# German balloon rams



## ntiggr2

Has anyone ever heard of balloon rams? I have three gold ones and love them. I have been looking for the blue balloon rams (the coloration is the same as the GBR) but none of the LFS seem to have heard of them. the gold ones I received as a Christmas gift from my nephews and were sold to them as the regular Gold rams. Definitely not. I went to the LFS store where my nephews got the gold balloon rams and they insisted that they were NOT balloon rams. LOL, apparently they don't know what they're selling. And yes, I do know what the original gold rams look like because I used to own two.
Anyway...after rambling on and on...has anyone ever seen them or know of a place online that I can order them?
Thanks


----------



## The Flying Dutchman

Yes, I have heard of them. They are breedlings and not all people like
them because they find they are deformed. I don't know if there is a totally blue form. 




Ron


----------



## MediaHound

Wow, beautiful, never seen them. Perhaps Pete (lagniappe) has, I'll send him a PM with a link to the thread.


----------



## lagniappe

I have wanted these for as long as I can remember . The main producers are in Taiwan .Apparently their bodies are shortened by rearing them in water with very high levels of zinc but YuTaKa Loo's experiences suggest otherwise(see link). The 'super veil' or 'angel veil' have often been marketed as 'balloon' but they have normal bodies .

http://www.geocities.com/yutaka_loo/index.html


----------



## ntiggr2

Hmmm. Deformed. I wonder if 'deformed' means that it's just different than what we usually see in a GBR or if it's something else? I know my gold balloons are the most active in my tank. Quick little suckers.
I got a friend of mine to send me a pic of his.
Here it is:


----------



## lagniappe

Looks good!
Perhaps you guys could help me get a few ?


----------



## ntiggr2

I wish. I can't get them either. The fish I posted the pics of are in Texas. Apparently, they are readily available there. I have checked with small LFS to large chains in my area and nada, zip, zilch. Most have never heard of them. Can't find them for sale online either. 
Let me know if you have any luck finding them.
Good luck.


----------



## lagniappe

That's wild! I had only just arrived in Beaumont ,Tx. when I posted that . I'll be in Houston later. Perhaps I'll get a chance to check out the LFS's.
I've ordered this fish countless times ,from several countries , and it was either out of stock or they shipped the wrong thing(super veil...).


----------



## ntiggr2

WooHoo!!! Found them at a pet store in Lexington, VA. He's ordering more and will have 3 for me Fri.
I can't wait....


----------



## The Flying Dutchman

Congrats, lucky girl

So we have pictures saturday?

Ron


----------



## ntiggr2

Absolutely.


----------



## The Flying Dutchman

wow, you know the colors they have?


----------



## ntiggr2

I emailed him the pic I posted of my friends balloon rams and he told me that was what he had and is ordering again plus he has the gold ones in stock.
Keeping fingers crossed, but this guy has a very good reputation and has been in the business forever.


----------



## The Flying Dutchman

Exciting, I hope all goes well, hope our member lagniappe reads this as he
is desperately seeking this fish.


----------



## MediaHound

Congrats!


----------



## ntiggr2

Thanks.
I'll ask the store owner who his supplier is and see if they ship to individual people. If not, I'll ask if he's willing to ship to lagniappe personally. If so, I'll post it and also send him a PM.

Donna


----------



## ntiggr2

I got 'em!. They actually have more color than the pics show. And for some reason, the gourami seems to have adopted them. Posted another one in my album.

lagniappe, LFS owner is checking to see if his suppliers will ship, if this is what you're looking for. Will let you know when he gets back to me.


----------



## lagniappe

Those look good ! I'm glad you found some. 
In the other pic I noticed one having a red belly . Perhaps you got a pair.


----------



## ntiggr2

Pretty sure I have two female and one male. One is still in hiding in a plant.

The Flying Dutchman - I now know what you mean about some people not liking them and thinking they are deformed. When you look at them, they don't look like they could possibly swim normally. The fins look tiny compared to the body. Just like my gold ones tho, they are very active and can propel themselves backward quickly before turning around and swimming.
Cool to watch. I could have a whole tank of them and never be bored.

Donna


----------



## The Flying Dutchman

Congrats Donna, those are beautiful. Glad to hear they are active swimmers.
They must feel themselves happy.

Ron


----------



## Henry Wollentin

Hallo,

ich habe 2 Fragen:

Ist es richtig, dass dies Zuchtformen von _Microgeophagus altispinosus_sind ?

Warum nennt ihr diese Tiere "german balloon rams"? In Deutschland werden solche Zuchten als "Qualzuchten" bezeichnet und die Haltung und Zucht ist verboten. Verantwortungsbewusste Züchter lehnen solche Formen ab.

------------------------------------------

Hello, 

I have 2 questions: 

Is it correct that this breed forms of Microgeophagus altispinosus? 

Why do you call these animals "German balloon ram" ? In Germany such breed forms are called "Qualzuchten" and the attitude and breed is forbidden. Conscious breeders reject such forms.


----------



## ntiggr2

The ones in the pictures are a form of Microgeophagus ramirezi, or german blue ram, or just blue ram.

I believe the Microgeophagus altispinosus is called a Bolivian ram. They have the same body type, but are different colors.

The reason I said "balloon" is they have shorter bodies than normal german blue rams. 

I'm guessing the reason they've been forbidden is due to being bio/genetically altered?

Donna


----------



## Henry Wollentin

Sorry Donna,

I meant also _Microgeophagus ramirezi_. I confounded the names, because I was in hurry .

Breed forms with deformations are forbidden in Germany. We regard it as cruelty to animals. Further examples are Balloon-Mollys and Red-Parrot-Cichlids <-- I hope the name is correct . 

I think that nature offers as much beauty that anyone doesn't need it .


----------



## ntiggr2

No problem. 

I can see why a lot of them are banned, and I think the U.S. should ban a few too. I was in a lfs today and saw some type of goldfish that were so round and short that they just wiggled their way around, and it didn't look easy. They couldn't actually swim.
It was rather sad.

Donna


----------

