Breeding German Blue Rams

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Fishfriend1

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Dec 11, 2009
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So, I'm attempting to find a pair of German Blue Rams to breed them. They would be in a 20gal Long tank with 5XBlack Skirt Tetra, 4XBronze Cory, 1XPearl Gourami, and 1XMystery Snail. Tank is planted, has driftwood, and rocks. Specially places flat rocks for the Rams to lay their eggs on when I get them to breed. Tank gets a 50-60% WC every week (7 days). FIltration: 1XMarinelandPenguin350. Lighting: 1XT8 light. Heated, temp between 75-85*f. Plants - 2X Swords, 12XUnknown, 2XUnknown(low light), 1XUnknown (high light)

Questions:

1. Tank will go from 75 up to 85 on a hot day, so will they be able to survive that kind of change? If not, how can I stop that from happening?
2. Now, most of those fish will eat Ram eggs and fry (I think), will I have to catch them every time the Rams spawn, or will the Rams be able to protect the eggs on their own? Note: I do not want 10 thousand fry, just 1-20. 1-20 I can handle.
3. With 1 t-8 light will the plants be okay?
 

RazzleFish

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Oct 28, 2009
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1) Where is the tank located for there to be such a broad range of temps? Huge temp swings are not good for any fish but considering that GBRs like warm water (82* to 84*) it shouldn't pose that much of an issue as long as the change is gradual and done over a period of time.

2) Yes all of those fish (except maybe the cories) will eat the eggs and/or fry. I have found that if given a secluded spot with only one entrance/exit they will have a better chance of being able to proct their eggs. As for fry (I'm sure others will agree) GBRs are not the gratest at protecting fry and paired with fish as quick as black skirts, the fry don't stand a chance.

3) It depends on how many watts the bulb is and what kinds of plants you have.
 

Fishfriend1

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1)Tank is in my middle room. Used to be a dining room, is now moms office space.
2)Now, I'm off to make a secluded spot with 1 enterence.
3)Now I have to check the wattage too.
 

Fishfriend1

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20watt light. 20long tank. Watt per gallon.

Gonna put some rocks-n-driftwood in the tank to create a sort of enclave type thing for the rams to breed in. When the fry hatch I'll scoop em out and put them in a 30tall I have elsewhere.
 

RazzleFish

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1) Ok i was expecting to hear that it is out in direct sunlight so that changes things a bit. If I were you I would turn the heater up to 78* and keep frozen water bottles on hand. This way you can keep that temp range more stable. All those fish will be just fine at 78* and if the temp gets a little above you can put a frozen bottle or two in to keep the temp down. If you have a small fan, you can also point that at the waters surface which will make evaporation happen quickly but will also keep the temp under control. Keeping the water more stable will also help the fry as their size and hardiness (or lack there of) makes them vulnerable to changes in the water. Also keeping the water warmer will make them grow faster.
 

RazzleFish

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20watt light. 20long tank. Watt per gallon.

Gonna put some rocks-n-driftwood in the tank to create a sort of enclave type thing for the rams to breed in. When the fry hatch I'll scoop em out and put them in a 30tall I have elsewhere.
That amount of light would be alright for plants like java moss, java fern and anubais but will not be able to support much else...

As for the cave just make sure it has a single fairly large entrance. I've had succes with small terra cotta pots but not with coco nut huts so you can imagine the difference in size between the entrances. I suspect something in the middle would be best in your situation.
 

Fishfriend1

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I can get a terra-cotta pot with ease, I think I'll use one of those. I'll also turn up the temp a little on the heater and try to up the lighting when I get some $$$ in my pocket. Thanks Razzle!
 

Star_Rider

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Dec 21, 2005
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why not keep the rams in the tank by themselves? a 20 l breeder is perfect for a Ram Pair.
moving the other inhabitants every time the rams breed will bee too stressful for all the fish. the rams once they being to breed will breed every 2-4 weeks(or so)
temp should be 82-84 for the rams anyway.
let them breed and parent raise the fry.
 

Fishfriend1

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The reason they are in that tank is cause it's that or my 45gal tote. I could remove them... but then the tank will be so empty...
 

Star_Rider

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just so you know
If you are setting this up to try and breed the rams.
Blue rams are a sensitive species..they do best in a stable set up..they are and can be aggressive especially when breeding..if you want a pair to breed then it is best to keep them in a species only tank..work to keep the tank stable..changes in temp are not bad if they can be limited to small fluctuations.
they do prefer warmer tank temps 82-84 and can handle warmer..but they tend to stress when the tank drops too much.
if you want to try and remove the tank mates to have a successful breeding ,,the attempts to remove the tank mates will result in stress...the rams ay eat the fry /eggs if you bother them too much
they prob won't have 10000 fry but usually relatively smaller clutches..they will breed fairly often when given proper tank settings.

so much of how you approach this will be determined by how successful you want to try to be.
you may want to consider removing the fry rather than the other tank inhabitants if you want to try and raise rams.
 
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