German Blue Rams

Drowki · 07-16-2012, 02:25 PM

My German Blue ram laid eggs last night, so I was very excited. Come in the morning all gone and the spawning nest in my substrate filled in. I saw the male eatting the eggs and the female kicking him out (go away you dead beat father)....

Question 1: this is typical first spawn? - from what i read yes.
Question 2: the water paramters are good for them to lay eggs? or regardless of the water quality they will do it when paired with a male?

I love those fish and i want to make sure they are ok. I am thinking about getting electric blue long finned ones as well.... but I want to make sure these guys live.

I had one for 3 weeks and one for 2 weeks.

**Trickerie** · 07-16-2012, 02:59 PM

Usually eggs are eaten when they feel the eggs are being threatened. What else do you have in the tank, and what size?

Drowki · 07-16-2012, 04:18 PM

Khuli loaches/Clown, Pleco, bumblebee gobys, cardinals, honey gourami those are the closest things that were near...

so basically get rid of all the fish... and thats it? or is there a way they would feel safe...?

the male kept picking at it and spitting the eggs away from the nest... the female was very terrirtorial and chased away other fish.

**Trickerie** · 07-16-2012, 04:53 PM

I say just let them be for now. They will probably try again and will eventually be successful.

Drowki · 07-16-2012, 05:20 PM

I read at first they will be horrible parrents, eatting their young and eggs. I noticed when the lights were off they both huddled over the eggs and guarded them. Come morning, bye bye eggs =(

I am hoping for a giant swam of German Blue's !!!!

so good water quality if they are breeding right?

**MarineEdge** · 07-16-2012, 06:35 PM

It will usually take several tries before they have a successful spawn. Like you read, they are bad parents starting off, but they learn as they go. Just keep trying, theyll get it right eventually

Drowki · 07-16-2012, 06:42 PM

hahah keep trying? I am the guy that cleans the tank =P
Lol if my roommates saw this post they would start making fun of me! haha

**MarineEdge** · 07-16-2012, 06:49 PM

haha nothin wrong with *adopting* fish from tanks. I did that with my girlfriend. Her tanks at her house but i grew attatched until we agreed to each have control of one tank (i introduced her to fish in the first place) . mines the 20L with two GBR's, 6 cardinals, two clown plecos, and two black khulis. Hers is a 10g guppy tank lol. I think i won ^_^

**MarineEdge** · 07-16-2012, 06:50 PM

and to answer your number two question. I read the ideal PH is in the 5 range for breeding. mines 6.5-7, but i think its rare for them to breed that high

Drowki · 07-16-2012, 06:54 PM

My ph is in the 6 range now, different water in Hoboken vs Moonachie... weird..

Waterrat · 07-17-2012, 08:47 PM

Drowki-

My experience is that rams are horrible parents. Of the hundreds of spawns that we have hatched and raised, the parents have never raised a single spawn, but I do know breeders who have rams that are excellent parents.

I know that everything you read on the internet says that rams do best in a pH of 6.5 or so, but I think most of that information applies to "wild rams" in their native environment. Most, if not all, of the rams offered for sale are domestically spawned and raised locally (in the US). We have been raising rams for years and the pH of our water is 7.2-7.4, and we have never had any problems with egg fertility or fry viability. Our fish spawn fairly regularly at about 7-10 day intervals. Fertility is near 100%. Keep you temperature up to at least 80 degrees, 83 would be even better depending on what else you have in the tank.

The next time they spawn, you might try leaving some type of light on over the tank. We use blue LED lights on timers. I've heard from other breeders that when the tank goes absolutely dark at night, the parents get extremely nervous and will eat the eggs rather than allowing some other fish get to them first (but I don't pretend to be a fish psychologist either).

If that doesn't work, you might try hatching the eggs artificially. We use small 2" x 2" pieces of slate placed around the back and sides of the tank (red slate seems to work best). When the fish spawn, the slate can be removed and placed in a hatching container and hatched artificially. The process is identical raising angelfish.

