Once the juveniles start to swim, you can put the adult species back into the community tank and put a portion of fresh brine shrimp nauplii, Vinegar eels etc. Males can get slightly larger and reach sizes of about 3.5 inches. This is complemented by subtle yellow hues towards the belly. The waters are filled with natural plants. 76 Litres (20 US G.) Size. The water should have a low level of light and broad-leaved plants together with some well-cleaned slate inserted at an angle upon which the female will lay her adhesive eggs. The commonly recommended Bolivian Ram tank size is around 20 gallons for a small group of these fish. Tank compatibility [edit | edit source] Considered to be peaceful and a good community fish. They often stay closer to 2.5 inches. Throughout the day, you’ll see your fish swimming around the open spaces and exploring hiding spots. Between their stunning beauty and peculiar mannerisms, you won’t have trouble passing time looking at your tank. Hi all! They do great in pairs or larger groups of 4 to 8 fish. They are hardy so live well in soft or hard water. Male and female chosen at random very often don’t want to breed together. Usually male species initiate the fights, since they try to use any chance to prove their right to set their position in the hierarchy as well as to claim getting the higher one. She is peaceful and has an interesting bright color and body shape. The Bolivian Ram is an incredibly interesting freshwater fish that we can’t recommend enough. Conflicts arise inside the fish school from time to time, but they are completely harmless: it never comes to fighting till death or even damaging fins. Young species have no sexual dimorphism. You can treat Ich in several ways. However, bright red edging provides a pop of color. They have an elongated oval body. You can replicate the same environment in your aquarium. Create large open spaces towards the center of the tank so that they can dart around without any issues. It is compatible with schools of small sized Characidae species, which in the wild are ram constant companions and at the same time they signalize that there are no predators around. Aquatic plants like Java Fern, Amazon Swords, Water Wisteria, and more are all great. Introduce some rocks and driftwood into the mix as well. He’s been fond of aquarium husbandry since his early childhood. Because they stick to the bottom and middle of the aquarium, stick to sinking pellets. If you plan to incubate the eggs on your own, the substrate is not necessary in this case. An ideal option is to let the fish choose a partner themselves and to do this you’ll have to grow adult species from a school of 8-10 young species. If it is impossible to preserve offspring in an ornament volume (for example, in presence of a school of tiger barb which definitely won’t let juveniles survive) put the breeders into a spawning tank of 50 liters capacity with water heated to 26-28 °C with the following parameters: dGH до 10°, pH 7-7,5. Tank Size. Bolivian rams are a small species of aquarium fish with oval-shaped bodies that measure on average around 3½ inches long. They may even attempt to camouflage the babies! The dorsal fin features a small black stripe on the front. The typical Bolivian Ram size is around 3 inches in length when fully grown.Males can get slightly larger and reach sizes of about 3.5 inches. The Bolivian Ram is a good alternative to the more colourful, but also more demanding, Ram or Butterfly Cichlid, and doesn't require the elevated temperatures of it's counterpart. My experience raising Bolivian Ram fry. Technically it can be kept in a community tank, especially if you don’t have experience in keeping of any cichlid species. The fish shows no interest at all towards other tank dwellers, that’s why fishes from almost any biotopes can make a company for bolivian ram. The lifespan is about 6 years. They have hearty appetites! Description. Tank Requirements • Tank Size & Population Density If your Bolivian Ram Cichlids are in an aquarium that is overstocked, they will become stressed – weakening their immune systems – causing them to be more prone to diseases, and they won’t grow to their appropriate size. These fish are omnivores and will pretty much eat anything that you give them. Keeping bolivian ram is quite easy, it is a proper choice for community tanks. Like any fish, Bolivian Rams have their own unique needs. The base of their coloration is usually tan or silver. First of all the couple starts to clean a place for their future clutch. It crosses their eyes, which also have a black stripe. Like plants, driftwood is a good place to rest and hide. The dorsal fin is tall and transparent; it has red edging on top. There are many different types of aquarium catfish out there. You also need to make sure that the filter doesn’t create too much flow. Bolivian Rams are very peaceful fish. Tank plants have to be thickly planted and create shadowed areas as well as to leave some space for the fish to swim. Its behavior is meant more to scare the other fish, not no attack or hurt. They also