Where to get rams?

[Kissyboots]

Anybody know where they sell rams? For some reason neither my local Petco nor my local Petsmart has them. Pets Inc.'s website doesn't have them either, which is weird. GBRs or Bolivian rams are fine. But where are they?!?

 

[brian1973]

I have never seen the in petco or petsmart either. The only store's I have found them in where the smaller owner operated stores.

 

[FishGeek]

The only other place I could suggest is AquaBid.

 

[Kissyboots]

Hmmm, just checked AquaBid and they only sell rams in 6 or 12 packs. Not just two.
I guess I'll have to go with a fish that Petco has, cuz I really don't want 6!
If I can't have rams, I'll get whatever else the pet stores have here. Thanks for the help though.

 

[Pure]

Kissy, the 6 you get from AB are probably from a private breeder, this means better genetics for you. Also the 6 you get will be very young, leaving you room in the tank for them to grow out. Just once you get a pair sell/trade/give your extras to a LFS. Pretty much any store will except free rams that are in good condition. The whole process of growing them and pairing them shouldn't take more than 6 months or so.

IME with rams and availability (several different cities) Pretty much none of the chain stores have them. Once in a blue moon you may see some. So that leaves you to the mom n pops. If you go to a normal mom n pop store and ask I'm sure most of them can get them for you. You just have to ask. If your limited to chain stores then online is going to be your best bet. People sell them in bundles of 6 for breeding purposes but it also doesn't make much financial sense to ship 2 small fish for 25 bucks when you can get 10 small fish sent to you for the same amount.

Personally for rams that are going into my tanks I would go with the private breeder. IME/IMO The fish are of a much better quality. The Asian imports I've been seeing over the last yr or so are becoming pathetic. Inbreeding is getting out of hand.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

My LFS seems to always have rams, both both types and both colorforms.

I'd agree with pure though on the growing out to pair them up. Some aquabid auctions list the seller's website, check it out and see if they sell them that way.

I'll keep my eyes pealed for you.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

For the record, "Rkeiger" on Aquabid the guy selling lots of rams right now is a good guy, in my local club. Some nice fish.

 

[brooklynfish]

Do you live by a ma and pa fish store. I know that several of mine have rams.

 

[Kissyboots]

Do you live by a ma and pa fish store. I know that several of mine have rams.

Never heard of it.

 

[Pure]

Ma and pa refers to small local owned (non chain) stores. They are more often willing to work with you on ordering special interest fish where chain stores are normally locked in what they can get.

 

[Kissyboots]

Nope, none here then. There was one called Ocean Art Aquariums but I don't even know what they sold. They closed shortly before I got addicted to fish...now there's basically only Petco, Petsmart, and Pets Inc. (which is farther away), oh and Walmart (which doesn't count at all.) That's it. Forget about the rams then, I'll see what else Petco has on our next "cricket" trip.

 

[Fuzz16]

rams from the lfs normally dont tend to live very long either most times...their inbred and not hardy so your best bet would really be going with aquabid.

 

[Kissyboots]

Just found out today that they have GBRs and something gold rams at Pets Inc. They're really tiny, only like an inch.

 

[Pure]

The gold ram is just another color morph of the German Blue. They boys are actually very pretty once they become mature.

Here was one of my females

Here is a pic of a pretty male gold and blue. (sorry bout the image..was my old digicam)