# German Blue Rams care



## bveister (Aug 9, 2011)

I was thinking of getting a pair of these for my community tank and I wanted to hear input from other members who have successfully kept them (or unsuccessfully...). Maybe some tips for keeping them healthy or recommended tank mates or anything really. Just curious about these guys....

Thank you!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I've never owned them, but I do have a little experience with them. a 20 gallon is perfect for a pair. You must micromanage the water quality. They should have water at 80 degrees minimum. Make sure you cycle your tank well. I have heard you should treat them as discus.


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## lmb (Nov 1, 2011)

Thankfully I have experience with them.

They need a well established tank for one (Meaning that the tank needs to be past its cycle by a few months with stable parameters). From my experience, they are not as near sensitive discus, but I guess that really depends on the stock/quality you get them from (Nowadays, GBR stock/quality has become really poor. Meaning they are way more sensitive today then they were back then. That being said, try and get your gbrs from a reputable breeder or quality stock).

When introducing the rams into the tank, I would recommed doing at least an hour to two hour drip acclimation. Also make sure that you have a few caves and decorationd for hiding spots.

As far as maintenance on the tank, I would recommend at least a 25%-50% water change at least once a week and make sure the parameters don't get out of hsnd (GBRs will usually get sick or not feeling well with the slightest bit of ammonia in the aquarium).

They will get a a little aggressive when breeding, but not too badly. Just make sure to have some hiding spots.

Another thing to remember I'd thst they need a varied diet.

Keep them with non aggressive tankmates-


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## barricus (Oct 27, 2011)

*Rams*

Yeah, German Blue Rams are very sensitive, but they are very cool. Get them in pairs, otherwise they'll be lonely and won't move around much. As for the mating aggression, I'd call it "territorial" rather than aggressive. They mainly just get upset and chase the other fish off, rather than attack.


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## bveister (Aug 9, 2011)

Yeah I think I might have to wait on them. I don't think I can provide the needs for them  Also there's not a real reliable dealer around me and since they're so sensitive, I would not want to order them online and cause them all that stress. Thanks for the info guys!


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Bolivian rams are a viable alternative for you because they are far more tolerant of less than ideal conditions in terms of pH and hardness.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

German Blues are great fish and you can order them online safely if you want. All fish arrive at stores etc via a shipment of some kind, they can handle it and a good dealer will know how to do it right. Lohachata can help with some good dealer names on Aquabid. 

With that said: Well established tank, soft water with a Ph below 7. I attempted to break these rules to no avail. Also I kept 5 in a 100 gallon tank and they still chased the heck out of each other. I think I ended up with 5 males though, which explained a lot. Whoops. I can sex them now, but at the time I could not.


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## DigzTheBeatz (Dec 6, 2010)

I haven't followed all the rules and they are still fine. The general rule is a pair per 20 gallons. However, I have had 4 in my 45 gallon and it didn't got well. I am only down to 2 now, but those 2 have been doing great. Frequent water changes, hiding places or lots of plants, flat surface to lay eggs, varied diet, temp above 80 (my tanks with rams are between 82 and 86 degrees), and non aggressive tank mates. I've tried a cave and they don't care for it. My tank mates are otos, cories, lamp eye killis, ember tetras, sparkling gouramis, a platy, and an african dwarf frog. 

Good luck with your rams. They are great fish. I love mine. Lots of personality.


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