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FAQs on Dwarf Ram Cichlid Behavior
Related Articles: Rams,
Dwarf South American Cichlids, Discus,
Juraparoids,
Neotropical Cichlids,
African Cichlids, Asian Cichlids,
Cichlid Fishes in General,
Related FAQs:
Rams,
Ram Identification,
Ram Compatibility,
Ram Selection, Ram
Systems, Ram Feeding,
Ram Disease, Ram
Reproduction,
Cichlids of the World, Dwarf South
American Cichlids, Cichlid Systems,
Cichlid Identification,
Cichlid Behavior,
Cichlid Compatibility, Cichlid Selection,
Cichlid Feeding,
Cichlid Disease, Cichlid
Reproduction,
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Ram barbs... Cichlids, beh. - 7/23/07
hi , just a quick one , just introduced two ram barbs into my 280l tank but
they keep squaring up to each other and fighting a bit, seems like they have
adopted there own territory in the tank. is this normal or is it because I was
given two males (or at least i think its two males) rather than a male and
female? any help would be much appreciated. many thanks Micky
<I have no idea what "ram barbs" are. Barbs are Cyprinidae, basically minnows,
and most are schooling species, though some, like the cherry barb, are
territorial. In the hobby, "rams" are Cichlidae, dwarf cichlids from South
America referred to by scientists as Microgeophagus ramirezi. They are
territorial, particularly if you have two males in your tank. You should really
keep a male and a female in a tank your size. Other than the length of the
dorsal fin, the two sexes are very similar in terms of colours. They're lovely
fish, but delicate and the quality of the stock on sale is very low. You need
exceptionally warm water for them to do well, so remove anything that doesn't
like very warm conditions. A temperature of around 28-30C is about right for
Microgeophagus ramirezi, which will stress borderline tropicals like Peppered
Corydoras, Danios, and Rosy Barbs. If you keep Microgeophagus ramirezi too cold,
they are sensitive to ambient pathogens and bacteria and invariable die within a
few months of purchase. They also need soft/acid water, though this is perhaps
less critical with tank-bred stock than wild fish. Even so, they're really fish
for advanced fishkeepers rather than casual hobbyists, so be sure and read
everything you can about them so you're prepared for their needs. Lovely fish,
and quite easy to breed, once settled. Prone to hole-in-the-head though, so keep
water quality perfect. Cheers, Neale>
Re: ram barbs - 7/23/07
Hi Neale thanks again for your expertise and rapid reply. You are right they
are beautiful fish just a shame they don't seem to be getting on together, I
have a day off work tomorrow so I am going to contact the store I purchased them
from and ask if I can take them back. I do as a rule rigorously research each
fish I purchase but I wash kind'a talked into these by the guy in the store!
Anyway many thanks again Neale, Micky
<You're welcome. Good luck tomorrow, and enjoy your fish. Dwarf cichlids are
addictive -- the more you get to know them, the more species you'll want to try
out! Cheers, Neale>
Gold Rams, comp., beh. 4/8/07
Hi People,
<Ruth>
Firstly I would just like to thank you for your great site. I've
got a 60l tank (about 2 months old) with 3 Peppered Corys, 2
Schwartz Corys, 4 Longfin Leopard Danios and a pair of Gold
Rams. The tank is well planted with live plants, plenty of
bogwood and a rock cave.
<Sounds very nice>
Everything was great until about a week ago when the female ram
started bullying the Corys at feeding times only.
<Mmm, unusual... unless... they're reproducing...>
The Rams aren't timid in any way and she only chases them if
they run away, typical bully! I thought maybe they were trying
to spawn so added a flat piece of slate at the bottom for them
but nothing happened. Then I added the 4 Danios as ditherfish,
<Good idea>
funny thing is she seems to like them and doesn't bother them at
all and even swims around with them. Is she just hungry? Or
territorial because she and the Corys both eat at the bottom?
<Perhaps a bit of both>
She only fights over catfish pellets not frozen or flake food. I
always sit and watch them eat and she eats like a pig and
doesn't look pinched. Is my tank too full?
<Is near a "psychological" limit here>
Will the Corys manage with a bit of chasing at meal times (I'm
99% certain it doesn't happen at any other times) or would it be
better to get rid of the rams?