like areas with flat rocks and natural caves during the breeding season. Tank Size: 33 gallons. The rays are sharp enough to pierce the inside of a predator’s mouth when swallowed! If you’re interested in learning more about Bolivian Ram Cichlids or have any stories you’d like to share about yours just let us know. If you are looking to purchase a fish aquarium I recommend you check out … This guide will teach you the essential elements of Bolivian Ram care. Common Name: Bolivian Ram . The Bolivian Ram (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) is known under many common names: Butterfly Ram, Bolivian Butterfly Cichlid and Ruby Cichlid. Successful long-term keeping of the fish to a large extent depends on filtration system performance and tank cleaning procedures frequency: weekly water renew (10–15% of the total tank volume) with the fresh one and removing organic waste. Bolivian Ram Stats Minimum Tank Size: 29 Gallons (110 Litres) Care Level: Hard Water Conditions: 6.5 – 7.5 pH and Soft Temperature: 71-81 °F (22-27 °C) Maximum Size: 3 inches (8 cm) Bolivian rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus), or Bolivian butterflys, are a small, popular cichlid. Bolivian Rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) are a beautiful addition to any community tank. Bolivian ram cichlid (lat. It is endemic or found exclusively in the upper Rio Madeira basin in Bolivia and Brazil. The fact that they’re fun to watch and approachable for beginners is a big draw. They’re known for having personality, and like to hide in the bottom levels of the aquarium. The Bolivian Ram Cichlid (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) is a very beautiful tank-raised dwarf cichlid that is less known and much hardier than its much more well-known cousin Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. Some aquarists like to increase the water temperature to about 86 degrees for a bit to see if the fish heal. Separating the fish from others will prevent aggressive behavior and increase the survival rate for fry. Tank Setup. If that doesn’t work, copper-based medicines are available as well. While they are part of the Cichlid family, Bolivian Rams are far more peaceful than other Cichlid species. Forming the couple turned out to be the biggest problem in terms of breeding. In the wild Bolivian ram inhabits Amazon river headstream and Guaporé and Mamoré river basins. The pH in a Bolivian ram tank should be kept around 6.5 - 7.0, being no lower than 6.0 and no higher than 7.5. In fact, they’re relatively hardy and won’t have too many problems with slight fluctuations in water quality. Keep the meals small. Ich is highly contagious, so it’s important to quarantine any sick fish that you see. The eggs lie quite tightly both firmly stuck to the stone and to each other. Please be aware that the image is for illustration purposes only. For these reasons, this species has quite the avid following in the aquarium community. This is my favorite food to feed ram cichlids. It’s on the acidic side and doesn’t have a flow that’s too powerful. During all this time the female takes care of the clutch sterility, the male swims around the territory border he defined guarding the female and future juveniles from a potential aggressor.On the 5th day the larvae hatches (they are very small and almost motionless). This is why you would need a medium-sized tank of 30 gallons for them, despite their small individual size. Plus, males often have elongated filaments on their dorsal fins. A year old female usually lays 80-100 eggs; three year old one lays about 150-200 eggs and the whole process takes from 40 minutes to one hour. When it comes to tank decor, natural items are always best. At this point, the parents will lead the fry in large groups to go find food. Diet: Bolivian Rams mainly stay in the bottom region of the aquarium, so sinking Cichlid pellets are often fed to them. Sometimes if the male fails to conquer more successful and strong rival, it may try to retrieve the defeat on females. Beyond simply being an attractive fish species, Bolivian Rams are very tolerant of a variety of water conditions including pH, temperature and water hardness. The fish has large head and eyes (they have black edging). Not only that, but we think they’re one of the most entertaining species to spectate. Only reaching a max size of 3 inches, Rams do great in a tank over 20 gallons. I have two Bolivian Rams in a 29 gallon, with 6 black skirt tetras, two platy, and a clown pleco. The fish areal is quite wide and it includes North and North-East Bolivia as well as Brazilian state Mato Grosso.The fish dwells in river tributaries, backwaters and lakes with sandy and muddy bottom; usually it prefers shallow and slow waters with lots of snags and luxuriant vegetation. The only time they might show aggression is during breeding. Their natural habitat consists of mostly sandy bottoms with a scattering of clean flat ro… So, we can say that an average length of a Bolivian Ram is 3.5 inches. 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