Breeding blue ram advice

[acboals]

I had a pair of rams spawn in my discus tank the father ate all the eggs after a day so I moved them out to their own 29 gallon. I moved all my rams to this tank(1male and 3 females). Should I take out the other two females to help insure a successful spawn? And how long after spawning will they be ready to spawn again? Should I use dither fish to help this process? How soft should my water really be? Could they be moved to a smaller tank?

 

[Randall]

Hello Acboals,

I'll try to answer all your questions as best I can.

I had a pair of rams spawn in my discus tank the father ate all the eggs after a day so I moved them out to their own 29 gallon. I moved all my rams to this tank(1male and 3 females). Should I take out the other two females to help insure a successful spawn?

This is a judgement call. If the happy pair do their thing in the presence of the other two females, it may not be necessary to remove them. Their presence may even serve to strengthen the bond of the breeding fish. If, however, the breeding pair relentlessly attack the two other females, I think removing them is the humane thing to do.

And how long after spawning will they be ready to spawn again?

If viable fry are realized, in about 6-8 weeks. If the spawning attempt is not successful, anywhere from 1-4 weeks, depending on the pair.

Should I use dither fish to help this process?

Dither fish are a good idea, especially if you remove the two non-breeding females.

How soft should my water really be?

If they spawned in your Discus tank, use Discus strength water. Like Discus, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are soft and warm water fish. General parameters correspond to about GH 3, KH 2, pH 6.0-6.5. These values are based on my personal experience; others' experiences may differ.

Could they be moved to a smaller tank?

Probably, but if you just moved them to a 29-gallon tank, it might be a good idea to leave them be.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn