Blue Ram STILL has not colored up.

[ct-death]

I have 2 Blue Rams myself 4.5 weeks old in a 75G tank. They are about 1.75" also atm. When docile or just hanging out they are nearly a pale tanish color w/ faint markings where their strips are, etc. When agitated w/ one another they will really show some colors (blood-red eyes, deep black strips, and one has a pinkish belly sometimes).

I too am waiting for a more perminent coloration, I was told to expect a big chnage when they reach around 2 inch adult size. I got them very very small. Barely an inch...maybe!

 

[rsanz]

Hmm, ineresting. Well, I guess I'll just continue to wait.

 

[Ulan]

Several dark stripes on a white background are a sign of stress. The ram might not feel completely comfortable.

I also have a single blue ram (for some reason, I don't get a second one anywhere at the moment), and it only colors occasionally up when it sees me. Even then, it usually does not show the front black stripes, although I've already seen those once or twice. I guess they use their colors like a language .

 

[ct-death]

Several dark stripes on a white background are a sign of stress. The ram might not feel completely comfortable.

I have seen this when my CAE chases them :devil:

I am trying to ketch him to return to my LFS (they gave me the wrong fish!)

When they 'joust' each other they develop the same black strips, but their bodies are not pale, they are tan/orange w/ blue and red patches. Is this also a sign of distress?

Thanks

 

[Star_Rider]

cathy did bring up a good point..
rams are generally a warm water fish and they may color up more when the temp hits 84
my bolivians didn's show much color till 82.

.

 

[rsanz]

cathy did bring up a good point..
rams are generally a warm water fish and they may color up more when the temp hits 84
my bolivians didn's show much color till 82.

.

I know it. I'm keeping the water at 82 because of the tankmates: cardinal tetras and a dwarf gourami. I think the long-term plan (and I say long-term because no one sells blue rams around here, so I'd have to order a male from a breeder, plus I'm living at college without a car) is avail myself of the dwarf gourami, maybe back to the LFS, and get a mate for my female ram. Then, I can raise the tank temp to 84 and hopefully the mates will warm up to each other and color up right nice.

 

[Star_Rider]

darned dwarf gourami's...

cool fish tho

the cards will be fine ..
hang in there..

 

[DeBree420]

i have a female blue ram, she has always been fairly well coloured.
when i tried to introduce another female who was smaller and less coloured she killed it, though she is brilliantly coloured now she has taken command of the tank again...the tank is a four foot community with many smaller fish she has never bothered before including fish smaller than one centimetre (2.5cm=1inch) although the morning she killed her smaller female ram tankmate she also messed up the swim bladder of a diamond tetra, im thinking cos it was kinda the same shape and size as the smaller ram and just mustve got in the way, but this same female ram killed a male ram that was introduced with her...maybe she is LOCO?? but her colour is AWESOME!!

 

[pigeonblood]

Deff. warmer water will help as with most cichlids to bring out full spawning colors.Also try feeding a food product with cyclops in it.Cyclops contains high betacarotenes which colors up rams real nice.I have a mated pair in a 55 gal. fully planted tank and their colors are great tank temp is 85 f.I feed them spirulina enriched brine shrimp,veggie flakes by omega,tetramin flakes,tetra microcrabs,froz.bloodwrms,froz.cyclops on a rotating basis.