Back in my breeding days, I raised 5 generations of rams and learned the following. Rams kept at discus temperatures (~82F) only live 15 - 18 months. So they're practically annuals at such temperatures. They spawn very early, easily at 4 months when the fish may be 5/8". In my hands, they were very tough fish - especially when they got lots of water changes and fed on left over beefheart.
Many people consider rams to be difficult to keep because they buy them from local fish stores. I used to supply several LFS in the area with rams and they only wanted 1.25" or larger, fully colored, fish. By then, these rams were at least 12 months old and past breeding age. I gladly supplied these stores with my spent breeders. People who bought these fish couldn't breed them and had them die after 1 - 2 months. So the common lore was that rams were delicate fish.
If you're buying rams, get them as small as possible. I picked up a batch of 1/2 inch gold rams from a local hobbyist just this morning. After 2 hours in the tank, they're actively stealing beefheart from the discus.