Bolivian Ram Breeding

T

treiner5

AC Members
Aug 19, 2006
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I have a 20g and I'd like to breed bolivian Rams... I already have one and I don't know exactly the gender. Since it's a 20 I can't go out and get 5 or 6 of them to hope for a pair. Does anybody have any ideas on how to get a male and female?

Here is a picture of my Bolivian... I think it's a he because of the fins, but I don't exactly know.

Fin_DownSmall.jpg


fin_upSmall.jpg
 
What all do you have in the tank with him/her? Is there a way you could buy say 3 rams and take 2 back after a pair forms? They are really hard to sex, I have trouble and I have bred them...!

Cathy
P.S. I hate to say this, but he might be a she. I just can't tell for sure.
 
right now there are 3 Von Rio Tetras as dither, a zebra loach that sits in a cave almost all day, and the one Bolivian. And yeah I was wondering if it might be a she because there aren't caudal fin extensions.
 
Many females have extensions on their caudal fins these days - that is not a reliable sign anymore. My female does too. The lack of them may indicate its a she, but not for sure. He/she may just be young.

So, what about getting some and returning some? If that won't work, will they let you return a fish 'if it just isn't getting along with the other fish'? If they will give you a store credit and let you purchase another one, then I think I'd try to buy a solid male. Look for the biggest and longest fish in the tank. Male have a longer body, and it seems to me a straighter abdominal area.

Before you tentatively decide you have a female, really try to get a good look to see her sexual organs. The female's will be more pronounced and a touch thicker. Oh, one other thing, Bolivians don't start spawning until they are mature, so it might take some time for them to get going....

Good Luck!
Cahty
 
Alright, I bought another Bolivian at my LFS and the guy said as long as the fish is healthy I can exchange if they end up being the same gender. The new fish is a little bit smaller and seems slightly different in shape but maybe that's just me wanting them to be different genders. The small new one tries to stay near the older, larger one, but the larger one chases the small one away from its territory. I changed around the tank a little to eliminate some of this aggression. It's not biting, more just chasing away. Hopefully since the smaller one wants to be near the bigger one that means they might be different sexes rather than two males or two females just fighting. Any other suggestions on what to do to help them get together if they happen to be male and female?
 
Just give them time and plenty of hiding spaces. My male occasional chases the female away, but she does keep wandering back and hanging by him. I also went to the lfs today and as I was watching the Bolivians I'm fairly sure that the males have a longer flater/straighter line on the bottoms. The females have more of a curve on their bellies.
Hope it works out for you!
Cathy
 
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