Bolivian Ram Journal

[nabokovfan87]

It's a good thing Snoopy loves the camera 😂

[nabokovfan87]

I'll reference a few things, but like I mentioned, I go by the dorsal. It's pretty distinctive.

Details:

Here is another analysis of a male.

Here is a female vent: (and you can pretty clearly see the tube shape)

Male vent, direction being the indication here:


Here's the little one in question.  I could totally be wrong, but this is what I see...


His vent looks to point straight back, not at a 45 degree.  Size of the vent makes me think female. That's what I'd use beyond the dorsal fin and try to see if it looks like a tube or larger than a male.  If you made me choose, I'd say he's a he.

On 1/9/2023 at 6:52 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Here the anal fins look pointed.  :throws hands up:

Length on them was what I was trying to look at, if it goes beyond the body and into the tail section (longer = male).  These look longer.

Edited January 10, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 1/9/2023 at 10:51 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Here the anal fins look pointed.

Ha. I’m sure as he grew they took shape. I agree they extend past the tail “joint”

What a nice lookin’ fish. I know he’s not as colorful as some folks’.  Seems each Bolivian ram looks a bit unique. Dean said in his breeding video of GBR, see this male has the longer fins and that’s the trait I’d like to breed… so I guess it’s less obvious on some rams, and I’m sure that’s the case with Bolivian rams too since their body shape looks like GBR.

Also if I were to breed him and get him a mate, or even another guy, I bet he’d show more color due to mating dances and/Or territorial displays.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[The endler guy]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:53 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I went off of this guideline when I identified the sex.

 

This video is very helpful and interesting 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

The tank got plenty of frozen brine shrimp today. I noticed Snoopy is very excited and assertive when he gets these. His whole attitude changes. He does fin fluttering and backwards swimming. I am almost out of these. Time to restock and feed these more often. Since these go all over the tank, it’s easy for him to have a chance at them. As we know, the tetras are like a pack o’ wolves.

 

 

Look how much color he has when eating/hunting brine shrimp. I think this food makes him really happy, and I think he is displaying colors because he is being territorial about the food. Bloodworms do this too.

it’s settled then. More frozen foods for the Snoopster.

The LFS also sells bags of live brine shrimp at the counter. Will snag one of those too this week.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 1/10/2023 at 3:23 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

it’s settled then. More frozen foods for the Snoopster.

Spirulina brine is the go to in my tanks. They go bonkers for it!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

My Punk loves frozen food day too, they get a mix that day of both BBS and Bloodworms. 

[Theplatymaster]

Snoopy looks fat and happy! I mean what fish doesnt like bloodworms and BBS.  Sorry wrong fish i got confused

Edited January 10, 2023 by Theplatymaster

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Does Snoopy like vibra bites?

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

This is the perfect size for Snoop.  @nabokovfan87 suggested these. Snoopy's cichlid pellets were too big, and I crushed them. Problem is, a lot of that crushed stuff floats.  He ate the stuff that reached him but I was feeling like the powdery crushed stuff on top was fouling the water too much.  He still gets frozen foods and Repashy, plus whatever vegetables he shares with the snails.

[nabokovfan87]

We'll have to see if it gives him some deeper orange or red coloration. 🙂

Rams are just so interesting to watch.

[redfish]

I bought a pepper grinder for the cichlid pellets you use.  A short turn puts out enough for the tank to eat on.  The tetra's and guppies eat them but our ram isn't shy about getting his food with the community.  Waldo, our kuhli loach, eats any pieces missed by the rest of the fish.

[The endler guy]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:31 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

This is the perfect size for Snoop.  @nabokovfan87 suggested these. Snoopy's cichlid pellets were too big, and I crushed them. Problem is, a lot of that crushed stuff floats.  He ate the stuff that reached him but I was feeling like the powdery crushed stuff on top was fouling the water too much.  He still gets frozen foods and Repashy, plus whatever vegetables he shares with the snails.

