Blue rams actually do better in temps of 84F and above. Bolivans are at home in 74F-78F with a little higher for breeding, so you'd have far more choices of tetras with the bolivans than the blue rams.
Bolivian and Blue Rams and tankmates...
- Thread starter Dark Rose
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Definitely a sweet spot. Go for 4 Bolivian rams and you can have your pick of just about any tetra out there.
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I tend to keep M. ramirezi at 84 or higher. That's one of the reasons they do so well with discus. If you plan on keeping things in the 70s then M. ramirezi are definitely out. The Bolivians will still be a nice centerpiece fish, IMO.
They are harder to sex than M. ramirezi, especially if you are buying sub-adults. It's not a foolproof method but I'd go for the largest, most dominant fish in the tank for a possible male and then get three smaller ones and hope for females. Their fin extensions tend to be less extreme and they are often a bit shorter and fatter, but sometimes these differences don't become noticeable until they've settled into your tank and matures a bit.
They are harder to sex than M. ramirezi, especially if you are buying sub-adults. It's not a foolproof method but I'd go for the largest, most dominant fish in the tank for a possible male and then get three smaller ones and hope for females. Their fin extensions tend to be less extreme and they are often a bit shorter and fatter, but sometimes these differences don't become noticeable until they've settled into your tank and matures a bit.
Well I don't have any intention of breeding the rams... do rams do OK as an all-male group, like Africans?
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They will still quarrel a bit over territory, I'm sure. It will be tough to sex the Bolivians, though, so chances are you'll end up with a mix.
If you get 4 rams, you have a good chance of getting a mix of sexes. If you end up with a pair, simply remove the female and rehome her.
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There are hundreds of species of Cichlids spread across three continents and a huge variety of environments, your water is pretty good for African rift lake Cichlids (which sadly some people often refer to as simply "cichlids", as if no other cichlids exist!), but saying any type of water is "perfect for cichlids" is a ridiculous generalisation.
I'd agree with the suggestion of not mixing the two species or Ram because of the temperature difference. The Bolivians will be much better community fish with the more middle-of-the-road "tropical" temperature, where as the higher temperature needed for Germans/Blues/M. ramirezi to really thrive will restrict your choice of tankmates.
Sorry, when I was told that, I was in a store shopping for Rift Lake cichlids exclusively, so the comment was accurate within the conversation. I should have been more specific. So yes, my tapwater is perfect for Rift Lake cichlids with their harder water requirements.
