# how to tell the gender of eletric blue rams?



## I Love Tetras And Oscar (Jan 12, 2012)

How do we tell the gender? i might going to breed them.


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## lorax84 (Nov 3, 2010)

Due to the poor breeding habits of many breeders most of the gender specific traits in rams have disappeared, with many females showing traits that used to be ascribed to males and vice versa. Males are always slightly larger than females. Males have an elongated second ray on their dorsal fin (although I have seen this on females) and generally do not have black stripes of their pelvic fins. Females have a pink coloration to their ventral area (although it lightens under stress) and a rounded tail fin. I find that it is best to just observe the fish in their tank. If you see two rams, one larger than the other, follow each other around the tank and not fighting they are most likely a M/F pair.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Agree. When I acquire this species, I stand and observe the fish in the store tank for quite some time. This species, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi (whatever the colour variant) and its cousin Mikrogeophagus altispinosus (Bolivian Ram), prefer to select their own mates and usually form a bonded pair (i.e., for life). Spawning will always be more successful long-term if the male has decided on his partner. In the store tank, you will likely see males behaving naturally--flared fins, charging other males--and if the male has selected a female, she will be close by him and he will tolerate her. Protecting his small territory, even in this situation. Buy the two fish and you are probably on the road to success.

By the way, we have fish profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar, and for many species the difference between male/female is noted, where there is one. And photos are sometimes included, if I can find one showing a pair. Such a photo of a pair is included for both these species.

Byron.


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## I Love Tetras And Oscar (Jan 12, 2012)

Byron please send me picture of it.


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## I Love Tetras And Oscar (Jan 12, 2012)

Or any one from you two


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## lorax84 (Nov 3, 2010)

German Blue Ram

If you scroll down on this link they have a pic of the differences in the sexes, but as I said this does not hold true for all fish you find in stores these days because of interbreeding.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I Love Tetras And Oscar said:


> Byron please send me picture of it.


The photos are in the profile, click on the shaded name in my earlier post to see the respective profile. And the Blue Ram photo is the original species.


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## I Love Tetras And Oscar (Jan 12, 2012)

@lorax what link? i didnt see any link i did scroll down and look carefully.
@Byron wheres the profile at? and the shaded name too?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I Love Tetras And Oscar said:


> @lorax what link? i didnt see any link i did scroll down and look carefully.
> @Byron wheres the profile at? and the shaded name too?


Lorax's link didn't work because it contained the name Blue Ram and this forum system read that as the species and shaded it.

If you click on shaded names, like Blue Ram, it will pop up the profile with photos. Aside from that, profiles are under the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page.

If "Blue Ram" doesn't have a grayish shaded box around it, you need to adjust your monitor settings somehow; don't ask me about that, as I am not much with computers.


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## I Love Tetras And Oscar (Jan 12, 2012)

Oh im talking about Electric Blue Rams not german blue rams.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I Love Tetras And Oscar said:


> Oh im talking about Electric Blue Rams not german blue rams.


The fish is the same species, just a colour variant. However, as lorax mentioned, these variants are a bit harder to tell. My earlier advice to observe them in the store still stands.


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