BASSNMAN
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My lfs just got a batch of bolivian rams. Does anyone know a sure way to determine sex? the fish are about 2 1/2 inches. I can't afford to buy 6 in hopes of getting a pair.
Bolivian Rams
- Thread starter BASSNMAN
- Start date
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gheitman
Aquarium Advice Addict
I don't have any personal experience with them but this is what was said on fishprofiles.com
"Males usually have longer filaments on their fins. Also females have more red in their abdominals."
Follow this link for more details.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/bolivian.xml
"Males usually have longer filaments on their fins. Also females have more red in their abdominals."
Follow this link for more details.
http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/bolivian.xml
severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have 4 Bolivian rams and I still can't tell what sex they are. I've heard the thing about the males having longer filaments but I honestly can't tell the difference. If I were you I would just buy as many as you can afford and wait for them to pair off. They are great fish and I think you will really like them. 
chrism
Aquarium Advice Freak
i cant tell the difference either! i asked for a pair when i bought my first two, but then bought another as i think i had two males, so got another one and tried to pick the most female looking one! but now again i still think ive got males!
i think the trick is to buy the bigger ones, the differences between the sexes are more noticable in mature adults.
perhaps ask the store how old they are that might help, otherwise i guess its just go with the best of ur knowledge and buy as many as you can!
sorry i couldnt be more help!
i think the trick is to buy the bigger ones, the differences between the sexes are more noticable in mature adults.
perhaps ask the store how old they are that might help, otherwise i guess its just go with the best of ur knowledge and buy as many as you can!
sorry i couldnt be more help!
severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
IKWYM Chris! I am pretty sure I got 2 males when I bought my original 2. Well, I got 2 more a couple months ago, and one was def. a female (she had paired off and I bought only her, and felt bad about splitting up the pair). I thought the other was a female too but now I don't think so. I had to move one of them to a different tank because it was getting picked on, so I think I ended up with 3 males and 1 female. Even knowing for sure that 1 is a female, I STILL can't tell which one she is except for being in a different tank. 
chrism
Aquarium Advice Freak
has the female paired off with any of ur males, or is she the one in the tank on her own?
rams are sposed to be so cute when they pair off! i've read that if you seperate the male and female then re-introduce them they are more likely to pair off...
would love to have the room to buy a whole load and let them do it naturally... need more tanks
rams are sposed to be so cute when they pair off! i've read that if you seperate the male and female then re-introduce them they are more likely to pair off...
would love to have the room to buy a whole load and let them do it naturally... need more tanks
jibboo
Aquarium Advice Freak
what about adding rams to a community tank? is that a good idea? that fishprofiles site says that are generally peaceful ... what do you guys keep your rams with?
Also, the guy at my lfs said that rams are kinda hard to keep ... have you found that to be true for you?
Also, the guy at my lfs said that rams are kinda hard to keep ... have you found that to be true for you?
FawnN
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is sort of true. The German Blue Rams are hardier because they are tank raised, while the Blue Rams are caught in the wild and are quite sensitive to pH changes. Not too sure about the bolivian rams though.
I have 6 german blue rams and 4 blue rams. I lost 2 blue rams within 12 hours of buying them because they were not able to adjust to my pH.
I initially put my GBR's in with my livebearers and it's so very true that they are very peaceful towards other fish with the same temperment. They left all my guppies, platies and swords alone. They seem to chase and fight amongst eachother, beause mine are sexually mature and I have all females in my tank right now. Hope that helped a little.
jibboo
Aquarium Advice Freak
yes thanks ... if you don't mind me asking ... what is your ph? I think mine is around 7.4. Also, I have 3 gold guaramis ... which I kinda don't like ... would you recommend trading them in if I get some rams?
I really like the coloring on the rams and would prefer them over the guaramis ... since the guaramis at times will be aggresive to my platys and rainbows.
tia
I really like the coloring on the rams and would prefer them over the guaramis ... since the guaramis at times will be aggresive to my platys and rainbows.
tia
chrism
Aquarium Advice Freak
bolivian rams are hardier than GBR didnt know there was a differance between GBR and BR :? My rams have been very hardy IMO they survived in my tank for a while (maybe a month) while i was under filtered newbie mistake
I keep my 3 bolivians with, pictus cats, BN, cardinals & redeye tetras, they dnt hassel any of my other fish, but do squabble a little between themselves... they also know how to stick up for themselves against other fish... including my pictus when he tried to kick one of them out of her hiding spot hehe that was quite funny to watch...
I think they are great in a comunity tank. my ph is about 7.6 something like that anyway... if u dnt like the guaramis get something you do like you'll be happier!
newbie mistake I keep my 3 bolivians with, pictus cats, BN, cardinals & redeye tetras, they dnt hassel any of my other fish, but do squabble a little between themselves... they also know how to stick up for themselves against other fish... including my pictus when he tried to kick one of them out of her hiding spot hehe that was quite funny to watch...
