Bolivian Rams

[Viperboy]

Ok so you know im been wanting to get a pair or 3 bolivians for my 29gal but have yet to find any in my area. Well im happy to say that today i found some but it was not exactly what i was planning on. Today i decided to check out Petsmart and see if it had white gravel for fairly cheap (like 25lbs bag) cause im gonna use it for my blue crayfish 10gal. While i was there i decided to just take a gander at their tanks .... well low and behold i saw a tank of bolivian rams that at first glance there was about 10 good ones that seemed in good shape so i was about to call a lady over to get three just when i noticed one of them start to swim side ways and not look too good. Then i also took a closer look and in the back one fish was laying on the gravel and i assumed it to be dead. So i decided not to get any even though i really wanted to .... but if i waited a week and went back and they still have some that seem good would it be ok to get em?

Ray

PS They also had a tank of dwarf puffers and now im thinking about getting some of them for my other 10gal but i bet they would eat my 4 glowlights in there so i dk ... but when did Petsmart start having cool fish

 

[Zagz]

Have you checked with a local aquarium society to see if there are any breeders near you? I don't imagine the rams will stay at the lfs long enough to see if they are in good shape.

I have been advised that many rams from the lfs's aren't of the best quality and getting them from a breeder is preferable. I got my GBR's from a local breeder.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Also, I just found out that I had to remove the 3rd Bolivian from the 29G when they decided to spawn. So if you are wanting Bolivians and hoping for a pair, I'd just get 2 in a 29G. Then you won't have complications later. The 3 worked just fine in my 75G because it's so big, but too small for 3 in a 29G if you have a pair that is spawning.

 

[Viperboy]

Well im not sure if these is a freshwater fish soceity around kansas city but i have looked for a while and cant really find one ... a lot of salt water ones though .
But the reason i planned on getting 3 was because i wanted to be sure i got a male and female and odds are out of 3 u have a pair cause i cant sex them at the store and i know for sure that Petsmart employees cant. But if they are there in a week when i go back i think get em

On a side note would serpae tetras be good with glowlight tetras? Or dwarf puffers?

Ray

 

[Jchillin]

I would leave those Bolivians where they are. Chances are very good that the entire tank will not recover from what is ocurring. Have you tried a search via google for a local aquarium society? I can't imagine there isn't at least one in KC.

(Note - I moved thread to the new Cichlid Discussion forum)

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Not sure about puffers, never had them, but serpaes will go ok with glowlites. No problems there. Also, check for rummy nose tetras.

 

[rich311k]

Dwarf puffers are very nippy and should be kept in a species tank.

 

[Viperboy]

So i did get the serpae tetras but i put em in my 29gal and kicked out my gold gourami ... but at the good LFS i went to today they had one bolivian ram and i was suprised ... the guy i trust there said they might be getting a few more in next thur ... so if they do imma swipe 2 or 3 up

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Cool, you will like them. And if they are small, it's fun watching them grow up, then pair off if you have a female in with a male. And they may look kind of dull when small, but when they start to mature, the yellows, golds, blues, and reds come out. Especially if you have pristine water conditions.

 

[JRagg]

Viperboy

I'm trying to get back into the fishkeeping thing and I live in Olathe. What LFS have you found in the KC area? I've had a hard time finding any that keep freshwater fish (that are not chain stores).

 

[Jaybird]

I've recently purchased a third bolivian. They are a fantastic fish. My other two turned out to be male. As they mature, they are a little easier to sex. The males tend to get long filaments on their tails. When they are young, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference.

The bolivians are tough little buggers. I've had about six GBRs die on me for no reason, but the bolivians haven't even twitched! Somewhere I even posted a picture of my dominant male facing down a firemouth. Heh, that was funny to watch.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Actually, they aren't as easy to sex as you might think. I have 3, 2 males and a female. The female even has extentions on the tail. But she is smaller than the other 2. Were the same size when I got them, but the female, when becoming more mature, stays smaller and a little plumper. Other than that, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. And I know she's a female because she's layed eggs 7 times now.

 

[Jaybird]

Really? I thought only the males got the tail extensions, guess I was wrong. Is there any truth to the height of the second dorsal spine? I read that the second spine was much longer in males than females.

I just got a third bolivian (hoping for a female) and he/she is being very well protected by my geophagus. He keeps doing this mating dance for the new bolivian (he used to do it for the keyholes), but the bolivian doesn't give him a second glance. Any other fish going too close to the new bolivian, when he is around, gets chased off very quickly. Ah, my dysfunctional tank

 

[Lonewolfblue]

As for the dorsal fin, both my male and female look very similar. The only difference I notice, like stated above, is the female is a bit smaller in size.

I just looked at my female again. She doesn't have quite the extensions on the tale as the males do, but does have them. Just short ones.

 

[Jaybird]

I've been told that they are hard to tell apart. With luck, the new one will be female, and my geophagus will let one of the males near. Sheesh!

If Viperboy could get three healthy bolivians, I would recommend them. They are an attractive fish, very hardy, and interactive. They don't seem to mysteriously die like GBRs.

 

[maxwell1295]

'Luck' is the key word here. I still haven't seen anyone give a definite way of sexing Bolivians. I have bought at least 6 fish trying every method known to man and they still ended up fighting with one another. I've either gotten all males or all females. I now have 3 of them in a 30gal long and they fight too. Nothing major though, just a few minor squirmishes here and there.

 

[Jaybird]

The three of mine fight a little. The most is between the non-dominant male and the new little one......but nobody goes near the new little one if the geophagus is around.

I wish there was an easier way with bolivians. It is sooo much easier with GBRs.

 

[JRagg]

There is a whole load of Bolivian rams at Petsmart in Overland park (115th and Metcalf). If that's still what you're looking for I'd check into those viper. There were some healthy ones in there, and some that looked mediocre.