggs usually turn?

 

[Bebobb]

The eggs are probally being eaten. Are there any other fish in the tank? If so, I would remove them, and the next time the fish breed, see if the eggs don't dissappear. If they don't I bet that one of the other fish in the tank has been eating on them, if they do, then I think that the parents themselves might be eating the eggs.

 

[PamC]

Sounds like we are having the same issues. Here are a few things I have found out....

Rams are notorious for eating their eggs if they feel the safety of their eggs are threatened by a source they can not fend off.
Are there other fish in the tank? If so, remove the other fish or put the rams in their own 10 gallon for breeding. Also if you know there are eggs, try to keep away from the tank for a few days.

Rams are also known to be commonly infertile, something to due with injected hormones. Rams will eat or pick out the unfertilized eggs as they start turning white and/or fuzzy. If one or both of the rams are infertile all eggs will be ate.

Rams like other fish sometimes have to mature before they are successful at egg laying and hatching so fry. So if they are starting out it could take several spawns (up to a year) for them to get it right.

Your statement "but i do see transparent things near the remaining eggs" I guess "the transparent things" are located right were there had been eggs, this tells me the rams are actually eating the eggs, not sure if it is maturity, infertility, or perceived danger that is the base of their actions. I have seen the base of the spawning rock and a spawning log after a BN pleco cleaned up the eggs and the BN pleco left no tell tale signs of the eggs. Since then the rams have been in their own tank and have continued to eat their eggs only leaving a thin layer of transparent stuff. Patience is all I can suggest.

 

[hotdogoramer]

hey, i guess i will wait, it has been 6 months already, so i got 6 more to. i do have other fish in the tank, but its just one swordtail.

 

[PamC]

Yeah, my rams just had eggs for a leisurely breakfast yesterday.
Keep reading up on breeding, since rams are short lived fish, many persons have artificially hatched their rams eggs.

If you watch the rams with their eggs, the male will be tending and picking at the eggs, eating just the ones that turned white, it is not a free for all feast but rather a selective and purposeful act. Eventually all the eggs will have turned white, thus all the eggs get eaten by the male as he tends to the eggs.