Rams Have Spawned!

[Zante]

In my community tank.

The surprise is, it's a pair of the little ones, and just about a month after being added to the tank, maybe less...

I have two large GBRs and four juvenile electric blue rams. I was expecting the big ones to spawn first, but two of the little ones surprised me. It's quite funny to see the big male GBR that used to bully the others being chased away by the tiny female less than half his size.

I had the CO2 canister delivered this morning and started injecting CO2. I wonder I it's what triggered it or if it's coincidence... Before leaving the office (where the tank is) I saw the two big GBRs behaving very suspiciously near the cave I built for them when setting up the tank...

I know I shouldn't be too excited, it's their first spawning, and it's likely to go wrong, and there are 32 tetras circling the nest like vultures, but I can't help it...

 

[Rorie]

In my community tank.

The surprise is, it's a pair of the little ones, and just about a month after being added to the tank, maybe less...

I have two large GBRs and four juvenile electric blue rams. I was expecting the big ones to spawn first, but two of the little ones surprised me. It's quite funny to see the big male GBR that used to bully the others being chased away by the tiny female less than half his size.

I had the CO2 canister delivered this morning and started injecting CO2. I wonder I it's what triggered it or if it's coincidence... Before leaving the office (where the tank is) I saw the two big GBRs behaving very suspiciously near the cave I built for them when setting up the tank...

I know I shouldn't be too excited, it's their first spawning, and it's likely to go wrong, and there are 32 tetras circling the nest like vultures, but I can't help it...

The CO2 could have dropped the PH which will encourage the spawning. My rams were the best parents! I have great photos of them in bright colours fighting off cardinal tetras. THey would guard the eggs, then dig a pit for the wrigglers and keep them for about 4 days. 4 days seems to be when they start wondering off......into the mouthes of the other fish!

I used to let them spawn, then move the parents and eggs to a small tank (filled from water from the main tank) and let them raise the fry until they were eating well. Parents then went back into the main tank. To save moving the parents all the time, i used to put slate into the tank, they loved to lay eggs on this. I'd then remove the slate and raise them myself. Sounds a bit cruel, but the parents were more stressed trying to protect the eggs EVERY week when they laid eggs!

Rams are great, but SOOOOOOO slow at growing!

 

[Zante]

Unfortunately I don't have another tank, but I suppose I could put a breeding net in the sump.

Now while I wait for the wriggles to become free swimming I have to think of a way of catching them...

I guess it's a trip to the LFS to get a very fine net...

 

[Zante]

Nope, this morning the eggs were gone.

Can't say I wasn't expecting it though.

 

[Rorie]

Next time you get eggs, try raising them yourself. Do you have an air pump to your tank? Take off a line with a wee valve and put it into a plastic butter tube or something with the eggs. They should hatch easy enough if there is an air supply. Assuming they are on a stone or something of course.

 

[Zante]

Nah... Not planning on breeding, not yet at least.

Anyway the eggs were in a hole in the gravel.

 

[Zante]

Same pair has spawned again in the same corner of the tank. Let's see how this goes...

 

[Rorie]

I imagine the same as last time! haha. The CO2 has obviously kicked them into action. My guess is that they will keep on spawning when the eggs are eaten. They will be quite stressed as they'll be working hard to protect the eggs and fry when it comes to that. But sadly their efforts are likely to be worthless in a community tank

 

[Zante]

I imagine the same as last time! haha. The CO2 has obviously kicked them into action. My guess is that they will keep on spawning when the eggs are eaten. They will be quite stressed as they'll be working hard to protect the eggs and fry when it comes to that. But sadly their efforts are likely to be worthless in a community tank

Yeah...

I wasn't planning on breeding, but if they do continue like this being stressed and all I will have to do something about it.

 

[Zante]

They spawned again after quite a pause (or maybe it's the other pair), but this time there are discus in the tank!

It's so funny to see the tiny two inch ram chase away four inch discus!