# German Blue Ram CICHLID



## jdt28 (Jan 25, 2010)

Hello,
I recently obtained a pair of blue rams,however one has just gone to the great aquarium in the sky.Can anyone please tell me what is the best way to identify between male or female so i can replace it and keep a pair....I have contrasting info from various websites so somebody that keeps them could help me please.


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## Guest (May 30, 2010)

Pairing up Dwarf cichlids can be tricky, and normally the best way to do it is to obtain a small group and allow individuals to pair off naturally. 

Sexing Rams is really only possible with mature specimens. Extended caudal rays, extended 3rd and 4th dorsal rays and a narrower head profile are all features of a male. However, females can also exhibit some of these features, so they 
aren't guaranteed methods.

Differences in the ventrical profiles are a slightly more accurate way of telling the two sexes apart. The ventrical area of the male is often more visibly tapered back than that of the female, and the ventrical area of the female is usually larger.

Unfortunately, it's not a simple case of just sticking two cichlids together in the same tank. Even if you do end up with a male and female, they won't necessarily pair up and the risk of one of the fish being beaten to death through territorial behaviour is fairly significant.


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