How To: Select A GREAT Quality Ram For Your Aquarium

Hey all my JFR Fam!!
Hope all is well with you and your fishy friends 🐠
This video goes into depth about how to choose a good quality Ram at the pet store. I go through many aspects of what makes a good ram and break down what to look out for in a bad ram.
If you have any questions then don’t hesitate to ask me!!!
Don’t forget to Like and Subscribe and I will see you in the next one!
Jus
Instagram 👇
@justins_fishroom
Facebook👇
@Aussie Ram Farm

[@masteraquaticsjustcallmeed5115]

Justin, I have been looking at your videos for exactly what you have shown us here in GBR's... The details of your TOP breeding pairs are so on point!!! Stunningly PERFECT in coloration and body structure!!! It is obvious that your GBR's are some of the BEST that I have seen!!! The Black Rams are SOOOOO AMAZING!!! The quality of your "lower" selection are still 100% better then those that are available in America. That is a HUGE accomplishment!!! Congratulations!!! I have started selecting a few GBR's based on YOUR standards and it has made a HUGE difference on the quality of my new Rams!!! I can't thank you enough for such GREAT depictions that you have demonstrated in your videos!!! Totally awesomeness!!! PS: I bet your Mom is really excited about her Ram Gifts!!! Her Discuss are also so BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

That’s great to hear, my friend!!! Always love hearing how you are going with your fish. I am over the moon that the videos have been a good standard to work off for your selection process. I really appreciate the kind and positive comment and keep me updated on your progress with them and let me know if I can help with any info at any point 🙂👍

[@takeitorleafit2457]

Really good video like always :)

[@brittanywaterson5899]

Been waiting the whole week for the Saturday video 😍

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha well you can watch it!! hehe

[@emilylewis9389]

Your videos are so informative and yet so easy to listen to

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much, Em! Really appreciate that:)

[@mariahite5850]

This video was so helpful as I love rams and have been researching them for my aquarium. Thank you!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

All good! I am glad you found this video helpful 🙂

[@emmanuelV37]

This was an awesome video and so helpful!! Thank you as I will use this info when them picking out when I do get them! These were tips that I would've know or seen before! Your fish are gorgeous too!!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you, Emmanuel!

[@brittanywaterson5899]

Another top quality video Jus 😃 You have so much knowledge to share and the best rams that I have ever seen… awesome job😎

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thanks 🙏🏼 😊

[@janzychiewicz]

Great content, as usual! Your channel is probably the best GBR knowledge base on YT. Thanks man !

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Glad you think so! Thanks for watching it:)

[@davidmckenzie1514]

Great content. You're a natural communicator. Great looking Rams.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!!

[@breakingwind_sailing]

Very informative. Great to know what to look for when picking out from a store.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

I am so happy you found it informative 😄

[@johnmortelliti6105]

Great video! You can never do enough Ram videos.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

You got that right! I am glad you liked it:)

[@margaretasaarenpaa4239]

This is a video sent from heaven!!! I have preparing a tank for a pair of rams. I been doing a lot of reading about their natural habitats. I want to give them so close to the real environment as possible in a fish tank. This project is my birthday present to my self. Allways loved rams but they have been so expensive. Better late than never😊

[@mikedickerson4464]

Great informative video. I have several rams in my aquarium, now I am going to check each one out keeping in mind what I just learned. Awesome topic and presentation as usual!! Keep it up dude!! Mike Philadelphia, USA

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there, Mike! Thanks for such a positive comment! Glad this video could act as a bit of a guide for your selection process with rams. Remember, if you need any further info just contact me on Instagram. Always happy to help out 😄👍

[@joakimlarsen1879]

Interesting, informative and to-the-point video. And well recorded - both picture and sound.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much 😊 I really appreciate that 👍

[@domillima]

Awesome!

[@darrylmoore5847]

Outstanding video. I have not kept rams yet, but armed with this information that will hopefully change soon.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

I believe in you, Darryl! Go and dive right in to the rams. Just ensure you start with good stock 😀

[@theshrimpcorner2467]

Awesome upload. That black one is beautiful

[@JustinsFishRoom]

He is very beautiful 🤩 Thinking of giving him a name soon because he is definitely one of a kind 🙂

[@elainesantiago6868]

Great video!!!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much, Elaine!!

[@britishegg5498]

Another great video! I appreciate the info as I am looking into getting rams. Also, Beluga is perfect name wise. I vote keep it.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha cool beans! Thanks for the input and glad you found the video enjoyable to watch 😄

[@ThePaul555]

Thanks! I'm about to start my first Ram tank

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Oooh! How exciting!!!

