Originally Posted by
SomeFin's Fishy
Stu-
GBR's can be a little more difficult to keep than other species of fish, but not that hard. One thing that will really make a difference is that it really helps to know the parameters of the water in which the fish were hatched and raised. Many people read all the information that Rams need soft, acidic water. That is true of Rams in their native habitat. Most, if not all of the Rams available today have been hatched and raised for generations in totally different water conditions. Unless you specifically buy "wild caught" Rams, virtually all of the Rams available from Big-Box stores have more than likely been raised in farm ponds in South Florida (sometimes Malaysia). Unfortunately, those fish go through a punishing regimen of fasting, purging, treating, shipping, etc. before they reach the local fish store. They have been under so much stress, that I'm not surprised they don't do well once we get them home.
I'm not trying to bash Big-Box stores, but I have been to the fish farms and wholesalers in Florida and seen first-hand how the fish are kept, processed and shipped. It's amazing that they last as long as they do. Once they are finally received by local pet shops, they are kept in tanks that are connected to a central filtration system, which means all the fish are kept at the same temp, and are subjected to the same illness and stresses that all the other fish on that system are subject to. Rams, like discus, like their water warm (82-86 degrees) which is out of the comfort zone for most species of tropical fish. Since all the tanks in a pet shop are on a central system, they don't usually have the ability increase the temperature of individual tanks. The result is that Rams are kept at temps of around 76-78 degrees, which is out of their comfort zone, and since they are already weakened from the stress of shipping, they become more susceptible to illnesses and diseases such as Ich. When you see the fish in the pet shops, they look healthy, but actually, they may not be. Pet shops do not quarantine their fish when they get them. If you've ever been in Aquarium Adventure when fish arrive, they just pull the plastic bags out ot the shipping boxes and put them directly into the show tanks (they really don't have the ability to quarantine fish). By the time you stress them even further by bringing them home, they get sick and die. Sometimes in a few days, sometimes in a week or so. The bottom line is that it is probably nothing you have done to your fish, it's a problem with how the fish were captures, processed, shipped and maintained.
As was already pointed out, Rams are relatively short lived, but we have had rams that have lived for several years! The best thing you can do to help ensure a long, healthy life is to find a breeder that has hatched and raised their fish in water conditions that are very similar to yours. Also, I'm assuming that since you keep Discus, you already keep your water temp to around 84 degrees. Rams, like Discus, like their water on the warm side. It's not that the fish will not live at cooler temps, but they will not thrive. Especially after the shipping process, the fish have really been stressed. At lower temps, the stress begins to takes its toll and often the fish become more susceptible to secondary infections (especially Ich), will tend to hide, turn dark, stop eating, and will slowly fade away over a period of weeks. There are a number of things you can do to keep your new Rams healthy:
1) Buy your Rams from a reputable breeder, not a big box store. Honestly, if you saw what those fish go through just to get to the store, you would wonder how they survived at all.
2) Keep the water in your quarantine tank between 82-85 degrees.
3) Feed them live foods if you have them available, if not, frozen foods work almost as well. Newly hatched brine shrimp would be awesome!
4) Buy your fish young (3-4 months old). At least that way you can be assured of having them for their maximum life span.
5) Keep your substrate clean! Rams tend to hang out near the bottom of the water column, and they pick through all the "stuff" on the bottom. If that stuff includes decomposing food, that's going to be a problem for them.
6) Keep up with your water changes!!!
7) Keep up with your water changes!! - No, it's not a typo, it's just that important.
8) I have found that they do not respond well to medications.
Don't give up on your Rams, they are beautiful fish and have really great personalities!! Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Discus Doing Fine - Rams Dying
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. I really love Rams and will keep trying. I will try to find a source because as you mentioned the big box stores and even some of the better lfs's where I commonly finds Rams just aren't set up to properly receive and care for them, as is also true for the often pitiful Discus you often see there. 
