German Blue Rams

[Erk]

I know I have a good bit of fish in my tank, but I really like these fish! They are available locally, can I have some thoughts on if it would be ok, to get maybe 3 for my tank? Im sure most will say Im overstocked as it is, so maybe I will have to wait until I have another tank or something, later on down the road

Thanks very much! :D

[fish_r]

u do seem a bit over stocked m8, but u could probably add a cpl and just up the water changes ?
but i'm no expert on stocking levels, i was a bit over stocked too, but i just do water changes every 3 days and every thing seems fine :)

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r, if I buy one more 5 gallon bucket, it will make my water changes much more easy, with the routine I have going at the moment, and that would be 20 gallons each time, so about 43% 2 times a week? Usually wednesday and saturday or sunday...I will wait for some other peoples opinions before doing anything, but I appreciate the advice :D I kinda figured they didnt get that big, and I cant imagine they would create a huge bio-load in the tank?

Thanks again....I will keep my fingers crossed this is the same general info I get here :D

[dntx5b9]

Two or three German Blue Rams won't add that much bio-load to your tank. So, if you increase the % of your water change each time, you should be fine. I had two Germans Blue Rams but one died mysteriously few days ago. Got all swollen and died in three days afer showing first signs of trouble. Some say that the rams can't handle the higher temp required for discus tank. Not sure ... I got the pair about three or four months ago. I also have a pair of Bolivian Rams that I got two months ago and they seem to be doing well. Good luck.

[Erk]

Thanks very much dntx5b9, I will plan on getting another bucket for my water changes, and in the mean time see what others have to say about this idea, and care of the blue rams. Im sorry to hear about your rams, hope these new ones go well for you! :D

Thanks and good luck to you as well!
Eric

[fish_r]

apparently the higher temp will shorten there lifespan.
they are going well in two of my discus tanks and breeding in one tank and looking very healthy, i'll be happy if i get to breeding a few to replace the ones that die of a young age...

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r


they are going well in two of my discus tanks and breeding in one tank and looking very healthy

What are the temps of these tanks? Might not be a bad thing if the higher temps will shorten their lifespan, so I can get the "bug" of owning these out of my system while the discus are growing??

I hope yours do well and you get some babies to replace those other ones! :D Good Luck!

Thanks for your help! :D
Eric

[fish_r]

my discus tanks are kept @ 30c "sorry dont know what it is in farenhieit"
hopefully i'll have more eggs soon :) i sold the ghost knife i had in there so hopefully that solves the eating the eggs problem. they take on the discus and other fish in the tank if they get too close, just the GKF was too big and nasty for them i think hehe... gutsy little buggers :)

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r....30C is 86F. My tank ranges from 86-88 so between 30 and a lil over 31C or maybe a lil less, if Im doing a water change, but they dont seem to mind.

I hope you get more eggs soon too! Im sure there will be pics of them :D Glad you got rid of that GKF! I know you were dissapointed when you found out he was eating them :(


they take on the discus and other fish in the tank if they get too close, just the GKF was too big and nasty for them i think hehe... gutsy little buggers

They take them on?? Like what does that mean? hahaha....my discus should be fine....right? Im not really trying to add anymore "stress" to the tank?

Thanks again for your input! :D

[Erk]

I also have an airstone that runs 24/7 so maybe that will help keep them around in the higher temps a lil longer :D

Im not in a rush to do this, so I have a good bit of time to see what everyone has to say about it, before I buy any, but I will def. start by getting another bucket for my water changes, I was thinking about doing this alread anyways, just cause I usually do about 3 buckets, but I have 2 for fresh water, and I use the same one always for vac out, so I have to wait until the first two buckets are empty to use the pump to pump water out of my storage bin, into my buckets, before they go into the tank, so this will be easier to have another bucket, then I can just fill all three at once, and pump them all in at once

Thanks again! :D

[Erk]

Here is a link to my LFS about their "blue rams" (if it works)

www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/213017/i/7/product.web

They dont sound too bad...my pH is 7.0 so I doubt they will ever breed, and I will prolly try to get all males anyways....is 3-4" for these guys accurate?