Thanks very much,
Ruth
<I do think all should be fine here... The
Corydoras/Callichthyids are quite armored... and the Rams know
this... I might try feeding at both ends of this tank
simultaneously... Please do read (on WWM, fishbase.org,
elsewhere) re the water quality of Microgeophagus... perhaps
lowering water temperature will reduce the agonistic behavior.
Bob Fenner>
Stocking a 15 Gallon FW Plant Tank 3/21/07
Hello, I have a 15 gallon eclipse system tank, that has been cycled since
late August. The inhabitants I currently have are 3 marbled hatchets, 3 nanus
neon cories, and 1 German blue Ram. There are also 2 different Amazon swords,
one is ground level that grew a stem and leaves to reach the surface, emergents
I am guessing? Also, the second is a large sword, with large broader
leaves that stretch to the top of the tank. These have been in my tank since
Early November or late October. Temperature is at 78 degrees and pH is about 6.4
( slowly bringing it down to 6, it used to be 7)
I have a couple of questions. My blue ram is very shy. He has been in my tank
since October, the last fish added, and since then he has been very frightened
of me. He eats and explores the tank, but only when I am not in the room.
I would have to hide and watch as he scouts around the tank. When I walk by, he
hides, and does not come out at all. Is there a way for me to get my trust in
him and so he gets to know who I am better? He won't even come out to feed when
I am standing there, I would have to go hide. Up until this day, he has not had
any diseases or such and has been quite healthy. I don't even feed him the
bloodworms because it doesn't go to his belly but to my tanks nitrates. Any
advice?
< Rams are normal very shy fish to begin with. Having other fish in the tank
creates some activity and helps these fish get over their shyness. They are
referred to as dither fish.>
Second, is my stocking complete? I have the three small nanus cories, at the
moment not bigger than an inch, the 3 marbled hatchets about 1.5 inches
long each. And the ram who is about two inches. I understand that the inch per
gallon is just a general idea to help you stock, but it doesn't necessarily
give you the exact stocking level. The tank is 10 width, 20 length, and about
18-20 height depending on how high the water level is. Can I add anything else
to the tank? Maybe a mate for the ram or a small group of tetras?
< Check the nitrates. If you can keep them below 20 ppm between water changes
then you can add some additional fish. A small group of tetras would work just
fine for your dither fish problem too.-Chuck>
I am fixing up the tank, adding some real driftwood, more live plants, upgraded
lighting to the least 30 watts, and better fertilizing gravel for the
plants. The lighting is the only problem, because of the eclipse hood.
Thanks, Joe
Rams Fighting Or Mating? 9/26/06
Hi guys! About a week ago I bought a couple of relatively young rams at a
LFS. I thought they were both female, but since then it has become apparent
that the one is probably male, although judging from the black spot on the
other I'm pretty sure it's still female. My tank is a 18 gal eclipse,
running for a long time (over a year) and tank specs are pretty good
(0,0,15), other than that the water is a bit basic and hard, but I'm working
on fixing that.
There are several plants in there, but it's not heavily planted by any
means. When I got the rams, they seemed to adjust to my tank conditions
pretty quickly, even though it's not in their ideal range. The one I think
is male colored up really quickly and the other seemed to recover from the
stress, but didn't really color up. They've been hanging out together for a
while, and every once in a while they sort of "face off" and maybe dart at
each other a little bit, but not really nip each other. While they do this
the pale one would get really pretty, but become dull again as soon as it
was done. I was worried about aggression, so last night I separated the one
out in a little trap thing in the tank. Now it's really pretty, but the
other one is right next to the trap and they both are trying to get at each
other. They aren't acting aggressive either, more like a pair to my
uneducated eyes.
Eventually, since they hung out together so much, I took the pale ram out of
the trap and it turned pale again! I don't know what to do. Should I try to
find another tank for this ram? Or should I just wait and see? I tried
finding an answer to this question, but nothing quite seemed to fit my
situation. Thank you so much Sarah
< Lets determine the sexes first to see if you have a pair. Males are
generally larger with longer fins. Females sometimes have a rosy red belly
when they are in good shape. the key is usually the black spot on the side.
Males have metallic blue spangles on the flanks except over the black spot
on the side. Females usually have larger spangles right over the black spot.
Many times all the fish in the dealers tank are the same sex. If you have
two males then there is a territorial dispute. If you have a pair then this
could lead up to spawning if they end up being compatible. My guess is they
are two males.-Chuck>
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