Bolivian Rams

[VTwinFanatic]

Okay well I've tried twice now trying to keep Blue Rams and both times they have died....:(...but I have heard that Bolivians are hardier and easier to breek also...I have a 30gal planted tank:
pH-6.4
Ammonia-0.0
Nitrite-0.0
Nitrate- <10ppm
4 white clouds and 5 serpae tetras

My question is how do you sex bolivians?

[Onikun]

Females usually don't have "trailers". Meaning their fins don't have red trails at the top and bottom that look like strings that go backwards. Male's dorsal fins the front is usually taller than the rest of the fin. Males are usually more colourful. They are so hard to sex.

[tre8160]

Yes, Bolivians are much hardier than germans. It seems odd that you were unable to keep blues. As far as your tank goes everything seems perfect for them. Do you have medeium/hard water? That's really the only thing I could think of that would keep you from keeping blue rams.

[VTwinFanatic]

The water is fairly soft...Kh is about 2degrees of hardness and Gh is about 1degree...so im not sure

[tre8160]

That's super soft. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to keep rams. Man you're lucky, here in the midwest I have to mix my tap with ro for my SA cichlids. In limestone country my water's hard as nails! Did you get your germans from the same place both times.

[VTwinFanatic]

Yeah I got them from the LFS that I work at, but they came from two different breeders...the first ones we had trouble keeping and i waited about a week to get them....both times...and they both died within a day of each other.... :thud: ....maybe im just not up for keeping Blue Rams...????

[Emg]

Maybe they're just not a very good strain. I have often heard of folks having trouble with the blue rams from asia. Also, the only problem I have seen in my rams is that they stress very easily and quite badly during the acclimation process. They need to adjust very slowly to new conditions. I did loose one during that process when I first brought them home, but it was a weaker fish, one that I knew when I saw it at the lfs I shouldn't buy, but did anyway...lol... :rolleyes:

Good luck with the bolivians VT ! Rams are such a neat little fish, hope they do well for you !

[case_rums]

Funny you should say that Emg. Mine don't seem to stress out about anything these days. They've either gotten very used to us, or they're just hardy lil buggers. Even doing an emergency 100% water change only freaked them out for 1/2 hour or so.

[Emg]

So glad they are working out well for you Bawlsy.....I JUST lost thier dad today... :( I don't know what happened...he was in a 20long with his misses for awhile and it didn't work out in there for the two of them. For some reason the female became very aggressive while they were in that tank. I moved them back to the 29 and he perked up a bit and they even spawned a few times...but he never was quite himself again. I noticed him hanging around the bottom and hiding the other day so I isolated him..he was looking thin and unhappy. He keeled over last night and gave it up sometime today.....oh well...he was a beauty. The female is still going strong however and I do have a pair from that batch you got yours from...and both are looking very healthy and fit.

[NDferro]

I had a hard time keeping blue rams for a white i found out if was my tank lay out they were getting to stressed out from lack of hideing places but that was just me who knows ??

[Emg]

Well, there were plenty of hiding places in the 20long they were in for a while. Lots of plants and driftwood objects...not to mention behind the internal filter I have in there. Not sure why there was an issue in there for them other than perhaps they were just used to having more room having been in a 29. I had moved them to the 20long because I set it up as a breeding tank for them..which they did breed in there a few times, but always ate the babies after they were free swimming for about a week.

The pair I have in that tank now are doing very well and seem very comfortable in there. It could just be that my original female has a very aggressive personality. She's larger than the average female blue ram and very pretty too. (hence, the attitude I suppose...lol)

A pic of my first pair of blue rams. The one on the right is the male that I just lost.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/th_DCP_4793.jpg (http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DCP_4793.jpg)

[Spykce]

My first pair of Blue Rams died within 2 days of taking them home. Very sad but the pet store gave me replacements and these 2 have been great. They're color has gotten a lot better since I took them home as well. Good luck with whichever rams you try.