Female Ram layed eggs...

[number1sixerfan]

Well I have two 12 gallon eclipse tanks with two females rams in one and two males in another. I had them all together and one of my males and one of my females mated. A while ago I seperated them male and female. The males were just harassing the female too much. I put both females in my girlfriend's tank and last night she told me there were eggs on a rock.

I need advice, should I move the females back to the other tank now? Or should I let nature take its course? The rams in my gf's tank are very territorial and there are other fish in the tank. In my tank its just two rams and a couple danios. Her tank has some about 5 tetras in it and a guppy.

I'm hoping to keep a few of the fry as I am planning out a 55gal right now. Besides raising the temp, what should I do to help them out?

Thanks!

 

[Aussie_hippie_2]

If you have four rams in 12g that seems a bit much... But I don't really know rams. I'd keep them as they are if you can, or maybe seperate them into pairs. Once again, I don't know rams well, so follow other people's advise over mine.

 

[Cathy G]

I'm sorry, I am totally confused by your question. If I understand your current situation, you have 2 males in one of your 12g tanks, an empty 12g tank and your girlfriend now has your 2 females, one of which laid eggs... and you want fry...

No male to fertilize the eggs = no fry. Females will often lay eggs without a male around. They will just get eaten. Unless you have a happy couple, rams need more floor space than a 10 -12g tank. The females will not be able to get away and hide when the male wants to spawn and she is not ready. You'd be better off using your 55 for all 4 rams, let them pair up and raise their own fry. (Or you can pull the eggs and raise the fry in your 2 empty eclipses).

Provide lots of hiding spaces and the females will be ok though they are getting chased around - in a 55g. In a 12g tank, they could easily be harrassed to death. Plus, if they are not a happy couple, she won't be laying very many eggs...

Hope this helps.
Cathy

 

[Buggieboy]

Without a male to fertlize the eggs there not going to hatch. The male has to be in the tank with the femle when she lys the eggs to fertlize them while she' laying them. If you want to keep them all togeather the best was is a trio pr. 1m/2f this will help curve aggrasion between the males and the females and also give the male another female to get his attention once he's spawned with one of them. But again the male has to be in the tank with the female when she lays the egg to fertlize them so the eggs she has now will not hatch.

 

[Star_Rider]

just curious are these blue rams or bolivian rams?

I keep bolivians..females will be aggressive towards each other ( I have 2 in a 75 and they will seek each other out and get into small spats)


I also have pairs of them ..they will get territorial espacially when spawning.

blues are fairly easy to distinguish the sexes..with bolivians..it's not so easy..I have two pairs and other than the size(males are bigger) you can't tell ,consistently, them apart.

if they are spawning I would get them together and let them pair off..then seperate the pairs.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I was wondering if I could move the eggs and the female to the other tank, but you all have answered that. And about space, my rams are about an inch and a half each. They never show stress bars, even school toghether at times before they were seperated. I kept four of them together while I prepared the other tank. And I stated that I am moving them to a 55gal so I know they need more space.

Most people would argue that the two males together would fight, well mines do not. Theory does not always hold over in real life. It depends on the personality of the fish. My two males hang out and seem happier than when the females where in there. And the female just started showing agression after she layed eggs.

I'm not 100% sure that the two females are indeed both females, I am sexing by their fin shapes and belly color. I'll post a pic when I get back.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Cathy G]

The males were just harassing the female too much.

and

They never show stress bars, even school toghether at times before they were seperated. I kept four of them together while I prepared the other tank.

If there were no signs of stress, what was the problem? If the males were harassing the females, you absolutely need to make sure the females have room to escape. They will all chase each other around at times, this is normal. Real stress will show faded colors, nipped fins, heavy breathing, lack of appetite.

Cathy

 

[number1sixerfan]

and


If there were no signs of stress, what was the problem? If the males were harassing the females, you absolutely need to make sure the females have room to escape. They will all chase each other around at times, this is normal. Real stress will show faded colors, nipped fins, heavy breathing, lack of appetite.

Cathy

And I understand that the chasing is normal, but I also knew that four rams to a 12 gal is too much. I moved them also because I had another tank. Would you have not done the same thing if in the same exact situation? And my rams are showing great colors and have been for the past 3 weeks. They eat aggressively, and no nipped fins. They were breathing rapidly the first week I had them but it stopped short after and hasn't came back.

Honestly the males are extremely happy, the only reason I want a bigger tank is for the females. They don't seem stressed by any means, but they are noticeably more shy than my males.

I just have never had a fish lay eggs, I've always kept livebearers which have had fry. Just wanted to know what was going on. Thanks for all the help.