Danio fry, angles, rams

Question

ram   QUESTION: HI,

I have a couple questions again.

My two male german blue rams are not very happy together. one is clearly dmoninant, and has taken over the biggest shelter as his territory. the dominant one has red eyes, a higher peak on his dorsal fin, and is less colourful. both of the are very drab, and look nothing like the pictures i see online. are they juvinal, inferior quality, or stressed? the less dominant one is more colourful, but only when the light hits him right, otherwise he is a yellowish grey. i do weekly water changes of 30%, treated with amquel+, my water is 77-78 degrees, and my api water test kit says everything is zero. my water is soft and slightly acidic, just like rams like it. i feed high quality flakes, sinking shrimp pellets, and brine shrimp. i am thinking of attempting to return the agrssive/ less colourful one and trying to get a female, which i hope will spur my remaining male into colour. if you need more pictures, i have them, but can only attach one for some reason. will removing a male help? why are they so drab?

I want to get 2 angels, but fear they will out grow my 30 gallon tank. also, i dont know how to get a pair or sex them what would happen if 2 ended up the same sex or not pairing? would it be better to only have one?

and lastly, my glosfish bred! i have about 10 babies, some tinted green, and others tinted red. they are about 2mm. i have them in a breeding basket with a good sized clump of java moss. several of them are free swimming. i found them during a water change on friday. i have attempted to feed the free swimming ones hikari firstbites, but they ignore it. will my java moss give them food? i am attempting to grow some food in a bowl with boiled lettuce by a window, but i fear it will be to little, too late. i also  am scared that any non solid food will be swept away trough them mesh by the water current. i do not want them to starve, i already lost one. do you have any tips? what am i doing right/wrong?

thanks again,
mike

ANSWER: Hi Mike,
Your rams are normal.  The ones you see that are more colourful come directly from the rivers of Venezuela, and Columbia.  Rams that are bred in aquariums often are bred between brother, and sister, and eventually the rams are not as pretty as the wild caught rams.  Rams are peaceful, so even if they display a little aggression, it is never serious, as long as they have lots of hiding places.  Rarely does a ram tear off fins, or bites.  Your temperature should be 80 degrees for the rams.
You must feed your Glofish (Danios) commercial liquid fry, or inforusia as quickly as possible.  Grind fish flakes (spirulina) until they look like flour or powder, and try feeding them with it.  They really should be in a tank of their own which as cycled.  If you have a five gallon tank, fill it with water from your thirty gallon, and keep it heated with a heater (Thermostat) at the same temperature they are now in.  Do water changes everyday of 10%.
Angels, you never know what will happen.  If you buy two Angels, and they try to mate, but are not of equal force, the stronger one will try to kill the weaker one.  This may never happen, but if it does, you must be prepared, and have another tank ready.  Of course, you could be lucky, and have a pair, but there too, you would need another tank.  Sometimes a couple will look after their fry, sometimes, only the female will, sometimes, only the male will, and sometimes you have to take care of the fry yourself.  This is lots of observation.  It may happen, and it may never happen.  I have kept 12 Angels in a big tank, and never had a mating pair out of those twelve!  So you see, we never know with Angels.
Lynda  


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for the quick reply. i do not own another tank, let alone have an extra cycled tank, so i figured that my fry would be best off in a breeder net in my 30gal, since i keep it in good water conditions for my rams. will hikari firstbites not be small enough for them? it looks like green flower, and is probably finer than i could grind any flake. maybe they are not hungry yet because of a yoke sack? (although i dont see one, but i imagine it would minuscule on such a small fish) and at how many days old do they need to be feed? I am attempting to grow inforusia, but i dont think its going well. should i buy a new 10gallon and put them in it, even if it is not cycled? i have a 5 gallon bucket i use for water changes, but no heater. i heard they are sensitive to ammonia.

will they die if left in the breeder net with java moss and hikari firstbites? i can try to get liqifry, but i assume it will was away in my net, so that would require a new tank

i guess i will probably go with a single angle, but what happens with 2 of the same sex living together? (they seem hard to sex when young)

that is sad about the rams, they were expensive, and my lfs assured me they would colour up. would a femal help at all though, or are they already at their potential? oh well, i guess thats bissinus.

thanks again
mike

Answer
Hi Mike,
A tank must be cycled, so you have no choice but to keep them in their basket.  Feed them with Hikari Firstbites right away, and put your java moss in the basket.  Food should fall on the moss, making it possible for the tiny fish to reach it.  If you mix the firstbites with a little tank water, then pour it into the basket, it might go down faster so the fry will be able to eat more easily.  You must always keep the fry in the same water they were born in.  Do your water changes, and make sure you have no ammonia, or nitrites in it.  
Angels are impossible to sex.  Angels are not that easy to breed.  I have bred Angels for a long time, and have encountered many different situations.  I have Angels in almost all my tanks except for my breeding pairs, and have no problems.  It's really a roll of the dice!  You could have two Angels, and they could live happily ever after, I just can't guarantee it.
I would provide more plants, and overturned pots, and buy two female rams.  When they are females with the males, they may show more colour.  When fish are spawning they put on beautiful colours.  If you have a pair, and they spawn, the male, and female look after their fry.  They may eat the first two spawns, but eventually they become good parents.  They will chase the other fish away when they have eggs, and fry, but they never cause any harm.  They just chase, guard their territory, and defend their young.  They are really amusing to watch.  I love the little rams, they are really a cute little fish, and you have the right water chemistry for them.  You are doing great, and I am really happy for you.
Lynda