FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I thought that bolivian rams got 4 in and blue rams got 3 therefor not needing as much room!

After spending two hours and the fish store and talking to every salesperson there i decided to get 6 neon tetras and a paradise fish. I hopefully will be able to own rams in the future, thanks for all your insight.

I think the blue rams are so pretty but i still feel a little nervous. I would be open to another species of fish other than livebearer that gets along well with a few swordtails. I just want to experience raising other kinds of fish.

I never heard of a balloon ram, is that another variety? I did see long-finned German rams recently.

That other pic was a few months old, here's one I took today:
Theresa_M attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/392823.jpg"]

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I was also nervous about getting rams, but after some initial bad luck (I bought three, only one survived), I have kept 2 for several months with no problems at all. In my experience, as long as you do a weekly water change and your tank is cycled, they will be fine. They don't seem as difficult as everyone makes them out to be, but maybe that's because I have balloon rams, which look like blue rams but a little shorter and rounder, apparently a hybrid of some sort. These might be a good choice if your LFS has them.

Btw, the picture Theresa posted above looks like a ballon ram to me- they're cute little fish.

[span class="edited"][Edited by tgildea 2004-07-09 13:06][/span]

Blue Rams, alas, are extremely delicate -- they are indeed "absolutely gorgeous", but I've had the devil of a time keeping them alive for any period of time.

Besides the fact that they do indeed need very clean water, three other possible hints:

(1) Every source I've read says that they require water distinctly warmer than your average tropical -- about 82-84 F. (28-29 C). Apparently, without this, their resistance to bacterial infections plummets.

(2) For this reason, a lot of them are reportedly already harboring internal infections by the time they leave the fish farms and reach the stores. One article I saw about a decade back recommended, for this reason, that you put new Rams on Tetra Medicated Flakes for several weeks after you first get them. (From my own experiences with Blue Emperor Tetras -- who are also susceptible to bacterial infections -- it might also be a good idea to use Blackwater Extract, which at least in the case of the Blue Emps seems to really improve their bacterial resistance.)

(3) Blue Rams are naturally short-lived fish even when they are healthy -- don't expect them to live more than a couple of years at the best. (One fish store proprietor I know who is pretty successful at not only raising but breding them says that one reason store-bought Rams often die quickly is that, by the time they're bought, they are often already in their twilight years! She recommends buying the smallest and youngest ones you can find.)

Well, are you looking for a cichlid? If they're available in your area you could probably get a pair of apistogrammas. Or maybe a krib or keyhole.

I'd never heard about rams being difficult to care for. I could find any locally so I actually ordered my online. I run a Penguin 125 on my slightly-overstocked 29g, never had problems with the rams at all.

If you're not set on cichlids maybe a betta, gourami, or a paradise fish?

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

Bolivian rams are nice. I've had two blues and two bolivians. I lost the blues to ich within two weeks. The bolivians on the other hand are doing great and will eat from my hand now. They aren't as pretty but they are still neat fish and are generally hardier than blues, and their behavior is basically the same. I think you would probably be very happy with them.

The only thing is on the fishprofiles.com profile of the blue ram it states that blue rams are difficult to take care of. I am a little nervous to go out and buy them after reading this. Should i go with blue rams as my first cichlids? Or should i go for a different species of cichlids or an even completely differen species as I move on from livebearers, tetras, and danios. Any shared ideas or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

P.S: The rams in the pictures are gorgeous!

Blue Ram
Potential Size: 3.5cm (1.4"
http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/fw/profile.asp?id=Mikrogeophagus+ramirezi

Bolivian Ram
Potential Size: 5.5cm (2.2"
http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/fw/profile.asp?id=Mikrogeophagus+altispinosus

Here's planned stock for my 30 gallon :
8 Cardinal
6 Leopard Corydoras
2 Dwarf Gourami
2 Bolivian Ram

Thanks for all the great input i am going to my LFS this weekend to see what they have in stock!

D'oh. Another mix up by Tetra Fan

I agree, every website and book I've checked say Bolivian rams are larger than German rams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

every book i have read and most people on this forum has said that the german ram dose not get as big as the bolovian ram. in any case, i like the way the blue looks any way so make sure the tank is cycled and do water changes 3-4 times a month and there should be no problem.




chris

Nope they get about the same size Both about 4 inches long. Mine are only about 2 inches long so they have some growing to do

[span class="edited"][Edited by Tetra Fan 2004-07-08 06:37][/span]

I have decided that i am going to add rams to my planted 20 gallon with a trio of swordtails and a few platy fry. I realize the fry might get eaten by the rams but i am okay with that since they breeding got so out of control. Should i get a male and a female, 2 females, or, , is it overall a bad idea and i should think about adding a different kind of fish that is not a livebearer?

Sorry, got lucky with that shot. Got a few more that aren't as good, but i can't get to my pictures on this computer any way. Thanks though

I think a pair of blue rams would be fine. I've had mine for a while, no problems with the rams themselves or between the rams and the other fish.

Absolutely gorgeous fish, time to show off one of mine
Theresa_M attached this image:
[img]http://www.fishprofiles.net/attachments/391806.jpg"]

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

tetra fan that a nice lookin fish and tank, you got any more pics?

[span class="edited"][Edited by Griggs 2004-07-08 00:00][/span]

Kribs maybe, but they woiuld be aggressive if they spawned. You could try Apistos. these are neat... Apistogramma Borellii]http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/fw/profile.asp?id=Apistogramma+borellii[/link] or [link=Blue Panda Apisto]http://www.fishprofiles.com/profiles/fw/profile.asp?id=Apistogramma+panduro[/link] . Maybe [link=Cakatoo Dwarf cichlids . Other than that theres nothing else really that would go good in there. Unless you went with the Bolivian Ram.