Need Help With Blue Rams

[Mr. Convict]

Hi everyone.

I got 4 juvie blue rams from my friend who is moving away today.

Normally i would not have taken them, but noone else would, and he didn't want to give them to our LFS due to the conditions they keep their fish in being very poor.

He gave to me as i already have a few tanks, and he knows i hardly have any deaths due to things like bad conditions, or neglect etc. (I try to keep as good care of my fish as possible)

However, i have no experience with these fish, and i need help. As i heard that they are really sensitive, and the last thing i want is to kill these fish, 'cuz i really like them now that i have them (and i actually ALWAYS feel really bad when a fish i have dies)

I've been reading as much as i can, and i see that they need a planted aquarium.. but i was wondering if they would be okay for now in an old mbuna set up (without the fish of course) i have with lots of caves and the like? I have a planted aquarium, so if i need to transfer plants it wouldnt be much of a problem, except that i would have to buy more ballasts/lighting etc for the tank that they are in.

I put them in at around 5pm today (i put a little foxtail to float so that they would feel a bit more secure.. its not really much though, cuz for some reason i have trouble keeping foxtail alive), and as of 11 pm, three of them seem fine, not exactly active, but at least in the open, just seeming kinda curious, poking around the tank or just floating there looking at me.. one of them seems to have crashed though.. he's just staying in a really secluded part of the tank just hiding from everything... at first i thought he had jumped as i couldn't see him, but then i found him hidden behind some rocks

Is there anything i can do? Or is this [somewhat] normal behavior for when they go into a new tank, and i should just wait it out with him and see if he comes around?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.. and i have loads more questions, but keeping them alive is priority atm.

Btw, the fish in my avatar is not one of the juvies.

Thanks in advance

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

Hi everyone.

I got 4 juvie blue rams from my friend who is moving away today.

Normally i would not have taken them, but noone else would, and he didn't want to give them to our LFS due to the conditions they keep their fish in being very poor.

He gave to me as i already have a few tanks, and he knows i hardly have any deaths due to things like bad conditions, or neglect etc. (I try to keep as good care of my fish as possible)

However, i have no experience with these fish, and i need help. As i heard that they are really sensitive, and the last thing i want is to kill these fish, 'cuz i really like them now that i have them (and i actually ALWAYS feel really bad when a fish i have dies)

I've been reading as much as i can, and i see that they need a planted aquarium.. but i was wondering if they would be okay for now in an old mbuna set up (without the fish of course) i have with lots of caves and the like? I have a planted aquarium, so if i need to transfer plants it wouldnt be much of a problem, except that i would have to buy more ballasts/lighting etc for the tank that they are in.

I put them in at around 5pm today (i put a little foxtail to float so that they would feel a bit more secure.. its not really much though, cuz for some reason i have trouble keeping foxtail alive), and as of 11 pm, three of them seem fine, not exactly active, but at least in the open, just seeming kinda curious, poking around the tank or just floating there looking at me.. one of them seems to have crashed though.. he's just staying in a really secluded part of the tank just hiding from everything... at first i thought he had jumped as i couldn't see him, but then i found him hidden behind some rocks

Is there anything i can do? Or is this [somewhat] normal behavior for when they go into a new tank, and i should just wait it out with him and see if he comes around?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.. and i have loads more questions, but keeping them alive is priority atm.

Btw, the fish in my avatar is not one of the juvies.

Thanks in advance

Seems like the little fish are just settling in. After 48 hours of him sitting around I would be nervous Keep an eye on him though. I would keep the lights out, as lower lighting helps fish settling in and feel more secure.


Has this tank been cycled? Do you think it still has useful bacteria to break down the ammonia and nitrites? If you removed the mbuna from the tank a while a go, then the tank may not be cycled.


These fish aren't as hard to keep as everyone has them hyped up to be. Keep water changes frequent and regular (25-30 percent weekly or more.) Keep temperature at a higher range (29-32 degrees is good.) Feed them a variety of food also. This should allow the fish to thrive.

These fish do not need a planted tank although they would probably prefer something like it when breeding. The caves should be fine now though.


The only thing I can think of is that these fish do better in even groups or pairs. With three fish, you will find that one will probably get picked on. It will get even worse if two pair up.

 

[Gilli]

My pair of rams were nervous for a few days but they will soon come out of their shells! They are endearing comical little characters and you will soon wonder how you ever kept fish without them!