[@dlioncoulthurst778]

Good Stuff Bro....Stay Safe....Hoorah!!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much 😊

[@fload46d]

Thank you. I think the Rams are the neatest fish. I hope to try and breed some and I find your videos very helpful.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

That’s great to hear! Definitely jump on board. It’s a really great challenge and rewarding fish to keep🙂👍

[@jpvaines]

Hi Justin, thank-you for another interesting/thought provoking video. Having now seen your rams I can see your appreciation of them - sadly I've only seen washed-out sub-par ones for sale. It's great to see specialist breeders who take parent selection so seriously. I was amazed at the genetic diversity within your closely related fish. I recently heard on a KZbin video - can't remember which one - that there is something within fish DNA that prevents the issues of in-breeding. I rescued a tank full of Emperor Tetras whose aquarium had begun leaking. They had started off as a small number of individuals about 20 years before. I'm now on an additional third generation of these fish and they are still very strong! The wonders of nature/biology!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha yes, biology is the most interesting subject! I am so glad you took a lot away from the video 😄

[@lachlanisaac]

Awesome video. So jealous. The main father really had fantastic colours, I see why those babies are so colourful. That large female is like a balloon ram. I wish I had blue/blacks, they are sooo cool + the orange is emphasised so nicely. Also find the lump very fascinating. The natural fish tanks are so cool, letting us see how the fish behave. Your mum's tank is very $$$$. lol. so cool.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha thanks Lachie!! How are your fish going? Yes the male and the female have produced some excellent fry!

[@livingportside]

Well done video and all things considered you got good video of the fish!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you for the input! Always appreciate positive comment like this 👍

[@KDemosh]

Haha, the lighting makes this look green screened, but then you lean back towards the tanks and the blue light changes how you look proving that it's not green screened. So neat, great video!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha I didn't even notice that! I am glad you enjoyed the video, Calvin:)

[@Aquafinity]

Excellent video! Nice info!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you!!

[@timmafee0]

nice one. I'm a bit over my angels. Looking at getting into rams. Beautiful fish

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Definitely! Rams are the best!!

[@gabesaquatics8495]

Rams are a delight! Thats a winner allday!

[@lauradecker4213]

I would love your rams! The quality ones.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

🙂👍

[@valleylakefishroom8825]

Very informative!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much!

[@ADHDAquatics]

I have really enjoyed watching your videos lately. Thank you ❤️ I hope to make some videos on rams too! I have 4 juvies now. They are so shy and won't come see me. I don't know why

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much! It’s always great to hear that you are liking the content🙂 They are naturally shy at that stage so just keep interacting with them and they should come out more once they know it’s safe to do so 👍👍

[@hamzabutt2010]

Nice info

[@pelhamsaquatics]

Very excellant information on these beautiful rams! I’ve not yet attempted to keep these yet let alone breed them, but after watching this, I might just give them a try. Those black rams and all the others are so gorgeouse. Thanks so much Justin🙂👍🏻 Oh by the way I picked up my L144 lemon blue eye bn pleco pair today, and they look great! I’ll try and video them on my channel, if I can get some decent footage🎬

[@JustinsFishRoom]

That’s awesome! Definitely go into it with a bit of info by your side and you should flourish! That’s great to hear an update about your plecos! Send me the link to your video on Instagram🙂👍

[@pelhamsaquatics]

Justin's Fishroom so far I’m just on KZbin, I will look into Instagram🙂👍🏻

[@christyritton9093]

Hi! I just found your channel. I’m planning to buy some rams soon and have been doing lots of research. Thanks for the info! Wish you sold in the US. Would love a black ram from you!

[@camouk2253]

Thank you.

[@goodgravy3047]

What a brilliant job you do explaining the fish and showing the fish up close. Well done! It's a beautiful tank. It's difficult to figure out what size the tank is in video and how many Rams you have in a non-breeding tank. How big is it?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you so much 🙂👍 it is a 200 litre with about 80 Rams in it in total (young juveniles included)

[@calebwatson3023]

Getting good pictures of fish can be difficult. Your fish look awesome!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thanks, Caleb👍 I really appreciate the positivity:)

[@lindaclontz3634]

Beautiful. Fish

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thank you, Linda!

[@Bobby11]

It is sad to see any fish with sunken bellies :( a lot of useful information. great work!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hey Bobby! Glad you found this useful!😄

[@daviddornblaser4512]

Hi Justin, nice videos. What size are your Ram tanks?

