# Your Opinion on german blue rams ?



## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. i want to get some rams but not sure if there right for me. are they easy to keep? also can you mix gbr with lightning blue rams. and any tips welcome


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

I can't say this 100% as fact, although I was looking into getting one as well.

I was talking to a girl at a shop and she was saying that they're actually difficult to keep alive. To my understanding, they're very finiky on what they eat for the first few days, and a change in water conditions from the pet store to home messes them up pretty quickly. She told me that their survival rate is pretty low that way.

Don't take this as gospel or anything. This could very well be her opinion because one died on her in the past, who knows. That's just what I heard. Maybe there are others who could tell you something different.


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

They like low pH and high temp. If you give them both as well as clean water then they're not hard to keep.

German Blue Ram


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

crazy72 said:


> They like low pH and high temp. If you give them both as well as clean water then they're not hard to keep.
> 
> German Blue Ram


agreed, i found most of the rams were the same

i had a few water quality issues when my sump shut down on me and i didnt notice for a few days and lost my rams and 3 of my discus

but as long as you keep clean water they're easy to keep


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

ok, so i guess not cause i have albino bn pleco's and corydoras and i think 5 ph would be to low for them right ?


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Beautiful dwarf species to keep and do well in most community setups that arent over crowded.As long as theres plenty of space to be had,plants,driftwood,stones or rocks,leaf matter for them to feel comfortable you should be ok.As mentioned already, water has to be soft(PH) and you said your current PH is 5? Wow a bit low, but just about right for breeding.Just keep an eye out for any fluctuating water perimeters.In the wild(Rio Orinoco) where they are collected,temps are known to reach upwards around 35C, water hardness around 2 Gh or less,and a PH between 4.5-6.5.They have short lifespans (2-3 yrs) which i think is unfortunate as the only downer.Also make sure to add a higher female to male ratio if you are into breeding them eventually.


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

IMO, too much inbreeding so a lot of what is available in pet stores are weak to begin with. Add the stress of being shipped half way around the world, then being subject to different water parameters at the pet store then in our tanks and they end up appearing to be somewhat finicky, kind of like fancy guppies.

What I have found when buying domestic rams is that if you are selective in what you first get, e.g. look for healthy, happy robust fish then all they need is warmer, discus type temperatures and clean water through regular water changes. In my experience, < 25% of the rams I see in local pet stores would fit into this category, hence the ram's reputation for being finiky. 

The other solution if you want to keep rams but not German Blues or Electric Blues are to go with the wild rams that Canadian Aquatics sells. They are cheap and pretty well bullet proof.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

If you want to go the domestic route, I would look for locally bred rams - they're already used to our water. The best locally bred rams that I ever picked up were from Richard. IIRC Richard is his username on this board, not sure if he still have rams available.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

agreed...the best local rams are from richard. great colors, great price. they breed like crazy. my ph was around 5.5. 

found them very easy to keep. didn't bother other species.

the ones i purchased from him multiplied fast. ended up selling them all off.


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Very interesting! I am considering these guys as well as I always wanted such kind of fish, but never had a tank big enough. I am planing on using my 20 g that currently have only small fish and shrimps, to have rams, maybe a red tail shark, etc. some bigger and more colourful fish. So I am researching the rams now and it is very interesting what you're posting. With most of my fish/shrimps I go with local breeders and I am very happy as they are adjusted and do much better then the imported ones. 
From what you guys share, it seems rams are not really a community fish as I thought as they will need warmer water. I've seen my hornworth is melting if the temperature is above 78F or so. Not sure if all community fish I am considering 
will like such a warm tank.
I guess I need more reading.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

wow i am surprised they have such a short life expectancy. can anyone recommend a color-full fish that is about the same size and has a better life span. i really like the rams but would prefer something that lives longer


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

You could look into trying their distant cousins, the bolivian ram.Just a bit less colouring,similar requirements, and a longer lifespan (5yrs).Theres also other dwarf cichlids such as apistogrammas, some are very colourful and others less.Lifespans vary between the different species but go from 2-6yrs on average.



Scherb said:


> wow i am surprised they have such a short life expectancy. can anyone recommend a color-full fish that is about the same size and has a better life span. i really like the rams but would prefer something that lives longer


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