Bolivian Ram test pics

[Ronne]

First try at posting pics

[Ronne]

bear with me...

[Ronne]

last one...

[Molino]

Nice pics, I was debating getting some of these for my planted tank, but went with Cockatoos instead.

Good luck with the eggs.

[Mad Hero]

Sweet pics.

[Skittyfish]

I just bought 5 blue and 3 gold rams. They are still in quarentine, can't wait till they look like yours( mine are only about and inch long:p )

[Ronne]

Molino:

I'm thinking of adding a pair of Cockatoos as well to my 55g. The Rams are my first experience at keeping dwarf cichlids and I'm very impressed. I didn't even notice that the Rams were courting so the eggs were a bit of a surprise!

[NJ Devils Fan]

good pics. I am looking for some rams to put in my big tank when it finished cycling(in the next few days). Everywhere I go, I don't see them though.

[carpguy]

Ronne,
Nice pics! Nice fish!

NJD,
If you can get into midtown try New World Aquarium on 38th and 3rd. I see them in there fairly often but you might want to call ahead. Smallish store but well run and with a good selection. I got several of my fish there. They can definitely get them for you.

[VoodooChild]

Altispinosas are great fish. I had three in my heavily planted 30 with rummies and cories. The way the purple came out on the anal fin and dorsal fin was awsome. I lost two though to suspected blood flagellates, and the other one isn't looking to sharp. Cool fish though, and I plan to get more once this thing seems to pass. Yours look real nice.

[delmore]

I saw some Bolivian Ram's at a LFS. Are they bred by the gazillions in asia now? They look like nice fish!

[Dwarfnut]

Nice fish...I have three pairs in my 75 gallon and someone always has eggs or young... so cool! But they breed like rabbits! I'm to the point now of just letting nature take it's course and that helps out a lot! I've got several other tanks being overrun with small Bolivian fry that need to go to the LFS real soon! They are great fish with personalities too!

Good luck,
Bill C.

[RCA]

Is it true that Bolivian Rams are easier to keep than Blue rams?
Are they less sensitive to water conditions?

[delmore]

Originally posted by RCA
Is it true that Bolivian Rams are easier to keep than Blue rams?
Are they less sensitive to water conditions?

this is from http://www.skepticalaquarist.com Cichlid section:

"Microgeophagus altispinosus (Bolivian Ram). (Though you see "altispinosa" everywhere, surely it ought to be "M. altispinosus," no?) M. altispinosus is a bigger, sturdier Microgeophagus, that gets to 4 inches (the female staying somewhat smaller). Fishes have red upper and lower margins to their tail fins, which are extended into filaments in the males. Otherwise they're a greenish gray with gold and black, less colorful than the domesticated Rams, it's true, but healthier, for the time being, and less inbred.

This fish is found in Bolivia, in the Rio Mamore near the town of Trinidad, in the basin of the Rio Guapore down to its mouth, in the Rio Quizer near San Ramon, at the mouth of the Igarape, and near Guajara-Mirim on the Brazilian border, according to H. Richter, 1989. This fish was discovered as long ago as 1911, but it wasn't represented in aquaria til Horst Linke and Wolfgang Staeck found a few in 1985 and got them safely back to Germany. These fishes are uncommon in their native haunts; the ones you'll see at the LFS are bred in Singapore from stock that originally came from Germany. De-worm them when you get them into yourquarantine.

It's worth repeating the water parameters Linke and Staeck reported where they found their fishes: pH of 7.6, KH about 4 degrees, with a conductivity of 123 microSiemens. Noonday water temperatures hit the equivalent of 81oF. In other words, if you have trouble getting your water acidic enough to successfully spawn M. ramirezi, you might have better times with M. altispinosus . Give these fishes shade, perhaps from some floating plants, and plenty of cover. If they seem shy, it's a sign that light is too strong and perhaps the tank is too bare and open."

[RCA]

thanks for the info, delmore!
I've had bad luck with blue rams before,
so maybe I'll try the bolivian rams nexttime
(if I can find them. they're not as common
as blue rams, it seems).

[delmore]

Originally posted by RCA
thanks for the info, delmore...

Thank the wetman from skepticalaquarist.com. It's a great resource for information. I saw Bolivian rams at a small lfs that doesn't have a great selection of fish. Ask the stores in your area if they can order them. If I had a free quarantine tank i'd pick up a trio.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Thanks for the advice carpguy. :)