[Moleen]

Been wanting a pair of German Blues for forever, but have always been reluctant to buy them because of their reputation for being very hard to keep. Well this past weekend I "took the plunge"....I was at one of my favorite LFS and they had gotten a bunch of them in. I was there picking up a school of Pandas and got talking to the owner about the Rams.....
He felt I had enough experience to do well with these guys (been buying from them for years). He basically said, "you'll never know unless you go for it"! That was Sunday.... they seem to be doing great, great appetites, have definitely paired up and have already staked out their "territory". I have never owned cichlids..so this has been fun! The male Ram swims over and faces off with the male Black Phantom Tetra...it's fun to watch, they both flare and put on a show...but never hurt each other! Any advice from experienced Ram keepers on what to look out for as far as signs of illness or distress in the guys? Thanks!:smile2:

 

[n25philly]

I guess the first questions would be what size tank, what tankmates, what temperature, and if the water hard or soft?

One of the reasons why they have such a reputation for being hard to keep is because they have been overbred and there is a lot of bad stock out there. Their needs can be a little particular. They need higher temperatures, up in the low 80s, and do best in softer water. As long as you got good stock and don't put them in very different parameters they shouldn't be that difficult. Blue rams are quite peaceful and even when they get aggressive it is much more bark than bite.

 

[ichy]

ya with me it tends to be a stock issue. If I can get them over the acclimation hump and get them to settle in after a day or two they do well.