Quick question before I head to my LFS.

**tate8** · 11-18-2012, 12:02 AM

I have 2 female German Blue Rams.

Should I add a male? Or will the 2 females be ok by themselves?

I would like to have a mated pair, but will a male and 2 females work together?

**Northerly** · 11-18-2012, 12:04 AM

What is the rest of your stock? Do you have plants and other hiding places? If you get a mated pair you might see aggression issues.

**tate8** · 11-18-2012, 12:12 AM

If the 2 females that I have will work together I am fine with that.

I just didn't know if I need a male and a female. Or if they are more comfortable in groups.

I've tried to find info online but everything I have found is more about caring for them rather than the company in which to keep them.

**Northerly** · 11-18-2012, 12:17 AM

As far as I know you'll be ok as long as you have adequate hiding places and such.

**tate8** · 11-18-2012, 12:20 AM

The 2 females are always together. Where 1 goes, the other goes. They are almost always side by side.

But they both found a sinking wafer on the bottom and seemed to fight over it. It is the only aggression I've noticed from them.

Maybe they are territorial over food. But if they aren't eating they seem to be best friends.

**Nephalem** · 11-18-2012, 12:35 AM

When I originally got mine I had been told that they pair up and mate for life, but I later found out that this is incorrect. They are actually known to be harem breeders, so two females and a male should be fine in your tank. The misinformation apparently came from the fact that he will most likely pick one of the two females to be his "favorite" girl, and will swim around protecting her all day, but that doesn't mean he will ignore the other. As long as you have adequate room and hiding spots I say go for it. If you do you should think about adding a very large flat rock as a place for them to groom for spawning together.

**tate8** · 11-18-2012, 01:34 AM

After watching them for a while I have noticed some aggression from one of the females toward the other.

I netted the aggressor and took her back to Petsmart.

They did not have a male so I returned her.

I was going to check back next week and see if they received a male in their weekly stock but if my single female is ok with being single I will just keep it that way.

Will a single GBR be ok?

**steeler1** · 11-18-2012, 04:49 AM

I think she will be okay i've seen just one in friends tanks. Maybe Northerly can weigh in?

**mizzoutank** · 11-18-2012, 05:12 AM

she'll be fine on her own.

i had a ram on his own after he killed his "bff" after 2 months, and he was content. they dont need pairs/parters to be happy or thrive in a tank. its our mentality that makes us think they need a buddy/husband/wife. lol
and you do have to keep in mind that their temperment is less aggressive that the typical cichlid...but they still are cichlids by nature-so they will always be semi aggressive no matter what. even if you do get a mated pair, they'll but heads and feeding time is always prime opportunity for them to not get along.
my current bolivan rams (dont know the sexes yet) are fine until its time to eat, then they argue a bit, but after that they go back to normal. swim around, each keep to themselves and chase one another every so often. no biting, but just dwarf cichlids being dwarf cichlids.