# Electric Blue Ram Questions



## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Well, I have decided that at long last I am going to do some major remodeling on my 20 gal. freshwater. I will sell most of the current occupants and probably make enough to help cover the remodel costs. I plan to keep my otocinclus and my cory cat (about 2'' long), but sell the clown loach, the rainbow shark, and the chinese algea eater. After I have fixed/cleaned/remodeled the tank, I plan to buy a male electric blue ram and breed him with the female wild GBR (german blue ram) that I currently have in my five gal. (yeah, I know, most fish would think it's overstocked, but not Gretchen!). I would just like to know a few tricks to sexing EBRs (Electric Blue Rams), and reducing the transplant shock. Also, does anybody know any supertricks to inducing rams to spawn? I have heard many horror stories about keeping rams, and I would like to know ANY tricks to preventing a RHS (Ram Horror Story) from happening to me. Also, I want to get some new substrate for my tank, and am considering fine sand. I want a substrate that is easy and/or cheap to clean and/or replace. Suggestions are welcome.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Water must be clean and must be warm. Treat rams more like discus than the apistos they resemble. Fry are very tiny, a small, live food such as bbs or microworms is helpful as so java moss to graze on.


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

Thanks emc7, I didn't know about the java moss. Have you ever raised rams? I think they are my favorite dwarf cichlid.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I managed to breed them once before I lost my pair. Be really careful with QT. Don't mix them with other fish (from a store) and unsterilized decor. I think there is at least one 'ram-killer' disease that other fish carry without getting sick. This may be why all the rams bought from stores start dying within 2 weeks. Go pick some up from a breeder or order off aquabid. You may have better luck.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

lol 'ram-killer'. ciclid dude be prepared for some hair pullage. Good luck with them


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

I will be keeping the pair alone in my 20gal., this is the minimum recommended tank size for rams, so I think I'll be okay. I will sterilize EVERYTHING in the 20gal. and make sure after that everything is safe for fish. I will also quarantine the ram I get before I put him in the 20gal so he won't give any cooties to my female GBR. Also, as I gave it a second thought, I wondered if maybe I shouldn't try to find my female a wild GBR mate. Because she is wild, she has thrived in the five gal. tank that I provided and came through a disease that killed her potential mate. I would love to get her a mate that is as tough as she is, but I may be willing to sacrifice some toughness for beauty (and a fish that will sell better). What would you guys (and gals, if present) do? One last thing: Super Blue Rams. I saw them on a website and they look like a cross between an EBR and GBR, but I am not sure. Can anybody clarify this with me? Also, Grogan, if rams fail, then I'm moving on to kribensis.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Will you be keeping them with catfish? I don't know much about blue rams or cichlids for that matter but I have a friend who knows a lot!


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## Cichlid Dude! (Mar 15, 2011)

I MAY keep them with my otocinclus and cory cat, because the cory was one of the first fish I got for the 20 (he has sentimental value), and the otocinclus because I think the added nitrogen load won't harm the tank. They are both very healthy fish and won't give cooties to my rams, but I'm wondering, what is the min. temp. an otocinlus can live at? I have a 6.6 with no heater, and it's not being used, but I am not sure if it's safe for the oto.
Does anybody have an answer for this question?


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## Blazer (Apr 15, 2011)

Can somebody list all the possible cichlids that an live in a 10 gallon with a penguin bio wheel 100


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

The problem with cichlids in a 10, is that most pairs will want that whole space as a territory. Which is great when they are getting along, but really bad for 'divorce' or for the 3rd or 4th fish. The other issue is fish that grow and housing the fry. I have a pair of convicts that spawned happily in a 10. But now I have 70 fish that will outgrow the tank. 

Search for 'dwarf cichlids'. Little checkerboard dicrossus are adorable and small shelldwellers like N. multifaciatus. You can do cichlids in a 10 (or just have 1) with close attention to behavior and water quality. But a 20H is just 2" wider and 4" longer, so go bigger unless you are up against a hard restriction like a dorm tank-size limit.


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