Pitch Black Rams

[wsantia1]

I got my Black Rams from Liz today and I must say, I am Super Happy. There are now nine healthy Rams swimming happily in a 40 breeder and I was also able to shut down two 20Hs for the time being.

Thanks Liz.

[LizStreithorst]

I'm so glad you're happy with them, Willie.

[Barb]

Liz is quite the Black Ram expert now, she may be the best in the country!

[wsantia1]

Liz is quite the Black Ram expert now, she may be the best in the country!

These are gorgeous.

[wsantia1]

Well my Black Ram pair number 1 is sitting on another spawn. That is great considering the last spawn didn't work out because they decided to make a meal out of their young. This time I am pulling all of the fry as soon as they become free swimmers.

I actually managed to save 5 fry out of the last spawn from their parents dinner plate and they are doing surprisingly well. I wouldn't usually have saved them but I was determined to have some survivors. I feel much more confident about the new spawn because of that.

[LizStreithorst]

I'm sorry they're giving you such a hard time, Willie.  The most dangerous time for the fry is when the wigglers just start to free swim.  Do your pair eat them after they've been free swimming for a while?  You might find it easier to net out the parents than the free swimmers.  With Discus that's the easiest way.  Yes, you catch a few fry in the net, but you can take the fish out of the net with your other hand and dump any fry you snagged back into the breeding tank.

I've only had one pair that insisted on eating the kids and I just dumped them back in the forsale tank and netted out another pair.  You don't have so many options.  If you keep having problems let me know.  I'll find a proven parent raising pair for you when I have one. 

These guys are so horney in my tank that I dumped some rams that I was no longer using for breeding in a BB subadult Discus tank sub-adults with no hidden place to spawn.  Damned if a sneaky pair didn't spawn again and a several fry escaped being eaten by the Discus and are now swimming in the tank.  I have no clue why it is so easy for me.  Maybe it because I change so much water.

[wsantia1]

I've got a spawn of wigglers from Ram pair # 1 waiting to free swim and as I am typing this when I checked in on Ram pair # 2 I noticed that they were spawning. I have all my stuff to raise them working for me at the moment (microworms, bbs ). I also have the 5 surviver fry from Ram pair # 1's last spawn still alive. Wish me luck everyone.  

[LizStreithorst]

Any progress breeding a type of fish you've  never worked with in the past is good progress.  It was very hard for me at first.  It still is because the fish are so damn sneaky when they get into breeding mode.  I still don't know for sure if my new pitch black pair's all fungused or if they moved them to inside of a pleco cave.  Daddy ram started going inside the cave. He has not been doing that.  He may have moved his tiny wigglers on the sly.  I'll find out in a day or two.

[wsantia1]

Any progress breeding a type of fish you've  never worked with in the past is good progress.  It was very hard for me at first.  It still is because the fish are so damn sneaky when they get into breeding mode.  I still don't know for sure if my new pitch black pair's all fungused or if they moved them to inside of a pleco cave.  Daddy ram started going inside the cave. He has not been doing that.  He may have moved his tiny wigglers on the sly.  I'll find out in a day or two.

Thanks Liz. It means a lot coming from you.

[wsantia1]

The pair # 2 female beat up the male so badly that I had to take him out this morning.

[LizStreithorst]

Isn't this the second time you've had a pair with a killer, Willie?  Hope he recovers for you.  If you have a BB tank you can put him in try using salt at 2 tablespoons per 10 gallons to help take the stress off and prevent infection.

[wsantia1]

Isn't this the second time you've had a pair with a killer, Willie?  Hope he recovers for you.  If you have a BB tank you can put him in try using salt at 2 tablespoons per 10 gallons to help take the stress off and prevent infection.

Liz, yes I've had that before but this time it was the female that hurt the male. The funny thing is that he fertilized all of the eggs. I hope she doesn't do anything with the eggs. Right now she is guarding. Thanks for that salt suggestion. I'll put some in as soon as I do my telehealth appointment.

[LizStreithorst]

I have never heard of the female going for the male.  That is very very unusual.  It's interesting to me that you've had a killer twice and I have never had one.

My new pair was a bust.  They're back in the big tank now and sometime today, maybe during WC I'll keep my eyes open for another pair looking like they're in the mood.

[Ron Sower]

How are you guys setting up you ram breeding tanks?...if you've already posted that I missed it and you can point me to it...

[wsantia1]

I have never heard of the female going for the male.  That is very very unusual.  It's interesting to me that you've had a killer twice and I have never had one.

My new pair was a bust.  They're back in the big tank now and sometime today, maybe during WC I'll keep my eyes open for another pair looking like they're in the mood.

Liz my old Golden Eyed dwarf cichilds did that. I would pull the male because the females are so protective of the spawn. That is a breed trait though.