Blue Rams

[Barracuda]

Is it true that blue rams die REALLY easily? Someone told me they last only a couple of months - is this true? I want to find a "pretty" looking fish to accompany a couple of angels, diamond tetra, rosy barb and loaches in a 6 foot tank. What else do you suggest?
Thanks

[jluna]

i think the secret is a mature tank. i keep blue rams well (now), but would never put them in a tank less than 6 months old. you want a really rich biological filter.

i'm going to try and load a link to some pics on here of some of my rams.

justin

[jluna]

i think the secret is a mature tank. i keep blue rams well (now), but would never put them in a tank less than 6 months old. you want a really rich biological filter.

i'm going to try and load a link to some pics on here of some of my rams.

justin

[waitaki]

yes you are right jluna that and frequent water changes!
mine did best with 3 day water changes and ph 6><7

[wild_amazon]

I have tried to keep them in the past but never really have a lot of success. First finding good quality blue rams is difficult. Second they don't seem to last very long in my tank. Probably 6 months max.

[Barracuda]

Whats the difference between "normal" blue rams and "german" blue rams? Is the german one a lot more hardy?

[wild_amazon]

German blue rams refer to the origin of the fish, in this case Germany. They are of higher quality and if you have seen the real one the difference in colour and shape are striking.
However there have been some misuse in the term German Rams. In my opinion they should be imported from Germany. If they are bred from German parents then it should not be sold as German Rams.
It doesn't mean they are not good quality. I have seen some really nice local RAMS that were probably bred from German import or selective breeding by the breeders. I find some of the locally bred are nicer then imported ones from Asia.

[Noddy65]

The quality of the rams coming out of the asian farms is terrible (and dont get me started on the long fin and balloon mutations).
The ones that didnt last long were most likely poor quality fish coming out of asia....Ive given up on keeping this species simply because of the poor longevity and the extremely poor quality of the fish.
However, if you can find German Blue Rams or locally bred fish then Id go for them...leave the asian ones alone, theyre just not worth the trouble.

Mike :D

[Hassles]

Livefish dot com have some nice German Blue Rams - I bought a pair and had these in a tank (for a short period) with some locally sourced Blue Rams. The German varients have much better colour. Apparently the average life-span is approx. 2 years although good aquarists with clean and established tansk have been known to keep them for up to 4 years. 1 of our local aquatic mags had an article on Rams last year.

and....for what its worth...

http://www.angelfire.com/tx/CichlidPimp/

hope this helps

[Barracuda]

Just checked out livefish - german variety is more than double the price of the normal ones!

[Noddy65]

Just checked out livefish - german variety is more than double the price of the normal ones!

Not surprised...but they are a much better fish and should (if treated correctly) live longer than a few months.

Mike

[BigDaddyAdo]

There are lots os nice apistos. ;)

[Barracuda]

What do you guys think of Bolivian butterflies/rams?

[kristina]

Microgeophagus Altispinosa - Bolivian Butterfly - are a little more adaptable to different water conditions, and have a prettier, more feminine look to them than the Microgeophagus Ramirezi - Blue Ram - which has a bolder look and can be a little more picky with conditions. I personally find them both fairly easy to keep. I was at SLS in Kingsford last weekend and they had both. If your looking into the butterflies, definately go to 'Pet Care Direct' at Sutherland. I don't recommend them for many of their other fish, but they do keep really nice looking butterflies, and there hasn't been one time that I've been there and they haven't had them in stock. I'm pretty sure theirs are locally bred, but damn, they are nice. Putting a pair in a 6ft should do fine, but just expect that breeding is going to be a pain in the rear if your a little weary about keeping them alive. The other fish in your tank will eat the fry, if they get that far. Both microgeophagus are known for being bad parents.

[Hassles]

Rams require constantly good water EG clean. Rams typically last 2 years in the aquarium although good aquarists can keep them for double this period. So yeah, you need to be aware that these fish have their requirements and if you can and or are prepared to meet them then these fish will provide you with rewards.

[Barracuda]

Microgeophagus Altispinosa - Bolivian Butterfly - are a little more adaptable to different water conditions, and have a prettier, more feminine look to them than the Microgeophagus Ramirezi - Blue Ram - which has a bolder look and can be a little more picky with conditions. I personally find them both fairly easy to keep. I was at <font color=red>***SPAM***</font> in Kingsford last weekend and they had both. If your looking into the butterflies, definately go to 'Pet Care Direct' at Sutherland. I don't recommend them for many of their other fish, but they do keep really nice looking butterflies, and there hasn't been one time that I've been there and they haven't had them in stock. I'm pretty sure theirs are locally bred, but damn, they are nice. Putting a pair in a 6ft should do fine, but just expect that breeding is going to be a pain in the rear if your a little weary about keeping them alive. The other fish in your tank will eat the fry, if they get that far. Both microgeophagus are known for being bad parents.

Thanks for the heads up - just our of curiosity how much were they selling them there for? I have seen some at my LFS for $20, but online at livefish.com they are only $10.

[kristina]

Thanks for the heads up - just our of curiosity how much were they selling them there for? I have seen some at my LFS for $20, but online at livefish.com they are only $10.

The Bolivian Butterflies, at Sutho off memory were $20 for 2. I was a bit weary of them at first, and had a look at other butterflies at other places to compare, and they really are better looking than others. Sutho don't have Rams, well not that I've ever seen... Off memory they either got their new fish in today or tomorrow, so if you go this weekend they should have a fresh batch of them. Rule of thumb... call first and ask how many they have and when they got them in. This way you know your getting the first pick of the bunch.

At Kingsford, your looking $18 each for Butterflies, and $20 each for Rams.

[kristina]

Just went to sutherland thismorning, it turns out they do have rams, but i didn't like the look of them. They had beautiful blue iridescent spots, and had the same shape as a ram, but i walked straight past them and didnt realise they were rams at first, thats how poor their colour and finnage was. they didnt have a black stripe down the eye and black spot so to speak, just black blotches all over the place. Hardly any yellow or red, they were mostly just brown.