07-16-2012, 02:25 PM	#1
Drowki Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 188	German Blue Rams My German Blue ram laid eggs last night, so I was very excited. Come in the morning all gone and the spawning nest in my substrate filled in. I saw the male eatting the eggs and the female kicking him out (go away you dead beat father).... Question 1: this is typical first spawn? - from what i read yes. Question 2: the water paramters are good for them to lay eggs? or regardless of the water quality they will do it when paired with a male? I love those fish and i want to make sure they are ok. I am thinking about getting electric blue long finned ones as well.... but I want to make sure these guys live. I had one for 3 weeks and one for 2 weeks.

07-16-2012, 06:35 PM	#6
MarineEdge Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Freeland, MI Posts: 258	It will usually take several tries before they have a successful spawn. Like you read, they are bad parents starting off, but they learn as they go. Just keep trying, theyll get it right eventually __________________ RAOK Member #47

07-16-2012, 06:49 PM	#8
MarineEdge Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Freeland, MI Posts: 258	haha nothin wrong with adopting fish from tanks. I did that with my girlfriend. Her tanks at her house but i grew attatched until we agreed to each have control of one tank (i introduced her to fish in the first place) . mines the 20L with two GBR's, 6 cardinals, two clown plecos, and two black khulis. Hers is a 10g guppy tank lol. I think i won ^_^ __________________ RAOK Member #47

07-16-2012, 06:50 PM	#9
MarineEdge Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Freeland, MI Posts: 258	and to answer your number two question. I read the ideal PH is in the 5 range for breeding. mines 6.5-7, but i think its rare for them to breed that high __________________ RAOK Member #47

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07-16-2012, 02:59 PM	#2
Trickerie Nerd (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 707	Usually eggs are eaten when they feel the eggs are being threatened. What else do you have in the tank, and what size?

07-16-2012, 04:18 PM	#3
Drowki Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 188	Khuli loaches/Clown, Pleco, bumblebee gobys, cardinals, honey gourami those are the closest things that were near... so basically get rid of all the fish... and thats it? or is there a way they would feel safe...? the male kept picking at it and spitting the eggs away from the nest... the female was very terrirtorial and chased away other fish.

07-16-2012, 04:53 PM	#4
Trickerie Nerd (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 707	I say just let them be for now. They will probably try again and will eventually be successful.

07-16-2012, 05:20 PM	#5
Drowki Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 188	I read at first they will be horrible parrents, eatting their young and eggs. I noticed when the lights were off they both huddled over the eggs and guarded them. Come morning, bye bye eggs =( I am hoping for a giant swam of German Blue's !!!! so good water quality if they are breeding right?

07-16-2012, 06:42 PM	#7
Drowki Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 188	hahah keep trying? I am the guy that cleans the tank =P Lol if my roommates saw this post they would start making fun of me! haha

07-16-2012, 06:54 PM	#10
Drowki Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: May 2012 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 188	My ph is in the 6 range now, different water in Hoboken vs Moonachie... weird..

07-17-2012, 08:47 PM	#11
Waterrat Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Palatine, IL Posts: 8	Drowki- My experience is that rams are horrible parents. Of the hundreds of spawns that we have hatched and raised, the parents have never raised a single spawn, but I do know breeders who have rams that are excellent parents. I know that everything you read on the internet says that rams do best in a pH of 6.5 or so, but I think most of that information applies to "wild rams" in their native environment. Most, if not all, of the rams offered for sale are domestically spawned and raised locally (in the US). We have been raising rams for years and the pH of our water is 7.2-7.4, and we have never had any problems with egg fertility or fry viability. Our fish spawn fairly regularly at about 7-10 day intervals. Fertility is near 100%. Keep you temperature up to at least 80 degrees, 83 would be even better depending on what else you have in the tank. The next time they spawn, you might try leaving some type of light on over the tank. We use blue LED lights on timers. I've heard from other breeders that when the tank goes absolutely dark at night, the parents get extremely nervous and will eat the eggs rather than allowing some other fish get to them first (but I don't pretend to be a fish psychologist either). If that doesn't work, you might try hatching the eggs artificially. We use small 2" x 2" pieces of slate placed around the back and sides of the tank (red slate seems to work best). When the fish spawn, the slate can be removed and placed in a hatching container and hatched artificially. The process is identical raising angelfish.