Feeding Blue Rams and Sexing them

[Mantis737]

I recently purcahsed two blue rams (small maybe an inch) and they both seem healthy and active but they wont come to the top to eat. If anyone can give me any ideas on feeding this type of fish please let me know.

Also what is the best way to sex them?

 

[Dangerdoll]

Well, rams are mid to bottom of the tank feeders and will more than likely grab flakes or pellets (or whatever is your choice of food for them) that are on the way to the floor of the tank or from the floor. You can recognize this type of feeding from the shape of their mouth. Notice the difference from the mouth of a guppy. The way to determine the sex is often said by the spikes in the fin on their back, the males 2nd spike is often markedly longer. My pair are easy to distinguish though from the bright pink belly on the female that lacks on the male.

HTH

(EDIT: typos)

 

[Hound]

Some rams will get used to the idea of comming to the top for flake, but at the same time some just don't like it. As mentioned before a fully developed female will have a red underside. Also females will sometimes have speckles of blue in the black dot on their sides. The spikes on the top fin rule can work, but not always IMHO.

 

[Mordred]

Bought 2 last weekend myself.

Seeing the same things with feeding - I have found that they go mad for frozen bloodworm.

They never get to the flakes or catfish pellets because the gourami and tetra beat em to it every time and they dont seem tha bothered (even the catfish struggle to beat the gourami and tetra to the catfish pellets!)

In terms of sexing - the day I bought mine I couldnt see any difference at all, but a few days later the colours have really strengthened, and you can really see the difference. Can also see the difference in behaviour.

 

[Dangerdoll]

I had problems with mine not really accepting the flakes too well so I tried this stuff made by Marine Labs called Bio-Blend for small cichlids (they're sinking pellets, just their size), they go crazy for them.