Mine doesn’t get super excited for them, then again he is new, the tetras usually swoop in and steal it, and I have only fed it once or twice 

[Anjum]

I have really become smitten with the Bolivian Rams on this forum. 🥰 They're so personable. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

He folds back his dorsal fin when he is giving a tetra the right-of-way.  🙂  

He does run them off sometimes, though, if they get on his nerves.  I guess it depends on his mood and how greedy they are acting. 

On 1/16/2023 at 11:34 AM, Aiden Carter said:

Mine doesn’t get super excited for them, then again he is new, the tetras usually swoop in and steal it, and I have only fed it once or twice 

Hence the diversion at the beginning of the video. The flakes, to distract most of them.

On 1/16/2023 at 12:01 PM, Anjum said:

I have really become smitten with the Bolivian Rams on this forum. 🥰 They're so personable. 

You are not the first person to say this! 

[The endler guy]

On 1/16/2023 at 12:22 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

He folds back his dorsal fin when he is giving a tetra the right-of-way.  🙂  

He does run them off sometimes, though, if they get on his nerves.  I guess it depends on his mood and how greedy they are acting. 

Hence the diversion at the beginning of the video. The flakes, to distract most of them.

You are not the first person to say this! 

Smart! Snoopy also got me into Bolivians

[The endler guy]

On 1/16/2023 at 12:22 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

He folds back his dorsal fin when he is giving a tetra the right-of-way.  🙂  

He does run them off sometimes, though, if they get on his nerves.  I guess it depends on his mood and how greedy they are acting. 

Hence the diversion at the beginning of the video. The flakes, to distract most of them.

You are not the first person to say this! 

I tried the flake trick and my ram liked the vibra bites!

[knee]

On 1/9/2023 at 6:52 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Photo dump

Definitely 100% female. 
 

you’ve had snoopy for awhile and by now, if she is a male, she should’ve had the long extensions on her caudal fin. Her breeding tube also shows that she’s female. 
 

here’s a photo of my male I took december 15

and here he is a month after. Photo taken 01/15

 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@knee I’ve been seeing information about these black spikes in the front on the dorsal fin indicating male. (?)

 

 

your rams are so beautiful.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[knee]

On 1/17/2023 at 2:06 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@knee I’ve been seeing information about these black spikes in the front on the dorsal fin indicating male. (?)

 

 

your rams are so beautiful.

If you’re gonna use the dorsal fin as an indicator, males would have more black coloring on them as compared to Snoopy’s. I actually got two new females that look like males. They’re in quarantine at the moment but I will post them on here once they’re added in the community tank. 
 

here is the same male the first day I brought him home. The black on the dorsal fin covers two rays and they’re fully covered.

 

here is my first female and if you compare the body and head shape, dorsal fin, black on the dorsal, anal and ventral fins you’ll see that she’s more similar to snoopy.

Edited January 17, 2023 by knee

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 1/17/2023 at 5:25 PM, knee said:

If you’re gonna use the dorsal fin as an indicator, males would have more black coloring on them as compared to Snoopy’s. I actually got two new females that look like males. They’re in quarantine at the moment but I will post them on here once they’re added in the community tank. 
 

here is the same male the first day I brought him home. The black on the dorsal fin covers two rays and they’re fully covered.

 

here is my first female and if you compare the body and head shape, dorsal fin, black on the dorsal, anal and ventral fins you’ll see that she’s more similar to snoopy.

Ok like the ends of the dorsal fin are dipped in ink 🙂 

[nabokovfan87]

On 1/17/2023 at 3:55 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Ok like the ends of the dorsal fin are dipped in ink 🙂 

Yep, Third fin ray on the dorsal is longer / pronounced, fully black to the body too.

The last 2 photos you can see the anal fin difference as well.  Really nice side by side 🙂

[nabokovfan87]

Males often get these dots too.  I don't know if snoopy has em, but something to check for.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 1/17/2023 at 9:09 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Males often get these dots too.  I don't know if snoopy has em, but something to check for.

Snoopy has 2 or 3 blue dots on that bottom fin.

[knee]

On 1/17/2023 at 6:09 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Males often get these dots too.  I don't know if snoopy has em, but something to check for.

Females also get these dots on the ventral fin.