stinking rams!

[snakeskinner]

I'm still trying my best to successfully keep a ram more than a couple weeks but they sure don't make it easy. My first ram was a gold ram and ended up in my 55 gallon community tank. within 24 hours, he had become friends with an orange lyretail molly and schooled with them and fed topwater. after a week he was found hiding behind some plants and died the next day from no aparent reason. My regular LFS got some blue rams about a month ago so I talked myself into another bout with them so I bought a "pair" or best they could tell since they're about 1" long. at first they were doing pretty good in a 10 gallon I added peat to and had the PH down to around 6.8-7.0. the "male" would sometimes dart after the "female" but never really continuously chased her. after a week I noticed the "male" swimming at the top of the water and refused to eat. I never saw the other one chase him so I don't really know why he was there but he died within a couple days. I was going to just keep the 1 and see how it went but 3 or 4 days after this I went back to the LFS and they gave me another to replace it. the new one I think I decided is another female but they are fairly small so it's hard to be certain. the new one is slightly smaller but not by much. when introduced to the 10 gallon, the first ram started to chase the new one and would not allow it to stay in the open. reluctantly, I moved both of them to my 65 gallon where they were planned to end up but not so soon since the tank is not completely cycled so I know I'm taking a chance here anyway. they seemed to be doing fine and I was gone from saturday morning till sunday afternoon and when I returned, I found my first ram hiding at the top of the water behind the filter outlet. I went ahead and moved 4 dwarf neon rainbows from my 29 to the 65 thinking maybe the added fish would act as dithers and allow them both to coexist but nothing changed so I decided to move the aggressive one to my 29 with some rainbows and an angel hoping the weaker fish would start to eat. I also added a pair of panchax hoping their top water swimming would make the ram a little more comfortable. Last night I found the ram had moved back to the bottom of the tank but was still not eating. I'm hoping by tonight it will be back to normal (fingers crossed). Is there anything I can maybe do or hope for to get these fish to both exist together? I think I have determined I have 2 females but I can't be so sure. If I do have 2 females and they still won't get along after the other is reintroduced into the 65, would adding a pair of rams maybe help distribute the aggression or would it just get worse? I'm just about to sware off rams and maybe try some apisto's if I can find any. Kyle

 

[aquabillpers]

The main problem in keeping rams is getting good quality stock. Many are bred in the far east and kept alive with a chemical stew of medications. When it stops, they stop. Others, bred locally, are weak from inbreeding - you can take the best fish from a spawn and mate them to each other for only so many generations before the genetics start breaking down.

My blue rams are F2 from wild stock (whatever that is). They are well colored and very hardy, but the next generation of breeding will be the last until I can find a good quality male for outcross.

BTW, rams will live happily in hard, alkaline water. Soft, acid water is needed for breeding. They do like warner temperatures - 78 and above.

Good luck and keep trying with these nice fish.

Bill

 

[snakeskinner]

2 dead, one to go. the second of the original purchase was found dead behind some rocks after work. the other seems to be doing good in the 29 with an angel and rainbows. once the nitrites hit 0 in the 65, I'll start moving those fish over from the 29. I'll keep this ram and just see what happens. I don't know whether to blame it on stress from the other fish or bad stock like you said. maybe this one will prove me one way or another. Kyle

 

[farm41]

Rams do not tolerate any ammonia or nitrite. So, if the tank is not completely cycled, you are wasting your time, money and maybe some nice fish. Get the tank cycled and stable for a couple months if you really want to keep rams.

 

[Randall]

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi husbandry

Hello Kyle,

If I were moved around that much, I'd croak too! :roll: After they are acclimated, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are fairly hardy little fish, assuming that good water quality is maintained. From my experience with them, however, they don't seem to handle change very well. For this reason, it might be best to set them up in an appropriate tank, with softer water at +/- 80 degrees F, and leave them be.

I agree with Bill in that it's also possible that your LFR is carrying a bad batch of sickly and/or inbred fish.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[snakeskinner]

I understand the moving around part but I couldn't help it since they kept fighting. well, my 65 is fully cycled so I moved all my inhabitants from the 29 gallon into the 65 including the remaining ram and it seems to be doing great. It is definitely not intimidated by any of the larger fish like my 3.5" panchax or 3-4" rainbows. I have yet to see the ram or angel even notice eachother. If this ram survives, I'm not sure if I'll get a mate for it or go with a trio of cockatoo's or both. I guess time will tell. thanks for the advice guys. kyle