Looking for ramirez(ramirezzi) (sp?) keepers. TIA

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

I would like to know more about this type of fish, regarding breeding, care, growth, and your ups and downs with this fish.

From what the LFS told me, this fish can be kept in a community tank. What are your experiences about this?

Can this fish be kept and bred in a 10 gal tank?

Thank you for all your info.

 

[Fruitbat]

Apistogramma ramirezi is one of the great dwarf cichlids hailing from South America. I've had great luck keeping and breeding them in relatively small aquaria (10 gallons). I've found that they like it warm, clean and peaceful. I've usually kept them at about 82F in a planted tank with a couple of rock caves or flowerpots and perhaps only a Corydoras or two as company.

Like all cichlids, Rams can get pretty rough during spawning and will defend their chosen territory against all comers, large or small. I know of a lot of people who have kept them in community aquaria with success but mine were always happiest when they were kept pretty much alone.

 

[roadster3043]

Thank you Fruitbat.

Is there a way to tell male from female?

From the pair that I have one has bright colors, the other is almost totally grayish.

TIA

 

[Fruitbat]

It can be tough to differentiate between male and female, especially in sub-adults. There are some general indicators that will help.

1) The first spines of the dorsal fin (often elongated in both sexes) are usually longer and darker in the male.
2) The trailing (back) edge of the dorsal fin and anal fin is usually a bit more pointed in the male than in the female.

 

[Dino]

I, too, find they do better alone.
If you are not interested in breeding, cories and tetras are fine to mix with them.
For breeding, cories, another bottom dweller, or tetras, fry eaters, are best left out of the breeders tank.

Sub adults are notoriuosly hard to sex.
The best way to go about it is buy 5 or more and let them sort it out.

The FISH know who is who.

I do, however, think you may have a pair.

best,
dino

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I've also had success with identical set-ups/conditions as Fruitbat mentioned. Keep the pH stable and the water warm and clean and you shouldn't have any trouble. Like he said, the 2nd and 3rd dorsal rays are usually more elongated on males- as is the trailing edge of the dorsal and anal fins. Females have a definite rosey, pinkish colored belly, while the male's is usually a bluish/purple color. Most of these indicators aren't visible until they reach sexual maturity, however.

Like Dino suggested, if you want a "fool-proof" method for obtaining a breeding pair- buy six juvenile fish and let them choose amongst themselves. I've gone this route many times and never had it let me down.

 

[mattrox]

Six is the number where the probability of NOT getting a pair, when fish are chosen at random, is so small that it will almost never happen.

 

[yhbae]

I hope someone can help me identify my rams... I have a pair and one of them is obviously a male (dominates the tank), and the other one is shy, always get chased by the other one, and doesn't show any aggressiveness towards other fishes at all.

Females are supposed to show pink bellies when they are mature and I think mine are closed to being mature... BUT none of them are developing any pink bellies.

Here's the one that I think is a male. It clearly shows the black fin area at the front, and the near end of the fin extends greatly.

And here's the one I'm not sure if it is a male or female. Not very pretty and fins are shorter in general.

I hope my second ram is a female as oppose to a super-ugly male...

 

[Fruitbat]

Picture links didn't work but I think you may be on the right track. I don't think I've ever seen a super-ugly male Ram unless it had just been visited by a Pike Cichlid.

 

[yhbae]

Grrr... If I copy/paste the link directly to the URL box of the browser, it works but it doesn't seem to display it as is... Hmm....

 

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

Thank you for all your info.

From your descriptions I believe I definitely have a pair.

As Voodoo Chilli mentioned the female in my tank has the "rosey, pinkish colored belly".

I have also seen them swimming in circles, perhaps courting?

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

The circle swimming could be courting behaviour, Roadster.

The male will ALWAYS be interested in spawning; the key is to learn when the female is ready. She'll usually color up really nicely and be more receptive to his advances. Mine had a favorite piece of slate they always used as a spawning site and they'd both start "cleaning" it a day or two before I'd see eggs in the tank.

 

[roadster3043]

Thanks Voodoo Chilli.

I will keep an eye on them to see what happens.