I think they are great in a comunity tank. my ph is about 7.6 something like that anyway... if u dnt like the guaramis get something you do like
you'll be happier!FawnN
Aquarium Advice Addict
From my understanding about rams is:
German Blue Rams and Blue Rams ( Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) are the same. The only difference is, is that they are raised differently. GBR's are obviously raised in Germany and are tank raised, and the Blue Ram is caught in the wild.
Now with Bolivian Rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus), they are a different species all together. And I personally don't know a whole lof about them.
Mine is steady at 7.0. Rams genereally like a pH within 7.5 and a warmer temp. I keep my ram tank at 80.
chrism
Aquarium Advice Freak
ahh i see, my tank is at 26 deg C ~ 79F
Edit back to the original Q: Right got a pic now, these are my three rams, when i had the one with the brighter yellow / orange belly first off, his fin was still quite rounded, then the filaments have become more noticable... and now even the other two are developing these extentions, mainly on the top fin at the moment... i think the two smaller ones are just young males
might be a bit hard to tell from that pic, but they wouldnt stay still! right after that pic was taken the middle one went for the right one, then the left one went for the middle one its every fish for themselves in this tank 
Edit back to the original Q: Right got a pic now, these are my three rams, when i had the one with the brighter yellow / orange belly first off, his fin was still quite rounded, then the filaments have become more noticable... and now even the other two are developing these extentions, mainly on the top fin at the moment... i think the two smaller ones are just young males
might be a bit hard to tell from that pic, but they wouldnt stay still! right after that pic was taken the middle one went for the right one, then the left one went for the middle one
its every fish for themselves in this tank
severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have found Bolivian rams to be very hardy, I still have all my original 4. And Chris, they have never paired off. I had them all in the same tank for a while, then they all moved to a different tank. The one that I think is a female is the smallest one, and her belly is kinda small still. In addition to getting picked on, she was being outcompeted for food (is that a word?). Finally I decided to move her to another tank. The 3 that still live together I think are males, they have petty squabbles between them over territory but don't seem to do any damage. Never seen any mating behavior though. My water comes out of the tap at pH 7.0 and I keep my ram tanks at about 79-80 degrees. If anyone is interested, my 3 rams live in a 29 gallon with 7 green fire tetras, 6 rummy nose tetras, and a clown pleco. My lone female lives in a 20 gallon with 7 gold pristella tetras and a bristle nose pleco.
FawnN
Aquarium Advice Addict
I personally think that rams are harder to sex. I have been told many differnt ways to determine the sex that I will share.
Don't hold me to any of this, because this is only what I have heard from other ram owners.
1. The dorsal fin in males are a lot longer and come to a point. The female is shorter and rounder.
2. Males tend to have a longer slimmer body, while the females are rounder.
3. If the black spot on there body is covered in speckles, then that is an indicaiton that it is a female.
4. I don't know if this holds true for Bolivian rams. If the very first dorsal spike (the black one's) is the longest, then it is a male.
5. And if the belly is a pink or bright pink, then it is most likely a female.
Female German Blue Ram
But I have heard that males will have a slight pink tinge too. Not as prominent like the male Kribensis.
Apparently in my findings, there are more females then males. Well, at least in my search. And it is very hard to tell when they are young.
Chrism,
I'm guessing from your picture that the one on the left is a female, possibly the one in the center too and the one on the right looks like a male. Hard to tell with the middle one. That is my guess.
Don't hold me to any of this, because this is only what I have heard from other ram owners.
1. The dorsal fin in males are a lot longer and come to a point. The female is shorter and rounder.
2. Males tend to have a longer slimmer body, while the females are rounder.
3. If the black spot on there body is covered in speckles, then that is an indicaiton that it is a female.
4. I don't know if this holds true for Bolivian rams. If the very first dorsal spike (the black one's) is the longest, then it is a male.
5. And if the belly is a pink or bright pink, then it is most likely a female.
Female German Blue Ram
But I have heard that males will have a slight pink tinge too. Not as prominent like the male Kribensis.
Apparently in my findings, there are more females then males. Well, at least in my search. And it is very hard to tell when they are young.
Chrism,
I'm guessing from your picture that the one on the left is a female, possibly the one in the center too and the one on the right looks like a male. Hard to tell with the middle one. That is my guess.
chrism
Aquarium Advice Freak
oh... and i thought i had all males lol i think i'll try and get some more pics and start a new thread!
FawnN
Aquarium Advice Addict
I could be wrong Chrism. I only say that the two left one's are females because of their body shape. Very Round.
