New to German Blue Rams

[Allan B.]

One of my neighbors is moving so I adopted his kid’s German Blue Rams. I don’t have a lot of experience with this species, so I’m not sure what their gender is. Can y’all help me sex this pair?

Here’s GBR #1 (the larger of the two):

Here’s GBR #2:

I’ve currently got them in a 10 gallon with sand, almond leaves, and a couple pot caves I threw together yesterday (they aren’t using them yet). Any advice to a new GBR keeper?

[Levi_Aquatics]

I would check out some of @Fish Folk posts.    He has bred them quite a few times and definitely knows what he's doing. 

[Fish Folk]

Here you go…

[JettsPapa]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:57 PM, Allan B. said:

. . . I've currently got them in a 10 gallon with sand, almond leaves, and a couple pot caves I threw together yesterday (they aren’t using them yet). Any advice to a new GBR keeper?

I haven't kept them, but I've seen quite a few discussions about them on this and another forum.  They about 99% agree that it's difficult to get them to thrive at temperatures under 82° F.  It seems that most experienced people keep them between 82° and 84°.

[Biotope Biologist]

I also adopted an older blue ram couple in college. It took them about 3 months to settle in and trust me. I also moved them to a 50% live 50% flake diet. They were terrible hunters at first but they got the hang of it. Their colors get MAGNIFICENT once on live foods. The female developed a bright purple stomach that is usually reserved for the males and their #1 dorsal spine developed the teal reflective you see on the cheeks. I also had to move mine out of the community tank as they were too slow to the food. They were 8 years old when I adopted them not sure their average lifespan but I had them for another year and a half.

 

I love your anacharis too it and the rams look very healthy. They should be happy and healthy in your care. I also agree with the above post @Fish Folk journals are very thorough and a good read.

[Allan B.]

On 1/23/2022 at 9:39 PM, Fish Folk said:

Here you go…

Awesome! Thanks for the help!

[Allan B.]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:07 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

I also adopted an older blue ram couple in college. It took them about 3 months to settle in and trust me. I also moved them to a 50% live 50% flake diet. They were terrible hunters at first but they got the hang of it. Their colors get MAGNIFICENT once on live foods. The female developed a bright purple stomach that is usually reserved for the males and their #1 dorsal spine developed the teal reflective you see on the cheeks. I also had to move mine out of the community tank as they were too slow to the food. They were 8 years old when I adopted them not sure their average lifespan but I had them for another year and a half.

 

I love your anacharis too it and the rams look very healthy. They should be happy and healthy in your care. I also agree with the above post @Fish Folk journals are very thorough and a good read.

This is kinda funny because I was a little worried about how much food they’ve been missing during feeds since I got them. Xtreme flake (which they eat and spit out), frozen daphnia, frozen BBS…the only thing that gets them excited is live BBS. They’re pretty shy right right now, so I figured they weren’t eating because I was watching them. I painted three sides of their tank yesterday and put a dimmer on their light, so hopefully that will help them feel safer.

Thanks!

[Wrencher_Scott]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:30 AM, Allan B. said:

This is kinda funny because I was a little worried about how much food they’ve been missing during feeds since I got them. Xtreme flake (which they eat and spit out), frozen daphnia, frozen BBS…the only thing that gets them excited is live BBS. They’re pretty shy right right now, so I figured they weren’t eating because I was watching them. I painted three sides of their tank yesterday and put a dimmer on their light, so hopefully that will help them feel safer.

Thanks!

Mine were very skittish for weeks, and still are a little. 

They will eat everything I have given them so far, flake, frozen BWs and freeze dried BWs ones too. 

Heck they even go after my bottom feeder's sinking wafers.

[Allan B.]

I just got some Hikari Sinking Cichlid Gold pellets from the Coop and only now realized they were 3.0-3.4mm in size. Is that too big for GBRs, or can they pick them apart after they're in the water for a while?

Edited January 31, 2022 by Allan B.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

BBS will get them ready to breed, I would continue to go that direction as their primary food supplementing with the others. I think that cichlids in particular respond to plentiful live food being available. Has worked for apistos and for shellies with me. Think my Krobia are headed that way as well. 

You can break the Hikari apart and feed it. 

Heat is one of the primary factor in breeding them. As mentioned 80+.