Bolivan Rams. Tell me what you think

[silverknight]

well, I recently bought two bolivian rams. If you have any tips, experience or neat stories about them please post. Also If there is any food that is best for them please tell. I am currently feeding them flake and am looking into frozen foods. Another question I have is when do they start to color up (these pictures don't do them any good). I am almost 100% sure I have a male and female. Vents look different but who knows.

 

[Adhlc]

These are one of my all time favorites. They have such incredible coloration and social behavior. As far as food goes they are not typically picky, though I always fed mine NLS pellets and Ocean Nutrition's new cichlid pellets. From my experience, they start developing more color around the 2" mark. If you have the room, I'd get a couple more females.

 

[ShipOfFools37]

what would be a good ratio of females to males?

 

[Lupin]

what would be a good ratio of males to females?

Hardly an issue seeing as Bolivian rams never do any damages except flaring up assuming both are males. It's difficult to determine their sexes. Fortunately, these are not really aggressive at all.

 

[ShipOfFools37]

Hardly an issue seeing as Bolivian rams never do any damages except flaring up assuming both are males. It's difficult to determine their sexes. Fortunately, these are not really aggressive at all.

oh ok, the one person above said to get a few females instead of a pair, i didn't know if having 3 females per male would encourage or have more successful breeding etc.

 

[Mystus Redtail]

They look great, I had a pair years ago, great fish.

 

[Will Hayward]

A pair, or a male with a harem of females works well. Even with multiple males in the tank, they will do fine. If there are too many males, it might disrupt breeding.

 

[silverknight]

I can try to get a couple more. They are in a 30 gallon with 11 rummy nose tetras. I am going to put a mixture of silica sand and gravel in my tank. Also I am going to add a Magnum Hot or some other canister filter. Thanks for the fast replies. they are around the 1'' mark. Also how long till they reach 2"? about another month??

 

[Adhlc]

oh ok, the one person above said to get a few females instead of a pair, i didn't know if having 3 females per male would encourage or have more successful breeding etc.

The only reason I said that was because when I kept 2 males togehter they would constantly flare up and attack each other.

 

[darth pike]

They are slow growers like most in the Geophagine family ... expect the 2" mark to come at around the 1 year mark, if they are about an inch now they probably about 5 months old give or take.