[@johnjams4]

That head bump on the celestial ram is a Cichlid trait but haven't seen it on dwarf species before. Very cool!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Yeah! It’s very interesting and I have only seen this on my rams that I produce. It’s a shame that the rams you get in the shop don’t seem to have this trait

[@johnjams4]

@@JustinsFishRoom They must be real alphas for it to come through, shows your're breeding good fish.

[@gabesaquatics8495]

@@johnjams4 Impressive look, have to say!

[@MrGoldenArms357]

Enjoy your content. I just got into rams, specifically the electric blues. Can you point me to all your videos on them? I gotta pick your brain. Those black rams are looking interesting too...

[@drewsta005]

Great info on rams! Love it! I have a balloon body GBR, can they pair with regular GBRs?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there mate! Yes, definitely. These fish are a part of the same species and so can definitely create viable offspring. However, it is not necessarily good to combine balloon with non-balloon as this can create oblong fish that are not appealing to stores or other people looking at taking your fish off you. That is of course unless you have other plans for those fish (i.e. just keeping them for your own enjoyment:))

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

Awesome video and advice Sir. Thank you for sharing. Can you share more on the planted tanks in the background. Like substrates, plants and growing and requirements also fertilizer etc. Can you use the O G father with a daughter to increase colors in next generation since the original female is retired from breeding

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Great suggestion! I will have to add that to the ever-growing list of ideas but it is something I could easily do a mid-week video on🤔 That OG pair are so inseparable I wouldn’t have the heart to take them apart. They have been together even before I bought them so I am just letting them enjoy the remainder of their lives together. These fish are also my pets or a part of my extended family and I have gotten to know them very well so sometimes I have to put profit and the hobby aside and let them be. But if you were set on breeding these beyond what I am doing then that could be something you could do🙂👍

[@CrowntailHalfmoon]

@@JustinsFishRoom Thank you Sir for reply. I know understand... I was just thinking from a breeders perspective.... although I've no luck with rams... I'm going with the concept if he's a breeder or traits i would like to keep i would try and breed him especially for double inbreed line just to enhance his gorgeous color etc... What's your thoughts on parent x offspring breeding especially in rams...

[@JustinsFishRoom]

That is a very fair perspective to have, my friend🙂👍 I agree with people who do it as ram and fish genetics in general are very conservative among individuals of the species and this occur acne has no great impact on the genetic viability of the offspring. So if you want to do that then that is perfectly acceptable. But just remember to do an outcross occasionally to make the fish look a lot more impressive 🙂👍

[@yvonnepallan7210]

Hi Justin, which is the dorsal fleck? Do you mean the dorsal fin at the top? Thank you for the information

[@cadenfisher7701]

Great video Justin! Your GBRs are stunning! What are the main differences between balloon rams and regular rams?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Thanks! The main difference is that the balloon rams tend to be less sexually dimorphic. So you have to look more at the vibrancy of the colour and the shape of the fine. Another method is to look at the spine of the fish and ensure there is no kinks as this can cause huge swim bladder issues later down the line 🙂👍

[@kathryncastanares525]

@@JustinsFishRoom I think I have Balloon rams, but when I was sold them, I was told they were "angel rams". When I look up angel rams, I don't find anything on that name, so I believe mine are the balloons. Tho, they are plump or bloated looking in any way. They are just as slender as the normal rams, but with shorter bodies. Anyway, absolutely love your fish. They are the best I've ever seen. I am a new sub and happy to have found your channel. Tfs!!

[@derekprosser3253]

Bro you have the best Rams! How do you keep them so thick? Mine are much more narrow… how often do you feed them?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi Derek! I have just bred them for the shape and feed them good quality homemade wet food. Check out my other video on homemade discus food🙂👍

[@CheeseyLION]

Hey Justin! How many rams do you have breeding per tank? Also do you separate the fry into another tank once they come out of the eggs?

[@AaronBarnardyoutuber]

Hey Justin I need your help erm I brought a pair of German blue rams and I’ve had them for just over a week and I’m having trouble getting them to breed

[@evita1643]

1 of my 5 bolivian rams also had a sunken in belly. It was a pickup order due to covid so couldn't pick them out myself sadly. She is still alive, her belly isn't sunken in anymore but she sure isn't as plump as the other females. Since she is adorable & very interactive ive decided to keep her, if she does spawn one day i wont raise her fry. Dont think she will spawn tho since the males are clearly keen on the other two females haha

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Very impressed with your good breeder’s attitude!!! Choosing to not breed with a female is a very necessary part of maintaining a good blood line. I know Bolivian rams are a lot more hardy than their distant GBR relatives but the same breeding rules apply😃👍

[@sofieboyce6258]

Hi there i have two rams but dont have sand a life plants would you recommend doing this??

