Rams ( GBR and Golden )

[Norman Fenske]

I decided to try keeping Rams again since ( knock on wood ) keeping Apisto's seem to be getting easier as time goes by yes I have lost a few but I have also have 6 or 7 tanks with young. So here is my question are there any words of wisdom in keeping Rams? The PH is 7.3 TDS 173 ppm Nitrate 0ppm Temp. is 80 deg.F. The biggest reason I am asking in the past it seems like they would do fine for months then die out, I am aware being cichlids they will get aggressive towards one another. As of now they are still young and once I get a pair the others will have to be removed. Right now I have 4 golden rams and 2 german blue rams all 6 are in a 20 long no other fish in the tank so any pointers comments etc??

 

[spinon]

Hi Norman,

I also keep a pair of GBRs in my community tank. Just over four months ago, they spawned and now I have no less than 41 beautiful juveniles (now in their own separate tank). The parents are kept in very similar water conditions as yours. My pH is a little lower - more like 7.0 but it varies a little as I use CO2 injection for the plants. I maintain phosphate at less than 0.1ppm. I also try to keep dissolved organics down by using activated carbon (or similar) in my external filter. I feed all my fish on a mixture of JBL Granomix Mini, Ocean Nutrition spirulina flakes, algae wafers and frozen bloodworm. There is very little animosity between any of this community. I have now had the adult pair of GBRs for approximately nine months.

And that's it.

spinon

 

[Ade205]

Hi Norman.

Your water parameters are fine, I've literally reared thousands of gbr's over the years with ph between 6.5 and 7.5 with a tds of 200ppm or slightly lower. Ph of 6.5 and tds around 100 gave me some massive broods though may have just been the particular fish rather than water conditions.

Regarding keeping them alive, I'm convinced the issues people have with Rams are more to do with the quality of the fish rather than the aquarist assuming good water conditions and changes are maintained. I'm amazed how many people I've sold or given Rams too over the years have come back telling me mine have lived when all before died within a few weeks with the usual stop eating, rapid breathing, often accompanied by hole in the head, and slow death. Rams reared by a breeder in local water that haven't traveled thousands of miles and gone through several stressful environment changes are many times stronger than imports!
I urge all people who have tried and given up on Rams to track down some locally bred fish and give them another go!

Do you have any signs of a pair forming with yours yet? Shouldn't take long with 6, and will be very obvious. They start young, I currently have pairs attempting to spawn at barely one inch in length!
Good luck, they truly are a great fish and be sure to update when you have some romance going on!!!

Ade.