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German Blue Rams

Last Updated: 11/1/22

Quick Information
Description
Setup and Water Preferences
Sexing
Breeding
My Rams
Links and Pictures

I am new to these fish, so most of the sections below are empty until/unless I have time to fill them in.

Quick Information

Common names: German Ram
Scientific/Latin name: Microgeophagus ramirezi
Maximum length: 3 inches
Colors: Blue, yellow, black, yellow, orange
Temperature preference: 72 to 82 degrees F
pH preference: 7
Hardness preference: Soft
Salinity preference: Low to medium
Compatibility: Good
Life span: 3 years
Ease of keeping: Moderate
Ease of breeding: Moderate

Description

Setup and Water Preferences

Sexing

Breeding

My German Blue Rams

On 1/27/21, I bought two German blue rams for my newly renovated 65 gallon aquarium. It did not go well. See that link for details. I will only put ram-specific information here so I am not just repeating the information.

I named the Golden ram, Rammy, and the regular ram, Spammy. Spammy died suddenly, perhaps from ick which broke out in the new tank right after his death. Spammy died on 2/6/21.

On 2/23/21, I bought another ram (regular coloration) and put him in a 20 gallon quarantine tank with 13 other new fish. I made sure to get a male. His name is Sir Spamalot. I am fairly certain that Rammy is a female as she lacks the longer fin spikes at the front of her dorsal fin, has an obvious ovipositor, and nice round reddish tummy.

I moved Sir Spamalot to the 65 gallon tank with Rammy on 3/6/21.

Both rams were doing well! Rammy definitely had what looked like an ovipositor, and a nice rosy tummy but he also has those longer fin rays on his back. He also never showed signs of spawning with Sir Spamalot. As such, I am changing Rammy's designation to male.

I was shocked to find Sir Spamalot upside down on my way out the door to work on 6/14/21. He will not be doing any more spamming as he was dead. He was darker than normal which I noticed the day before but no signs of any sort of illness or problem. No other fish in the tank have died in the last few weeks. Rammy seems fine.

In early 2022, my three discus became more and more damaged. It looked like someone was biting and/or sucking on their sides and shredding their fins. I watched them off an on all weekend for weeks but never saw anyone harming them. I decided on 2/19/22 to move the two clown plecos and one ram to my 50 gallon aquarium out of desperation. I did not want to move Rammy but, if there is a chance he harmed the discus, it was the better choice for the discus at least. The internet says that rams never harm discus. I did see Rammy try to bite a congo tetra but he could not catch the congo tetra.

Rammy went from a tank at 82 degrees F to one that I normally keep at 70 degrees F but I ramped it up to 75 degrees F which may still be too cold for Rammy. I tried to pick a temperature that was not too warm for the rosy barbs and plecos but warm enough for Rammy. The next morning, some of the male rosy barbs tried to spawn with Rammy who was chased and out of breath. Since then, Rammy hides and does not come out to eat or explore for fear of the rosy barbs. So, I am a horrible person for putting him in the 50 gallon tank but my brother was telling me I was horrible for letting the discus suffer. I just hope I did not sentence an innocent fish.

Yes, I did. Rammy died on 10/15/22 in the 50 gallon tank. My last discus died 10/31/22 in the 65 gallon tank. So, there was never any reason to move Rammy. I last saw Rammy alive on 10/12/22. When I found him, he measured 2.5 inches long. I removed the UV sterilizer from the 50 gallon tank a few weeks before Rammy died, and he developed what look to be fish tuberculosis lesions. I am afraid the rosy barbs carry that disease but it does not harm them, and Rammy got it from them as carriers. Perhaps the UV sterilizer had prevented it from spreading but I removed it because the lamp was a few years old (supposed to replace yearly), and it never seemed to do anything (the water flow was a drip).