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Yes, this will be the best thin g to mimic their natural havitat

[@fishlifetv1617]

hello Justin, my other pair spawned again and this time I removed the eggs added an airstone and a few drops of methylyne blue, its been 24hrs now, just wondering when do I need to do a water change? its in a small container like a gallon of icecream, no eggs are turning white as of now, been watching all of your videos, learned so much on keeping rams, looking forward for more updates!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there! Glad you find the videos useful😄 You can do a water change as soon as they are free swimming or even when they are a day old. It doesn’t matter but I would say the sooner the better. If you have anymore questions don’t hesitate to ask me through Instagram too👍

[@fishlifetv1617]

@@JustinsFishRoom sure! thanks! is it also okay to add methylyne blue if the water is turning clear? I added community tank water on the container, the water evaporates too quickly because of the airstone, the eggs are like brown or amber is that ok? I also added 1 drop of methylyne blue to prevent fungus growth

[@WatersOfLife3]

Even the lower quality ones can get some love, just spend a little more time bringing them to life

[@roywadey1894]

Good advice Justin, but doesn't the colouration depend on the mood of the fish and how stressed they are in that environment? If you separated the less colourful specimens to their own aquarium might they not become just as colourful as the more dominant fish in your colony? B. T. W. how big is your colony tank and how many Rams do you have in there?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there Roy! What you are saying is very true Alan’s this does happen. However, in this case I can move those variants from tank to tank and they will not change👍 Hope this answers your question 🙂

[@nasrialarayedh114]

How about when geting them from the fish shop or choosing them from the fish shop. As my experience fish in the fish shop there color are Faded. Do i use the same method?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

If they are faded then just use the size of the fins etc to help you decide 🙂👍

[@KingsAquariumsAndAntWorld]

Awesome video Justin! Very informative!! I would call him Kong or king Kong!! Btw do you have a email?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there! Great name suggestions. Yo can contact me through my FB page. You can find it @Aussie Ram Farm

[@michaelmachos8969]

Justin! Your grow out tank is inspiring me to add the parents back to the 38 gallon GBR fry tank!!! Tomorrow is day 70. What do you think?!!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

They are at that age where it should be fine. One thing to consider is, due to the pair not having other rams around, ensure there are a lot of hiding places for the juveniles to escape if need be. They will quarrel in the beginning but will eventually settle down. Also, if you have a particularly aggressive male I would start with only a few juveniles and see how he goes with them🙂👍

[@guitardave3028]

I'm inspired by your fishroom dustin...i've located some long finned rams that will be ready in about a month....thanks!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Great! Hope all goes well and keep me updated - always here if you need any one to bounce ideas off of👍

[@michaelmachos8969]

@@JustinsFishRoom I did it! Mom and dad are back with fry! Over one day and all seems to be going well :)

[@harshar6583]

Can I keep Luke young rams of 2 pairs in a 20 gallon hope you reply

[@cichlidrich6589]

Do you guys in aus have competitions for best quality tropical fish? If you do, enter your rams buddy they are honestly the best rams i ever seen.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

That is very nice of you, my friend! If there was a comp I would love to enter my nice pairs in but unfortunately I don’t know if any😪

[@sasikafish]

Hi .. I bought two Germen blue rams 😃 . They are too young I think still 3 months . Both have pink bellies . But one ram has a large dorsal fin ray . Should I wait a few more days to see if it's exactly a couple, or pick up a few more rams? Can I cross them with Bolivian rams 🥺

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there, my friend🙂 send me pictures of your two GBRs on Instagram and I will be able to tell you if you have a male and a female or not. I regards to species hybridisation, this cannot happen. Due to the two fish being from two different species the fertility rate would be low or the embryo will quickly die of genetic complications due to inconsistencies in the combined DNA. Let me know if I can clarify any of this further 🙂👍

[@sasikafish]

​@@JustinsFishRoom I'm not Active in Instagram my friend ; But If u have any email address I can send my GBR's photos . One of my Bolivian sheep's mouth is red and looks like a wound 🥺. Can you tell me a little treatment? If you have an email, I'll send you a photo ⭕Since both species ( GBR X BR ) belong to the genus Mikrogeophagus, at least there is no spawn?😁

[@allanahcarsience1344]

Hey justin, how do you feel about putting a female in a medium/large tank (36gallon) with a Blue Spot Gourami?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there Allanah!! Just answered your message on my other platform🙂 Hope the answer helps

[@monsterwithsandeeptha]

Hi..brooo I want to know Is This your Ram, tank.. Isnt have Any Algee eters.. Arnt thay eat Ram's egs..??

