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Re: Blue Ram Info
on 4/20/00 7:48 AM, Sylvia wrote:
> Subject: Re: Ram info
>
> Confused about the content and question of the post . . .
>
> My rams attempt to breed every few weeks or so, and have killed the two
> otocinclus that were in the tank. (Was a 20 gallon). They also traumatized my
> previously-active flagfish that were in the tank with them, such that, even
> now that they are moved into a larger and more peaceful tank, they hang at
> the surface and try to hide, which they learned to do in the shallow 20
> gallon, to keep as far from the territory as they could.
These creatures are as variable in personality as we humans are. I kept 3
pair in a 20 long for several years. When the juveniles matured, they picked
mates and defined territories. One male was always the nastier of the three.
We nicknamed that tank "Washington" because of all the politricks that went
on in there. Lots of chasing, a little heavy debating but nobody ever really
got hurt.
After they had gotten old, in Ram terms that's about 3 years, I sent them to
a retirement community--my 38 planted. Five of them exhibited perfect
behavior in the community setting (cardinals, otos and one gold nugget
pleco). That testosterone poisoned male was the exception. I found him
bashing the pleco. He was banished to his "room", a plastic sweater box with
plants/filter, for a week to think about his behavior. Upon return he was a
gentleman for about a week and then took up bashing the same fish. Again,
off to his room for a week and back into the main tank. True to form, he
bashed that fish and was generally rude to the rest of his tankmates. He was
removed and sold. The others were polite and happy in that tank for more
than a year until they expired one by one of old age.
>
> I should have realized when I saw the remaining oto hanging at the surface on
> top of some pennywort leaves on the opposite side of the tank, that she was
> in imminent danger. I thought things could hold out till moving day, the
> following weekend, but no cigar.
Sounds like that nasty male Ram that I had. Apparently they have it in for
suckermouth-type fishes ;D
>
> Incidentally, there are some articles around (at the Krib I believe), an
> experiment done on pH and percentage of (ram) eggs hatched. At 7.5, I
> wouldn't expect any to do so.
I don't think it's pH as much as it is hardness. The pH of my water at the
old place after a few days would settle out at 7.4 to 7.6 but it was pretty
soft. After a year and a half of patient waiting I'd grown frustrated at the
parents eating their eggs and fry so I removed a few batches of eggs to
hatch and raise. Did nothing special with the water except to dechlorinate
it. The eggs had a decent hatch rate, the fry all developed well and at a
normal pace. Same thing with another soft water/acid pH dwarf cichlid that I
used to keep, A. panduro, now _THAT_ is a nasty dwarf cichlid!!.
If I ever see another batch of Blue Rams that were as vigorous as those I
would snap them up in a heartbeat. They are, for the most part, great fishes
to keep with plants and other small peaceful fish.
--
Susan
snotabby-at-earthlink-dot-net
Americans are getting stronger. Twenty years ago, it took two people to
carry ten dollars' worth of groceries. Today, a five-year-old can do it.