# Blue Ram Breeding Journal



## ZebraDanio12

I figured I'd start a breeding journal for my Blue Rams.

I got them a couple months ago and they have paired off. I did alot of switching around of my tanks to make room for a breeding tank. (I actually like how I have everything set up better! lol) I just introduced the pair to the breeding tank this morning. 

Female is getting close to more eggs. My last batch I loss to my carelessness. I plan to leave parents in with the fry until they are free swimming.

As of food I will feed them a special fry mix I have and successfully raised cichlid babies on, and live food: infusoria.
I'll start making the infusoria as soon as I know I have a good batch of eggs, or they are wrigglers.

The tank is 10 gallons and I have provided lots of places for them to choose from to lay eggs.
Pots, a wood thing, and sense they laid them on a plant last time an Amazon sword. 

I can't wait to have babies again, I was so excited last time I had apisto babies. My apisto fry are all grown up now so I'm having a go with my Blue Rams.
If I am successful I will have babies for sale on Aquabid.

Now for pictures!

The tank setup. Lots of pot peices, an amazon sword, and wood thing.









Waiting to go in! 









My male:










My female:









The male in the tank:










The female in the tank!










The pictures don't bring out all their color. They are very bright and colorful fish.

Thanks for looking!


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## wooferkitty

very nice fish, good luck


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## fishbubbles

Good luck! Im trying as well right now.


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## ZebraDanio12

Thankyou! They have settled in nicely and are following each other around again. It cool to watch. I expect eggs soon.


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## ZebraDanio12

Female had been looking down past two days. Not swimming around like she used too. I don't know if she was just getting used to the tank or what. But yesterday I stopped by Petsmart to kill time before having to pic up my sister from a partyand bought another female ram. Shes very yellow for a blue ram... Anyway I put her in, went to bed, and when I woke up the old female and male's colors were fantastic. The old female is swimming around with the male again. She has a nice big pink stomach and the are flirting like crazy!  They chase off the other female when she gets near. The new female will be removed once eggs are laid. And i can see that happening really soon.


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## fishbubbles

Thats great! I wish mine would act the same way -.-


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## ZebraDanio12

fishbubbles said:


> Thats great! I wish mine would act the same way -.-


They are pretty stubborn fish. Female is so full of eggs I think she'll expload... (dont worry i can tell the dif between bloated and eggs) Hoping to wake up to eggs tomorrow.


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## ZebraDanio12

Female's breeding tube is now visible!


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## Betta man

If I was you, I'd take out all the gravel. My brother had rams spawn several times and the fry died because of the gravel. They actually got stuck in the gravel.


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## ZebraDanio12

Betta man said:


> If I was you, I'd take out all the gravel. My brother had rams spawn several times and the fry died because of the gravel. They actually got stuck in the gravel.


Thanks for the advice. Its just there to hold the plants down. If the spawn on the plant I'll try to switch it out for sand or something. or just weigh it down. I plan to suck up fry with a turkey baster as soon as they hatch and keep them in a breeding box like I did last time to be sure they are getting food. 

As an update: Breeding tube is still visible on the female and I hope to see eggs soon.


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## Cam

Looking good! Post pictures when you get your results!

Good luck!


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## ZebraDanio12

Cam said:


> Looking good! Post pictures when you get your results!
> 
> Good luck!


Thankyou! I will. I FINALLY saw my male start showing signs of spawning time a couple of minutes ago. *crossing my fingers* >_<

Another update: Man their colors are fantastic right now.


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## ZebraDanio12

Finally started to clean a spot to spawn. although I can only view it frown a distance Females spawning tube is really sticking out. Heres what I mean for anyone interested:

Sorry for crappy pic, I'd get a clearer one but she keeps moving right when it focus good. -_- But you can see her tube all the way out.


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## lohachata

my goodness...that little girl is ready to rock and roll....
best of luck to you..
i wouldn't worry about the gravel....and i would pull the adults and leave the fry...less hassle..


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## ZebraDanio12

lohachata said:


> my goodness...that little girl is ready to rock and roll....
> best of luck to you..
> i wouldn't worry about the gravel....and i would pull the adults and leave the fry...less hassle..


Lol, thankyou! Shes really going at cleaning a pot peice now! Pretty cool.


