My German Blue Rams - Are They Mating?

[Lazerus]

Hi all,

I was watching TV this evening, while casting my eye's every now and again over at my fish tank, as one does!

However, this evening I noticed some very interesting behavior from my pair of Rams. (They are in my avator picture there)

Normally, the two Rams hang around together, but often go off on their own business too, but this evening they were doing a sort of flickering display to each other and were not leaving each others side.

The male was facing one way, showing her his full side length, flicking his fins, and pulsating his tail at her and the female was facing the other way, showing him her whole side and also flaring her fins and flickering...while they were doing this, they were both making darting movements here and there, and changing sides...it was quite a display!

It was very graceful and it was definitely not fighting.

So, I am presuming this is the beginning of a courtship ritual? Is it?

But what now?

Are they going to breed would you think? Or is it just a mock courting ritual that may go nowhere? (I thought they were still quite young, you see...just juveniles I suppose.)

But if so, how soon from this display will I expect to see them spawning?

What should I do if they do spawn, is there any way of protecting the eggs from the other fish?

Any advice?

Thanks....

 

[Lazerus]

I posted this the other day, but I'm still wondering about what to expect if these two do pair up?

Can anyone offer some words of wisdom for me?

 

[rmtaylor10]

I realize this might be a little late....
Rams can reach sexual maturity quite young, like around 6 months.
When breeding, you can pretty much leave them and their fry be, rams are excellent parents. Having said that, the first couple times they spawn a young pair will usually eat the eggs. But they figure it out after a couple tries.
That at least should answer some of your questions

 

[youngfisher]

I posted this a couple of weeks back.
My rams were doing the same!
It is the courtship dance.
However you could still have 2 males or 2 females and they would still try and mate etc.
There very beautiful but confusing fish!

YF

 

[bagu]

mine do that!

they started liplocking aswell =/ so i believe i have 2 males establishing territories

I have 1 hormone bred ram so it was impossible to sex

 

[Gilli]

mine do that!

they started liplocking aswell =/ so i believe i have 2 males establishing territories

I have 1 hormone bred ram so it was impossible to sex

Not necessarily 2 males - sometimes the female will lip lock to test the males strength!!

 

[bagu]

oooo fiesty they are then

i have a male/female =/ has no pink belly, but has female finnage =/ but male marking aswell

 

[ALW]

oooo fiesty they are then

i have a male/female =/ has no pink belly, but has female finnage =/ but male marking aswell

Then its a male, the elongated fins will come with time.

 

[bagu]

its around a year old overall =/

dorsal fin is fully rounded, and its anal fin doesnt break the junction =/

i had a huge topic about this ^^

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=285140&hl=

 

[ALW]

its around a year old overall =/

dorsal fin is fully rounded, and its anal fin doesnt break the junction =/

i had a huge topic about this ^^

[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=285140&hl="]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=285140&hl=[/URL]

Looks like a female to me, what is the gH of the water? As GBRs need very soft water