Provide a soft water environment if you can although they will tolerate more - mine is 7.6 ph - they are sensitive to water fluctuations and chemicals. Plenty of areas to explore around the lower levels and heavily vegetated areas will be appreciated. You will need a large tank if you are keeping more than 2 and will definitely need heavy planting as they are territorial and will stake a claim to certain parts of the tank, so you will need hiding places for some to escape attention! Although they can be aggressive towards other rams they are a peaceful fish with other species except when spawning when they will attack anything and everything if fish go near the eggs!! If they do pair up you might like to add a couple of flat stones as they prefer these for spawning on.

Feed a varied 'meaty' diet and good quality flake and you will find they will colour up beautifully- they tend to be a bit colourless when stressed. Mine are very fond of flake food, bloodworm, daphnia, shrimp brine, teeny pieces of prawn (cooked or raw) teeny pieces of minced beef (raw), tuna from your sandwich! (LOL) algae wafers - and well just about anything you would like to try them on really!!

 

[Mr. Convict]

Thanks alot for the replies

I'm sure it was cycled, as when i removed the mbuna, i put in school of tetras just to keep the bacteria going

All 4 seem to be fine now

They really are comical! From far i can see them swimming about, exploring the tank, yet as i come close, they just stop in their tracks wherever they were and don't move an inch until i leave. Its kinda like "I hope he isn't seeing me" lol.

I have read that if any 2 pair i will have to move the others out, so i was wondering, if this happens and by chance i do not have a separate tank for them, would they be okay in a community tank? I am not as concerned about them picking on other fish as i am other fish picking on them, for example, i have some very nippy tetras, as well as an angelfish in one of the tanks (I am almost certain the angel would pose no harm, as he was one i rescued from a mbuna tank in my lfs, god he was getting beat on, and because of this he is veryyy docile, he didn't even eat my tetras when i put them into the tank, even though they were small enough to fit into his mouth.)

I am really starting to love this fish too bad i can only admire from afar atm.

Again thanks alot for your replies

 

[Gilli]

You certainly wont regret taking them! Mine recognize me if I sit at the tank. If other people sit there they will ignore them and eagerly come right up to the glass where im sitting! They also feed from my hand. As ive said on this site before as soon as they see me they show me where snails are by swimming over to it fast , putting their nose practically on the snail and freezing and staring until I pick it off and crush it - then they eat if from my hand!

Rams have no problem with other fish - they are fine in a community tank! Mine are kept with a male dwarf gourami, zebra danios, guppies, platties, panda corys black phantom tetras and a bristlenose plec! The only time they are aggressive with other fish will be if they spawn and they really only chase other fish away from the eggs - mine never do any harm.

My Rams

 

[Mr. Convict]

Whoa!

Those are beautiful!

How big are those? My biggest is about 1 3/8 of an inch, at around what age/lenght do they start to pair up?

The colors on yours are so beautiful, mine are a bit pale still, but i suspect thats only because of new tank stress.

As for food, I don't really want to have them on flakes, so what would be a good choice?

Are the "hikari cichlid staple/gold" any good? personally i never really buy those things that say "gold" or whatever, and also, any of you know about the Tetra Cichlid Granules? they're like little balls that sink, I've been looking at these, as it seems the rams aren't very interested with coming up to the top for food, would this be any good?

Thanks for the reply

 

[Gilli]

Mine are about 2 inches long from nose to the end of the tail. Mine were also very pale when I first got them but once they gain their confidence and get some good grub in them they will colour up. You will also notice that when they are not in good mood the colours will not be as bright they go a darker colour and they may develop a dark black line running along the body. Of course colours will be at their brightest when they are ready to breed. just a thought - are you sure they are German Blue Rams and not Bolivian Rams which look the same but are not as colourful?

Rams can begin breeding at 8 weeks of age but its more usual between 4 - 6 months and they can breed every ten days!

Feed as already advised in my above post. The flake I feed mine on is Tetramin which is a tropical food for all fish but it is a high quality flake. I feed all my fish twice a day - in the morning with frozen live foods and then in the evening with flake - that way I reckon they get a well balanced diet. Incidentially if they are not keen to come to the top for flake get an egg cup, fill it with a little tank water, drop the flake in swish it round then pour it into the tank - you will find it sinks immediately. I did buy my rams special Cichlid food but they refused to eat it and I ended up throwing the lot!!

My Rams

 

[Mr. Convict]

They seem to be getting a bit of confidence, and at least swim when I'm at the tank

Yes I'm sure they are blue rams, you can clearly see the blue specks running along their body into their tail, and a little on their heads as well

I happen to have Tetramin, so i will use it.

Hopefully I'll get a pair

 

[Gilli]

I hope yours pair up as they are fascinating to watch with eggs. I havnt had any luck with them hatching yet as they keep eating them and sometimes they take a while to get the hang of it but I live in hopes!. Let me know how yours are getting on!