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there mate. I think I know what you are trying to say 🙂 I don’t have any algae eaters besides three oto catfish and they manage to do a great job without eating any fish eggs👍

[@longwang2479]

My ph is above 8, do I need to use ro and tap water mix for my rams?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Yes, I highly recommend you use RO water to bring this pH down. The range should be between 6.0 and 7.0 so this is too high. But don’t worry. Just make sure you do this from now on and your rams will be very happy fish😃

[@zoraidacusano6555]

Good morning do you mail pair to USA ?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

No sorry:(

[@jojox1760]

Hey man, do you sell your GBRs? Thanks

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there! Yes, I do👍 Only in Australia. You can check out my Facebook page Aussie Ram Farm where I post updates. Message me on FB if you have any questions about the page😀

[@andrelommerse]

Do you only breed rams? and do you sell them online like keeping fish simple?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there, Andre! I also breed plecos (L-number, peppermints, bristlenoses). I will be breeding discus once they are ready too. I am set up to sell online once I rebuild my stock:)

[@andrescott2794]

I like to get 1more Ram I have had to Blue Ram but they Did on me I just got throw look at your youtube videos but I just can't keep them a live I have a10g tank and i keep My Tank at 82 and 79 and my PH at 6.0 so can you help me with this

[@JustinsFishRoom]

I would suggest doing one of two things. 1) you could try look at getting some local bred rams and seeing if they do better on your setup OR 2) I would suggest doing a lot of small water changes on that setup due to being on the smaller side for rams Hope this helps. Send me a message on Instagram if you want to send me pictures of your setup so I can help you more 🙂

[@janellechew6193]

Hi Justin, I think I bought a German blue ram but i don't see the black dot on the side. It has really started to color up. What does this mean?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

This could be something is innocuous as just a colour variant of the GBR known as a Holland blue ram. Or it could be something more sinister and be a colour change due to stress from illness or conditions. I would do some water tests and see where you stand with water parameters. Then go from there 🙂👍

[@janellechew6193]

@@JustinsFishRoom thank you!!! Your rams are just gorgeous! I finally found what appears to be a pair on a road trip the had great color in the pet store so hoping once i get then in my tank they might look like yours. Thank you for all the terrific work you show us!

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Awesome!! Now you can just work on improving the line and you will have some stunners in no time 👍

[@nickw4368]

Is the sunken in belly only the hormone treated? Or are there other Signs to tell?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Yeah, there are a few signs such as stunted growth or fish that are very hard to sex at maturity etc

[@nickw4368]

@@JustinsFishRoom you said it is possible to send you pictures of the rams. Can I find you on IG and send them? One I believe is treated but I'm not sure about my balloon ram.

[@tinadoyle3803]

What temperature do the GBR prefer ?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Mine are good at 28°C

[@tinadoyle3803]

Thanks Justin.

[@tombradyandme]

So what happens when you get low quality males that are dominant and they breed with multiple females?

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hi there, mate! I actually don’t get a male mating with multiple females in my tank. Only pairs will mate there. If they do breed I just leave them in the community tank and let them bond over the spawn but the spawn will eventually get lost with all the other fish in there. Hope this helps🙂

[@StoneE4]

1:53 - You spotted them spawning in the corner of your eye? That's pretty unorthodox... It will probably cause pink eye as well.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Haha probably 👀

[@alfredogama9791]

I want to buy some rams 1 make and 2 females but I’m afraid my dwarf gouramis will attack them

[@JustinsFishRoom]

I think the rams will be okay 👍

[@sovavalorant4589]

at what temperature do you suggest keeping rams at ? i don't use any heater for aquarium because i live in country with warm climate my water at room temperature is around 25 - 28 normally, and 30- 32 C in summers.

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Those temps are perfect for rams🙂

[@gr3123]

Give the old stud ram a new woman haha

[@JustinsFishRoom]

Hahaha I think he moved onto another female:( But I don't think he is fertile anymore but we shall see.

[@siddharthmarathe4235]

Hi Justin, you really have a good collection of rams. I would like to buy good quality rams from you. Can you please let me know if it is possible for you to send fish to India?