Thanks again! :D

[fish_r]

they only try to scare off the other fish when they have eggs and it's nothing to bad, funny to watch actually :)
trying to take something on thats over 20 times it's size lol, but other than that there not aggressive.

running ur airstone 24/7 isnt good for ur planted tank m8 cause it disolves all ur Co2. i only run mine when my lights are off "when Co2 isnt needed"

there great looking fish in the link u posted.
the males are a bit bigger than the females, but i hope mine never get to 4" like the link u posted says, my biggest males are 2"

[Erk]

Thanks very much fish_r I will change that airstone right now, I just thought since the directions said for the new hydor system to put it near water current, so I thought it would be ok, cause it creates current, its a very small airpump thats running the stone...does that matter, just outta curiousity?

Im checking with the financial department about the blue rams...they are cheap but she thinks I have enough fish :twisted: hahaha, but we will see about them, in not in a rush atm. and that will give time for others to reply if they wish, but the size comment really helps :wink: I think it would be rather funny to see the rams chasing the discus too, and she may like that too! :wink: haha

Thanks again! :D

[DiscusEden]

Hi Erk,

I just got my germans a few weeks ago - they're in with the discus & I've been really impressed with the colour!

If it were my tank (which it's not), I'd go 1M 2F germans. The females seem to have more colour if anything than the males in my germans, with their cherry pink bellies.

I'm not sure about the stocking load. If you don't get many more replies here you could try posting in the tankmates section? But I can't imagine another 2 rams would make that much odds.

Mine do try to take on the discus (who ignore them) and each other (they are territorial), but don't seem to do any harm.

HTH

[Erk]

Thanks much DE, I wasnt sure where to post this question, but I appreciate the tip on posting it in the tankmates section. I may wanna run out this weekend and get these guys :D If it seems like things slow down here soon, maybe I will post it over in the tankmates section and see what happens there.

Im glad your happy with the colors of yours, and I agree...I dont think they will add that much bio-load to the tank.

I think it would be neat to have them in my tank, with their colors, and it would be funny to see them try to mess with the discus

1 male and 2 females....got it! :D

Thanks again! :D
Eric

[Erk]

Picked up three blue rams tonight.....2 with pink bellies :wink: :D

Thanks everyone :D

[DiscusEden]

Yay!

We want pics soon!

[fish_r]

look forward to seeing the oics when u can get em m8 :)

[Erk]

Thanks fish_r and DE...Im taking the digital camera home from work today, so I will def. get some pics up this weekend :wink: :D

I hope they go well in there....temp is a lil high, so I backed it down a lil bit, acclimated them with the lights off, so I didnt really get to see them much last night. The LFS said the temp in their tanks is about 80-82F and they have been there (in the tank at the LFS) for quite some time, the guy that helped me just said to acclimate them slowly, and make sure they eat. I fed the tank this morning, and I think I saw them eating....they feed off the bottom?

Thanks again for all your help! :D
Eric

[fish_r]

how big are they Erk ?
i just left mine in the bag for 1/2 hr in the tank then put them in and they were fine, they seem to settle in pretty quick and i remember mine eating the same day i put them into the tank so u shouldnt have any problems. mine are the first ones to get to the food in my tanks now :)
look forward to the pics
Rob...

[Erk]

Thanks rob,

They are pretty small still, so you didnt quarantine? I was really having trouble deciding if I was gonna do that or not, but I would have needed to get in the Q tank and really clean it up first, and it was late for me, so I didnt quarantine

I prolly took about 30-45 mins to acclimate, but even with moonlights on, it was tough to really see what they were doing last night, but it was a lil brighter today, and I was able to see them picking at stuff on the bottom, as I was feeding the tank...Im sure they are prolly fine, it will be interesting to see them settle in, and see if they try to get to the food first, they are def. little compared to my discus, and they are always up at the top waiting for food now a days! :D

Thanks for your information, I will def. keep you updated, and pics this weekend :wink:
Eric

[fish_r]

they grow pretty quick Erk as there little piggies :)
i didnt quarrantine them, i rarely do. but i should and one day i will come unstuck :(
same with my discus. i have a 2ft tank that i could use, but it doesnt have a seeded filter in it. might have to start running a sponge in the 3ft tank for quarrantining i think.
hope urs go well
Rob...

[Erk]

Cool...sounds good! I cant wait to get home and feed them lady red's recipe! The guy at the LFS said make sure they eat, and a good diet is important, and I said "Got that covered" lol!

It seems like lots of people have several tanks going at once, but I have a lil one bedroom apartment (thats gonna change soon :wink: ) but I have no room for all these other tanks, but I have a lil 20 gallon tank that worked for the discus, but its a mess, since there isnt any fish in it, and didnt feel like dealing with it

Thanks....I hope they go well too! Will get pics this weekend of the lil guys! :D
Eric