Rams digging holes

T

Twill

AC Members
Jan 5, 2007
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Davenport, Iowa
I've had my two German Blue Rams for about a week. I know one of them is female. I was still undecided about the other, but was leaning toward female as well.

I just finished rearranging my tank, and as I was cleaning things up, I noticed them excavating a little depression behind a new rock in my anacharis forest (the only part of the tank I didn't rescape, and their usual hiding spot). They pick at the substrate a bit with their mouths, then wiggle their way across the substrate, pushing away sand and bits of flourite with their bellies and quick fin movements. As I was watching, an MTS scooted into their new hole and was immediately head-butted out. None of the cories have bumbled their way into the depression, but I have a feeling they'd be shooed away just as quickly.

I vaguely remember reading that sometimes Rams will dig depressions in which to raise fry when they are ready to breed. Has anyone observed this behavior in Rams that didn't then breed? I'm quite curious to find out if I should be expecting eggs!
 
I got them from the same LFS, a few days apart. From the moment I added the second ram, they started swimming around together. I've never seen any kind of territoriality or fights.
 
I'm just glad the fish are happy and healthy enough to feel like breeding! I was worried about getting rams, since I have read they can be sensitive. This is the first tank I have had in 6 or 7 years (back in my high school/junior high days), since I just recently got back into the hobby. And this is the first tank I've had where I actually knew about the nitrogen cycle, proper filtration, and a hundred other things that have helped me start a healthy planted tank.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on this!
 
Twill said:
I'm just glad the fish are happy and healthy enough to feel like breeding! I was worried about getting rams, since I have read they can be sensitive. This is the first tank I have had in 6 or 7 years (back in my high school/junior high days), since I just recently got back into the hobby. And this is the first tank I've had where I actually knew about the nitrogen cycle, proper filtration, and a hundred other things that have helped me start a healthy planted tank.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on this!
Click to expand...

Please do, I also have rams, I love mine! they are so personable, mine feed from my fingers and are always following me around the tank :) you will enjoy these!
 
Woke up this morning to eggs! I've been trying to search around for more information (how to tell if they're fertilized, gestation period for the eggs, etc.), but I'm having a bit of a hard time. Can someone point me in the right direction?
 
Yep, my site.
http://www.cathygeier.com

I breed/sell the little guys. There are other ways to do it I am sure and don't mean to suggest there aren't. But, here is how I do it anyway.... when you get to my home page, click on the aquarium link.
Cathy

p.s. Rams do usually eat their eggs and lots can go wrong even if they don't eat the eggs. (They eat the wrigglers! or They eat the free swimmers...)

If your water is 84+ the eggs will hatch in 24-36 hours. If cooler, longer. After they hatch, the rams 'should' move the wrigglers to another pit in the gravel, or a hiding place in driftwood, etc. Then they will wiggle for 3-5 days. After that they lift off and start to swim. You need to have food ready by this time - microworms or live baby brine shrimp. (You'll have to hatch it yourself).

Good luck and don't be too disappointed if this spawn doesn't make it! Rams are very hard to breed. They spawn like crazy, but getting live babies out of it is the tricky bit.

Cathy
 
Thanks for the info, Cathy G!

I didn't buy the fish with the intent of breeding them, and I don't have the facilities to raise a ton of fry, so I won't be all that disappointed if I don't wind up with any. But, I'll do what I can.
 
they will probably eat their eggs the first or second time they spawn, but once you start getting babies they are going to spawn like clockwork. even if you leave the fry in the tank with the other fish, there is a chance, slim but still a chance, that at least one baby will survive; natural selection.
 
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