Breeding blue rams

[kidbookrev]

Hi,

I am interested in getting a pair of German Blue rams. They look really cool, and it would be fun if I could breed them. However, our water is very hard, and according to some paper pH test strips I have (I know, not very accurate), and from what my biology teacher has said (he keeps fish), our water is in the 8 ish range. Will blue rams still breed in this?

Also, how do I get a male and female? My LFS has them in one tank.

One final question: Is sand substrate ok? It will be planted.

Thanks!
Isaac

 

[tjudy]

Welcome!

Most of the tank strain rams, and the German blue qualify, can be bred successfully in harder, more alkaline water, but pH 8 may be a bit too high. If you have access to an RO machine that will make pure water you can use a 50/50 mix of that and tap and probably reach pH and TDS values low enough. Highschool? I bet the science department at your school has an RO or dionizer system to purify water for chemistry labs. If you tank is not too large, maybe you can beg the water from your Biology teacher. After the initial 50% to get the water parameters down you will only need a couple gallons every other week or so for water changes.

As far as determining the sex... the males are usually slimmer, brighter blue and have taller dorsal spines. If there are a lot in the store, and they are healthy, watch them from a few feet away from the tank. I bet you will be able to pick a pair based upon behavior. The male of a pair will be between his female and the rest of the fish in the tank, and chasing any other ram that comes near... except for his female.

 

[kidbookrev]

Thanks for the response. I just got back from the LFS and had them test my water. They got a pH of 7.8. The is a RO machine at the local food coop (Culligan Water), for 39 cents a gallon. I could probably get a few gallons a week from there.

I forgot to mention, my tank is a 10 gallon. I don't know if that is big enough, or if the female will end up being "seduced to death". If it isn't big enough for two, or even if it is, is it okay to have just one (probably male)?

 

[kidbookrev]

Oh one more thing, if I don't try to breed them, is the 7.8 pH okay?

Thanks for your help!

 

[apistobob]

7.8 is probably too high of a pH for success. However, you never know. If they are tank raised fish they might reproduce. If they are wild fish there is no chance of success. If you do succeed you will probably experience poor hatch rates. I would strongly recommend mixing with RO water to get both the hardness and pH down. I would start with 5 or 6 gallons of RO in the 10 gal tank and would do 50/50 water changes.

If you have success in breeding them you can gradually use less RO water in subsequent water changes and see what happens.

A 10 gallon tank is probably pushing the minimum size for success. Be sure that you create some complexity in the environment so that there are places for a female to escape from an aggressive male.

Here is a page with a lot of info about these great fish http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Microgeophagus_ramirezi.php

Bob

 

[kidbookrev]

Even if I don't try to breed, will they be okay just living in pH 7.8?

 

[tjudy]

I do not think that you will have problems keeping them in 7.8. They will probably even spawn, but the eggs may not hatch. A 10 gallon is fine. Provide plenty of hiding places using structure like driftwood and aggression should not bee too much of a problem.

As far as breeding in harder water goes, the strain is the key. Supposedly there is a guy in the north Chicago suburbs who supplies the local stores with a LOT of nice rams that he breeds and raises in the local tap water. Their parameters are about like yours. I have seen the tanks full of great looking rams and talked with the store owners about where they came from, but I have not met the breeder.