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## ZebraDanio12

And we have eggs! And they're still at it. Theres well over 250


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## ZebraDanio12

Waited for the parents to finish last night and moved them back. i pulled the pot they were on and put in a breeding box. I did this so I dont have to reach far to pull bad eggs and so they are all in one place when they hatch. Pics very soon!


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## lohachata

just a suggestion here....something that i do when wanting to keep as many fry as possible....actually a couple of options..

1. keep the eggs with the parents until about 12 hours before they hatch.then either remove the eggs to another tank(not a breeding box or trap)...or remove the pair...parents will take better care of the eggs than we can...

2. allow the parents to care for the eggs and newborn fry until the fry are free swimming for a few days...then remove the parents and leave the fry be....

remember......the more you mess with stuff ; the more problems you create for yourself...


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## ZebraDanio12

lohachata said:


> just a suggestion here....something that i do when wanting to keep as many fry as possible....actually a couple of options..
> 
> 1. keep the eggs with the parents until about 12 hours before they hatch.then either remove the eggs to another tank(not a breeding box or trap)...or remove the pair...parents will take better care of the eggs than we can...
> 
> 2. allow the parents to care for the eggs and newborn fry until the fry are free swimming for a few days...then remove the parents and leave the fry be....
> 
> remember......the more you mess with stuff ; the more problems you create for yourself...


Thanks. I plan to let them be with the next spawn. Just experimenting. Do you know if eggs change color as they develop?


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## ZebraDanio12

Update: again..lol.. Anyway eggs look good. They are darker than last night, not much but slightly. Only five have turned white so far which I promptly picked out.


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## ZebraDanio12

Okay an Update: Last batch of eggs got fungus but its time for a new batch. The parents are in the 20 gal again. I plan to leave eggs with the parents until hatching time (like loha said) The pair's colors are vivid today and female is getting fatter. Should be in the next...3 days, going on with what happened last time.


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## ZebraDanio12

I haven't updated her in awhile(at least on this post)...So we have eggs again. The daddy is doing such a great job guarding and fanning them. Mother took a break and went off for awhile, but comes back to check on her eggs. Guess shes tired from laying so many  There's around 200 eggs.


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## ZebraDanio12

Another update... Eggs look great. not many white unfertilized eggs compared to other times. Maybe 10? out of a couple hundred eggs. Father is doing great guarding. Eggs look a teensy bit darker. Not much. But a little. There no sign of any fungus. They are directly under the filter, which helps.... *crossing my fingers* Still debating whether to let them hatch in the tank or move them out just before hatching...Any input would be great.


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## lohachata

with all the other fish in that tank the fry will be gone in no time.....


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## ZebraDanio12

lohachata said:


> with all the other fish in that tank the fry will be gone in no time.....


Yep, I know. With the apistos they lasted a day before be eaten. Which is why I'm going to take the babies.


As an update: Its been about 36 hrs. Most of the eggs are still good. Any ones that have turned white, they mom has been eating. no fungus. Most likely going to be a small brood but I'm okay with that. As long as I get fry. Really fun to watch this.


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## ZebraDanio12

Update: Parents ate just about all the eggs.. Just when eyes were forming. BUT! 3 were left and I removed the leaf. So I'll get three babies....Next time I will probably let them take care of the eggs before removing and puting eggs in a seprate container with meth. blue...Atleast until I get a better breeding tank set up for them...so they can be alone. Which should be in a couple weeks. I'm learning at the same time how to breed them...


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## Betta man

I know a guy who breeds them. He actually has raised them to adulthood. I think he lets the parents raise the fry, but I'll ask him next time I see him. After a few spawns, they should stop eating the eggs.


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## ZebraDanio12

Betta man said:


> I know a guy who breeds them. He actually has raised them to adulthood. I think he lets the parents raise the fry, but I'll ask him next time I see him. After a few spawns, they should stop eating the eggs.


Thanks Betta Man.I'm sure I can get them to adulthood. I figure they will stop eating them eventually.  I'll be giving them their own tank soon..


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## ZebraDanio12

Round four! Should happen to night. Very prepared this time. Got my chemicals, baby hatch tank, grow out tanks, food, etc. Female looks VERY big this time...Way bigger than the last time... So we'll see.

On another note, if you guys didn't see my last post, I ended up buying another mated pair I found had laid eggs at the store for $11.42. A steal. They are very young though. 1.5 inches.


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