Bolivian Ram

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albirdy

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 5, 2008
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Bay area, California
How should bolivian rams be kept? Can they be kept singly, in pairs, or large single male to female ratio?

Let me know.

Also, 20 gal. Yeah, no monster tank yet :)

And could you please Sex my Ram, please? M or F? I think it's a female.

fishy 8-14-08 003.JPG

bolivian ram first day 81408 003.JPG
 
small groups, more females than males is what i do with almost any fish.

not sure if its male or female.

but i'll [bump] it so maybe someone can tell you
 
they are a good community fish. They tend to 'fight' between themselves but it is more posturing and show than fight.

Great little fish for a tank. I have 7 spread out over my two tanks.
 
here you go...
General Information: The Bolivian Ram is a delightful dwarf Cichlid originating from Bolivia and Brazil. Wild caught specimens seem to be rare and most found in the hobby are captive bred. The Bolivian Ram can be quite variable in it's colouration and body markings, some having predominantly grey bodies whereas others show orange, yellow and pink hues. This Ram grows larger than it's Venezuelan relative the Blue Ram but exhibits the same placid nature making it ideal for a community tank. The Bolivian Ram's availability seems to be vary from place to place but on the whole the Blue Ram does seem to be more commonly available.
Care Information: The Bolivian Ram is not particularly difficult to care for, as long as stable water chemistry is maintained and Nitrates kept below 25 ppm. They are happy in quite a large pH range and do not require the very soft acidic water often recommended for Blue Rams, a GH of 4 - 12 degrees is fine for these fish. The Bolivian Ram would ideally be kept in a mixed sex pair, if possible you should buy several young Rams and allow them to pair off naturally, once you have a pair you should return the others. The Bolivian is quite a gentle Cichlid and it is not recommended to be kept in a more aggressive Cichlid community. It can be kept with another pair(s) of small non-aggessive Cichlids such as Blue Rams in a tank of 29 gallons or larger. An ideal aquarium would be well planted and have a number of caves or similar hiding places for the fish to retreat. Dither fish such as smaller Tetras and Rasboras help to alleviate any shyness. These fish are not fussy eaters and will accept flake, sinking tablets and small cichild pellets. Frozen and live bloodworm, black mosquito larvae and brine shrimp are all relished.
Breeding Information: Sexing of younger Bolivian Rams is very difficult, they do become sexually dimorphic as they grow. The most obvious difference is that males display much longer extensions on the caudal fin and often also on the dorsal fin. Fully grown males are usually larger than the females and often display more colour in the body. Breeding can take place at a range of pH and hardness levels although an increase in temperature to 82-84 degrees is often required. Nitrate levels should be kept as low as possible. A number of smooth flat stones placed on the substrate will form a suitable spawning site but some pairs dig spawning pits instead. The Bolivian Ram is generally a very good parent and seems to be less inclined to eat it's eggs as is often the case with Blue Rams. Fry must be fed micro foods to begin with, vinegar eels for example. It is vital that Nitrate levels are kept extremely low as the fry are very sensitive to it and may die.

Don
 
cute little guy
 
They love to be in large groups much like their larger realitives in Satanoperca and Geophagus. In a 20 gallon though, you wouldn't want to do more than 2 though.

There is a blue ram in the pic though, not a bolivian ram.
 
Yeah I was about to say, that does not look like a Bolivian to me, looks like a German Blue Ram. Either way, in a 20G I'd say a pair is the way to go.
 
my second favorite fish 2 keep after angels havent tryed discus so yea they are in my top 3
 
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