RAMS

[Thomas Soelter <Thomas.Soelter@ruhr-uni-bochum.de>]

Hi to everybody,

a few month ago i bought 4 blue rams (2 male, 2 female) and kept them
quite alone in a planted (Cryptos and Microsorium) 100 l tank. The
males had an estimated size of 40 - 45 mm the females 35 - 40 mm. I
started to feed as well as i could (living daphnia and white mosquito
larvae, frozen food, flakes) in order to raise them a little.

The tank temperature was kept at 24 C to avoid breeding (I thought -
but they didn't understand). Just after a few days I had 2 pairs,
which were fighting at the borderline to enlarge their territory. Just
the following day both pairs spawned.

Do they often spawn in groups ?

The eggs were gone 2 days later and both pairs had trouble with each
other and with the concurrent pair. Soon after that happened the first
male and soon following the others died.

A few years before i had 2 (definitely) female rams that were kept
together alone in a little tank separated from the male also in order
to avoid early breeding. The females spawned together. A few days
later both females died too.

Does that happen often ?

Is anyone able to tell me how it works ?
In the meantime I tried it a few times with rams.
It seems like a course.

Thomas