Very nice surprise

[Pyramid_Party]

Hi,

Months and months ago I picked up several electric blue rams. I was hoping to get at least 2 pairs and breed them. Things weren't going right, and some of them died. I was down to only 3 Rams. So I gave up on trying to breed them. I finally needed to free up some tank space and recently moved the 3 Rams to a 29 gallon planted tank. The PH in this tank is around 6.8 - 7.0 . In the previous tank it was around 7.8 . For about 2 weeks now the fish have been in the tank and today I noticed this pit under one of the plants and saw 2 of the Rams close to each other. I knew what was going on. I saw the breeding tubes out too.


And now I see about 80 or so eggs laid. Just when I gave up and thought the possibility of breeding them was gone, they surprise me with this. I didn't even have a pair. The fish never showed any signs of pairing up, not even in the new tank. But they look like they are paired now.

Few things I think caused this spawn. The PH difference, and I have been feeding them a lot of foods high in protein like red wigglers, live blackworms etc. I also skipped a water change and think that could of played a part too.


A few things concern me. They don't seem to be fiercely defending their nest. Sometimes they both even wander off slightly leaving their nest unprotected. Also sometimes small fish like tetras and ottos get near or even in the nest and the Rams don't bite or chase them away. Another thing worries me is, I have a big apple snail and nerite snail in the tank. I am worried they are gonna eat the eggs during the night. Also the Ottos eating the eggs are a possibility too. Anyway, that's my story. Pretty excited. Thanks for listening.

 

[dent20]

Pretty cool. Good luck!

 

[Aquanero]

Nice story, good luck with them that is a nice surprise. Some Rams are not very good parents unforunatly especially first timers. Good luck I hope you get wigglers, then try to take some out and raise them on your own.

 

[ryansmith83]

A bunch of my rams are spawning this week. Most do not sit diligently by the eggs like other cichlids do. They tend to wander off and leave them unattended, only going back once in a while to fan them and check them out. Surprisingly, the other rams in the tank have left them alone, and I've had three different batches hatch in the same tank. All the wrigglers appear to have been eaten by the parents, though.

If you really want to raise fry, you'll probably have to try and get them to lay eggs on something removable (one breeder I remember used upside-down glass cigarette trays) and hatch them yourself in a separate tank.

 

[Pyramid_Party]

Yeah the eggs are gone I think. It's hard to see into their pit cause it's in the back of the tank under a plant too. I am sure they will try again. I may lay a slate rock in their pit and let them lay eggs on it. I have a 10 gallon I was planning to put the babies in. It's sort of a misfit tank though, has a few ghost shrimp and an amano shrimp, and 2 swamp darters, and some snails. I don't know if the eggs would be safe but I figure fry would be fine because I believe the shrimp, snails, and 2 darters would not bother the fry and vice versa. I may just set the eggs in a plastic tub with a sponge filter. After hatching and free swimming I would transfer them.

Any 0ther tricks to keep the eggs healthy and fine till they hatch??

 

[ryansmith83]

Very clean water with an airstone placed close to the eggs to keep a current going and simulate the parents' fanning and cleaning. I would go by a plain 20 gallon, you can usually get them for $20, and just set it up with a heater and sponge filter. I do daily water changes on all my fry to get rid of excess food and keep the water really clean, so it's best to not have tankmates or substrate.