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Do GBR's take a break?

ponderingky

New Member
Messages
9
Location
Ashland, KY
Hi all,

I am new to the forum and fairly new to dwarf cichlids. I have been breeding angelfish for 4 years now and I am branching out into new territory. I have 2 pairs of german blue rams in 20's w/sand bottom, low cover and other spawning sites. I have had them for several months and in the past they have laid like clock work - about every 10 days or so. Well, they haven't spawned (either pair) for 6 to 8 weeks. Both females have bulging red bellies and they have been like that for a while. I keep waiting for them to lay but they don't. Do they take a break from spawning? The only thing that has changed is I haven't been able to feed them white worms very often (my culture almost crashed and I have to wait for it to reestablish). I feed them blood worms and flake right now. I have added a couple of alder cones per tank hoping that the tannins might put them in the mood. They are healthy, active fish - just no romance. I have only been able to raise one spawn so far and I am anxious to give it another try.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated? I am clueless here.

Thanks,

Andy Dixon
Living Water Hatchery
Ashland, KY
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
I think most fish bred continuously will take a short break at some time. In the wild Rams are seasonal breeder in the respect that water changes (increased rains) stimulates breeding. Staeck reports that at certain times only juveniles of similar size are collected. These aren't all from a single spawn but offspring from colonies of spawning pairs.
 

ponderingky

New Member
Messages
9
Location
Ashland, KY
Just wanted to post an update. The GBR's on strike have still not laid - over 2 months. Last night I moved them to a 75 w/about 40 small GBR's in it. It has perked them right up - I actually saw the male making a sand pit and the female is all over him. They haven't laid but this is the first time in a long time that they are acting even interested. I had some EBR's in the 75 and they haven't acted like they were interested in spawning at all. I put them in the 20 that the GBR's were in and now they are digging pits and sparring w/each other. I guess they all just needed a change of scenery - we'll see!!

Later,
 

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