Bolivian ram

[grace130994]

Just throwing it out there, would someone with any experience/knowledge of Bolivian rams PLEASE do a profile for them?

 

[Reygan2]

Just throwing it out there, would someone with any experience/knowledge of Bolivian rams PLEASE do a profile for them?

I've had one for several months now, and I think they're great. I don't know enough to do a profile though. MIne pretty much stays near the bottom of the tank. He is very curious and comes to the front of the tank when he sees me. Interestingly enough he hides when others come. I think he recognizes who feeds him.
Anyway, he is thriving on flakes, frozen blood worms, pellets, mysis and brine shrimp. I feed sparingly and rotate these foods. He charges at any tankmate that gets too close to his "spot", which sometimes is the entire bottom of the tank. He leaves the neon tetras alone though.
My ph is 7, temp is 76, and I do weekly 40-50% pwc's. This keeps my nitrates around 5. I think they are sensitive to higher nitrate levels.
He's not as colorful as the other rams, but still beautiful. He was a great addition to my 29g community.
Hope this helps a little.

 

[grace130994]

Thank you so much! That's the kind of stuff I wanted to hear, my mum brought me one just because she saw them and thought they were beautiful but he was very shy and had almost no colour to him at all (my mum chose him because she thought his colours where really nice in the shop) so I left him for a week or so to colour up but didn't so I got another to try and cheer him up a bit and it worked they are both beautiful colours now, the only concern I had was that they never go near the top of the tank even at feeding time and I read a few times online that they are 'bottom middle and top' so was worried whether there was anything up them...


Mine are always curious as well when I come to the tank, I think there wonderful fish to keep

 

[Reygan2]

Thank you so much! That's the kind of stuff I wanted to hear, my mum brought me one just because she saw them and thought they were beautiful but he was very shy and had almost no colour to him at all (my mum chose him because she thought his colours where really nice in the shop) so I left him for a week or so to colour up but didn't so I got another to try and cheer him up a bit and it worked they are both beautiful colours now, the only concern I had was that they never go near the top of the tank even at feeding time and I read a few times online that they are 'bottom middle and top' so was worried whether there was anything up them...


Mine are always curious as well when I come to the tank, I think there wonderful fish to keep

I have never seen mine go to the top for food. That is why I like sinking pellets. Usually some flakes will sink and make it past the the angels and neons and he gets a bite or two. Frozen bloodworms and shrimp sink too. I advise against any freeze dried foods. Congrats on your new ram! Do you have 2 males or one of each?

 

[Fish-n-beer-guy]

Mine basically do the same. I practically have to drop the food on their heads to get them to eat. Are there any other fish in the tank?

 

[Laser]

Mine go to the top for food and I feed them 3 times a day. I feed them sinking pellets too but they go up after them before they can sink. Mine had almost no color when I brought them home. 3 have colored up nicely and 1 still has just a little color but he/she is just as healthy as the rest as far as I can tell. I love these fish and I'm glad I got them.

 

[Tetra1990]

My 2 rams are pretty good. The highest I've ever seen them in the water column was when I added them to the tank lol. They don't really like others in 'their' spot. Just chasing, not any nipping. I feed mine sinking shrimp pellets. It's true, not as colorful as other fish but I don't mind. Full of personality.

 

[absolutangel04]

Yeah, I have had my current br boy for over a year and he had never gone to the top for food. I think some of that depends on the tank size and tankmates though. My boy is not exceptionally colored, but he just came from a chain store, so I doubt there was such thought put into his breeding. The girls are pretty feisty, but my boys have always gotten along really well.

 

[Tetra1990]

And one more thing I forgot to add. I added 8 Blackskirt tetras to my tank with my 2 bolivians. The active tetras bring out the bolivians out of their shyness.

 

[grace130994]

I have never seen mine go to the top for food. That is why I like sinking pellets. Usually some flakes will sink and make it past the the angels and neons and he gets a bite or two. Frozen bloodworms and shrimp sink too. I advise against any freeze dried foods. Congrats on your new ram! Do you have 2 males or one of each?

I'm not sure what sex they are they are still only small (I don't know whether that makes a difference haha) but I think they are probably the same sex as they aren't that different to each other in shape size etc but I find them so interesting especially when they go around the tank together, also they do this thing where they seem to steal each other out but then just swim away

 

[grace130994]

Mine basically do the same. I practically have to drop the food on their heads to get them to eat. Are there any other fish in the tank?

I have 1 Dalmatian Molly with 2 fry (but in breeding net) 6 neon tetras, and 3 guppies, they all mind their own business and don't really 'hang around' in the same areas but the first ram is a lot more active since getting the second

 

[grace130994]

Mine go to the top for food and I feed them 3 times a day. I feed them sinking pellets too but they go up after them before they can sink. Mine had almost no color when I brought them home. 3 have colored up nicely and 1 still has just a little color but he/she is just as healthy as the rest as far as I can tell. I love these fish and I'm glad I got them.

I'm glad I got mine too, I don't think I ever took notice of them when I went to the pet shop but I'm glad my mum took notice haha, since getting them I've looked in a few different aquatic stores and mine seem to the same colour if not more colour so I think there a little more settled now

 

[grace130994]

My 2 rams are pretty good. The highest I've ever seen them in the water column was when I added them to the tank lol. They don't really like others in 'their' spot. Just chasing, not any nipping. I feed mine sinking shrimp pellets. It's true, not as colorful as other fish but I don't mind. Full of personality.

Mine do the same, they chase each other but don't really go near the other fish, but that what makes them so interesting to watch, I've said before but I'm sure they must just sit and stare each other out sometimes and then swim off. I'm going to have to get some sinking pellets, I've just been feeding flakes which has been ok because the other fish just eat all the floating flakes and they get all the stuff that's pushed down by the filter

 

[grace130994]

Yeah, I have had my current br boy for over a year and he had never gone to the top for food. I think some of that depends on the tank size and tankmates though. My boy is not exceptionally colored, but he just came from a chain store, so I doubt there was such thought put into his breeding. The girls are pretty feisty, but my boys have always gotten along really well.

How do you sex them? I've looked into it before but didn't really get far with it... They don't seem all that feisty at all and I think there both probably the same sex a they are pretty similar, looks and behaviour wise