Missing Rams? I Can't Win!

[RaechalLee]

So I started out with 3 rams, two males and one female. One of the males died after a couple weeks and the male and female paired up. Then after a couple months, my female randomly died. Nothing wrong with the water (I think another fish was killing my rams so I removed it)
 
I had one male german blue ram left so I bought two more rams (they ended up being males too) I am guessing the two new males killed the original older male because he went missing and I never found his body.
 
I went back to the fish store and bought two more rams that I thought were female, one was a female and one was a male. The male ended up dying and I found him floating at the top of my tank.
 
I have a pair of german blue rams now and another male who always got along with the other male ram in my tank. I went to the fish store today to buy a female so I come home and put her in my tank and I cannot find my other male ram anywhere. I've fed them and he hasn't come out.
 
I really hope he didn't get killed. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before where your rams keep killing each other?
 
 
They are in a planted 75 gallon with four angelfish, a gold gourami, an albino bristlenose pleco and a guppy.
 
I am hoping he shows up.

 
The ram that is missing is the alpha male I believe, he was the biggest and most dominant ram in the tank.

 

[AquaPit]

Oh my...

I'm sorry for your losses...

Its quite scary hearing all this! I hope someone will come along with an answer..

 

[Ninjouzata]

Have you lifted all the decorations and looked inside them? Checked around the tank in case they jumped out?
If a fish dies it doesn't take too long for the fish to ah, eat it, and the rest of it decompose.
 
What are your water parameters?

 

[RaechalLee]

Have you lifted all the decorations and looked inside them? Checked around the tank in case they jumped out?
If a fish dies it doesn't take too long for the fish to ah, eat it, and the rest of it decompose.
 
What are your water parameters?

 
I haven't because I don't want to uproot any of my plants I have a lot of plants so in some areas it is really hard to see anything. I also have a 3d background and there is a small space where he could be hiding behind the actual background. I checked outside the tank and didn't see anything. I've never had a ram jump but I checked anyway and nothing.
 
I saw the fish earlier today so I know he was alive this morning. I just really hope he is hiding really good somewhere.
 
My water is at
 
0 ammonia
5 nitrate
0 nitrite

 

[AeonMapa]

He could just be hiding. Females can be as aggressive as males and push them into hiding. or they could have spawned and he's protecting a hidden nest and letting the female go out to eat.  Also be aware a lot of rams live only about 2 years so if you got them as adults already they may be dying of old age. Gouramis dontt like rams too much either. Lastly if any of your angels are trying to spawn they could mess a ram up pretty bad too

 

[Meeresstille]

Just to add another possibility: What is your pH coming from the tap and what is your pH in the tank? How often and how large are your water changes? GBR are quite sensitive to changes in water parameters, so if the pH differs greatly after a water change they may have a hard time adjusting to it. 

 

[RaechalLee]

He could just be hiding. Females can be as aggressive as males and push them into hiding. or they could have spawned and he's protecting a hidden nest and letting the female go out to eat.  Also be aware a lot of rams live only about 2 years so if you got them as adults already they may be dying of old age. Gouramis dontt like rams too much either. Lastly if any of your angels are trying to spawn they could mess a ram up pretty bad too

 
 
He is definitely dead ha, he hasn't showed up yet. Since my pair of rams just spawned I think maybe they killed the other male.
 
Do you think I should risk trying to add another pair of rams in my tank? I don't want them to get killed but would like more rams.
 
My gourami is pretty docile and leaves everyone alone in the tank so I don't think it would be him but the angels maybe. I have two pairs who both have spawned before.

 

[AeonMapa]

2-3 pairs of rams will work in a 75 as the only cichlids, however they might not if the angels have claimed part of the tank as their own. You could try a kribensis pair, they're tough enough to work with the angels!

 

[RaechalLee]

2-3 pairs of rams will work in a 75 as the only cichlids, however they might not if the angels have claimed part of the tank as their own. You could try a kribensis pair, they're tough enough to work with the angels!

 
I just witnessed my pair of rams attacking the other female. She was at the very top and swimming on her side and they kept bumping her around and pecking her.
 
I took her out and have her in a little tank with a small filter and some plants for cover at the top. I hope she recovers. I will be taking her back to the fish store and I think maybe I should leave my rams alone