Bolivian Ram~Quick Question

[Cory Lover]

Hey everyone,

Quick question, can Bolivian Rams be kept alone?

Thanks
Matt

[davexstumpe]

sure can

[Bk718]

I have mine alone, for now that is.. And he is fine, doesnt seem aggressive and actually looks after my corys by pushing away the silver dollars so the bottom dwellers can eat..

[jpappy789]

of course they can...males alone may be less colorful w/o a female around but there is no harm in only having one :)

[Bk718]

of course they can...males alone may be less colorful w/o a female around but there is no harm in only having one :)
lol lies they can be just as colorful without a female. Trick is dark substrate. :silly:

[jpappy789]

they may be less colorful ;)

[Cory Lover]

Ok, thanks everyone! :)

[Blairo1]

Heh, if you really want to see them flourish and pop with colour, a female is the key....

But, then you have to deal with the male's eager and hyped up "sexyfied" (yes I know, it's not a word) attitude.

True to all species, they can bring out the best and worst in all of us. :lol:

On a serious note, they do fine alone, you will see very different behaviour than you would see expressed in shoals - they are a shoaling fish in the wild and live in "communities", proving just how sociable they are with one another. A loner will do fine, a pair will make the most of it, a group will give you the whole range of emotions - bickering, breeding, chasing, courting, establishing hierarchy, bumping around each other searching for food and "scrabbling" over each other to be at the front of the tank when you walk up. Very entertaining. For what it's worth, I like keeping them in pairs, but then I want them to breed, a lot.... So it depends on what YOU want really, they're a resilient little fish with a lot of character who do enjoy the company of others, but it is not an essential part of their survival or health.

[Cory Lover]

Yeah, the reason I only wanted one is because if they bred, I don't know what I'd do with the fry.

Also, if I decided to get more then one (say a pair) would they be more aggressive towards my Cories?

Thanks again

Matt

[jpappy789]

It'll depend. My "pair" (not really a true pair as they are still juvies) completely ignores my cories atm. But breeding time might be a minor problem. They will redialy defend any eggs/fry from hungry cories...