# German Blue Ram



## Tigercga (Mar 26, 2006)

Which GTA PJ stores have German Blue Ram? Thanks


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

big als scarb has some


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

You could probably contact the PJ's by Sheppard and see if they'll special order for you. Beyond that though, Big Als generally stocks them, and if not you can have them order them in easily.


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## Zombie Fish (Feb 13, 2012)

*German Blue Ram gasping at surface...*

Help...!!! She is saying and I don't know what to do. I got a GBR from Big als Mississauga about two months ago. She was tiny (like 2cm) but the last one they had in the tank due to a sale. Hearing about diffuculties yith GBRs I always admired them from far and I thought this could be my chance to try one out. I have had a Bolivian ram (know to be hardier not as stunning) for 3 yrs now.
She looked great in the store and aclimated well in my tank even enjoyed the company of the Bolivian shadowing her around. And sometimes taking place schooling with my Hengels Rasboras.
That all stopped and she started showing signs of distress pacing up and down the glass... my betta used to do this a year ago and hes fine now.
As of last night I notice shes at the top of the tank with her mouth turned up at the surface almost as if gasping for air... I did a quick water change (I use 75% tap, 25% RO cause we have hard water with a high pH here in mississauga) and took some tests (API). And my last water change was last week; I did 15% each time.

Ph: Very blue. can never tell need high end pH kit even with RO mix
Amonia and Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: about 30 (prob the culperit I will do another water chg tomorrow)
Didnt take KH or GH: but usually 3d & 7d respectively.

Today i put an air stone in to add extra oxygen into the water but she keeps going back and fourth from lower column to surface with every attempt i make to remedy the situation.
I was Just wondering if I am missing anything is it really hard to keep GBRs in this area due to hardness and pH of local supply. I know the main importance is to keep pH steady as opposed to trying to achieve lower levels or is it a must for GBRs.
If anyone in the area has kept these successfully please... Help...!!!


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## Tigercga (Mar 26, 2006)

There is no recipe for keeping gbr healthy. It could work for some, but not for others. I always failed to keep gbr alive long enough in a 90 gallon tank with canister filter in the past. 

After few years, I wanted to try again and I bought 4 gbr infested with ich from PJ last month. Treated them with copper and keep them in a 20 gallon planted tank with cardinal tetras. The tank has no airstone or filter, just a heater. I also use tap water to start and have not changed water since day 1 (assuming plants keep the water clean). The four gbr have been laying eggs four times, but none of them hatched. So far, their colors are brilliant. I do not know how long I can keep them as gbr sometimes are hard to keep.


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## Zombie Fish (Feb 13, 2012)

Tigercga it seems like i need some plants. I belive GBRs naturally live in heavily vegitated rivers probably with alot of tannin. I take it the plants are supplying the Oxygen in your setup with no airstone or filter. I have also thought about trying out a low tec tank but I havent even tried a planted tank yet. Id probably use a filter though for water circulation and bio filteration, no carbon though it seems to be a waste. What type of plants do you have do they need special lighting or low light plants.

Your best bet is to try and find someone who has a breeding pair of GBRs in the area. That way you know they are a hardier stock and are used to the water parameters of the area not from farm in asia or florida going for long trips and moving from tank to tank to tank. I dont know if they still bring in wild caught but I'll never buy anything wild caught.


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## Tigercga (Mar 26, 2006)

The 20 gallon is very low tech heavily planted tank. I keep red tiger lotus, dwarf swords, Limnophila sessiliflora, rotala, dwarf sag, moss ball, hygro, melon sword osris, christmas moss...etc

I try not to dose fertilizer to avoid unwanted algae. It has been running two months (not mature) with no sight of algae (I do not know why). I have one small otto cat to keep algae out. Plants are growing crazy (by luck) especially limnophila sessilifora which I have trimmed twice already. Sword plants have three daugther plantlets which grows to 1/3 size of the parent plant.

I guess the plants have kept the amonia in check because I have 25 cardinal tetra with 4 gbr + 2 guppies which was bought from PJ when they were on sale. It could be the heavy bioload supplied nutrients to the plants. The nitrate, nitrite and amonia level is 0 (not sure if the reading is correct because I use the same test kit for my 120 gallon saltwater tank)


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## Zombie Fish (Feb 13, 2012)

Yeah she did not make it I found a few articles on the symptoms and it most definately appears to be nitrate poisoning. It got up to about 40ppm which is ok for my other fish but it seems GBRs are very sensitive. I got Nitrate down to about 20ppm and thought she could recover because her rapid breathing slowed down and she was swimming a little more but I guess it was too little too late. With nitrate poisoning the blood is unable to carry oxygen and can lead to organ failure and eventually death. Poor thing.

http://http://www.seymouraquariums.com/ammonia_and_nitrate3.htm

Tigercga hope you have better luck with your GBRs but you seem to know more about what you are doing than I. It seems plants are a must to keep your toxins in check for these guys. I am definitely going to start a planted tank but not sure if I'll be getting any more GBRs any time soon.


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## Ryan.Wilton (Dec 12, 2012)

I like how this one was highjacked lol.

Honestly in my experience with GBR's, it's luck of the draw, I got 3 and have 1 left in my 20gallon. No clue how he's living when the other 2 died, but hey at least he did


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## Tigercga (Mar 26, 2006)

I agree. It is all of luck. I was never able to keep them alive in big tank for more than two months, not until this time I decided to keep them in small tank with lots of plants. I am just doing an experiment with no water flow/filter and they seem like it very much. What works for me may not work for others. I am also feeding them dried brime shrimp diet, and no flakes. Good luck.


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