View Full Version : Rams!
hi there, i just got waht i belive to be a female german blue ram, i think its a lady cuz the dorsal fin doesnt have that front spike, and its not as colorful. would it be an ok idea to get a normal blue ram? and should i get female ot male?
Rometiklan
12-26-2003, 3:59 PM
Hey, Rams are one of my favs. Cichlids are fairly social fish, and Rams are no different. Since you have a female, I would get a male. I find Rams do best in pairs. I always thought Blue Rams and German Rams are one in the same species, just different common names. Please correct me if I am wrong. If you want to breed them, however, the pair may not form a bond since Rams are a little fussy about their mates.
Hans, I've used the same rule that you are applying for sexing rams before, and got it wrong... :D
One of my "ugly" ram which I hoped it would turn out into a female ended up being a male... The only sure way (as far a I know so far) to tell a female is by looking at a near-mature one's belly. If it looks pink, it's a female. Unfortunatly, this doesn't show when they are young.
I'm still hoping the uglier one shows the pink belly someday, but my hope is getting less over time for obvious reason. I think she/he has pretty much reached the full size now...
Grrr... Back to female ram hunting time!! :D
Z Man
12-27-2003, 12:11 AM
Check the black spot along the lateral line on each side of the fish. If it has blues dots / spangles in the spot, it is a female. if not, male.
Originally posted by Z Man
Check the black spot along the lateral line on each side of the fish. If it has blues dots / spangles in the spot, it is a female. if not, male.
Again, I've heard some people getting counter-examples of this one as well. This is a relatively good indicator but not a 100% sure one, unfortunately... Grrrr...
Tim Bo
12-28-2003, 3:09 AM
I would also generally agree with Z man though I have seen many examples where it does not hold true (predominantly Northern European morphs).
Z Man
12-28-2003, 11:36 AM
The only reason I mentioned the small sparkles is that if there is a tank full of Rams I'm sure you would be able to find some with & without those dots. I have found that they appear when the fish is less than 1".
Originally posted by Z Man
The only reason I mentioned the small sparkles is that if there is a tank full of Rams I'm sure you would be able to find some with & without those dots. I have found that they appear when the fish is less than 1".
Good point - perhaps I can use this when I look for the female ones... :D