Bolivian Ram Journal

[redfish]

Thank you!  And they are keeping them with gravel.  This might be a nice addition to our community tank.

[redfish]

And I have really soft water so I add a wonder shell to bring up my levels.

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/5/2022 at 5:31 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I ended up breaking it up and serving 3 pieces, and that solved it. Also one large snail was taking a long nap in the ram’s cave, so that could have contributed to the issue.

ok see.... that's just the ram trying to problem solve. She's a genius.  NO FOOD until you move!

[Fish Folk]

On 8/2/2022 at 6:43 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Look at the nice red trim

Feed more caratenoid-rich foods, and those red & pinks will increase! Baby brine shrimp . . . Xtreme Krill Flakes . . . etc.

On 8/6/2022 at 10:57 PM, redfish said:

And I have really soft water so I add a wonder shell to bring up my levels.

Soft water should be great for any Amazon fish. If you want to keep snails happy, then yes... add Wonder shells. But Bolivians should love any soft water.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/6/2022 at 11:52 PM, Fish Folk said:

Feed more caratenoid-rich foods, and those red & pinks will increase! Baby brine shrimp . . . Xtreme Krill Flakes . . . etc.

She eats baby brine shrimp and Xtreme Krill flakes, and Hikari Gold sinking cichlid pellets. We were talking about substrate color the other day, how the lighter substrate might be muting her colors?

 

On 8/3/2022 at 11:52 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Found this on a thread about ram color.  Think this is true?

Source

 

On 8/6/2022 at 11:52 PM, Fish Folk said:

But Bolivians should love any soft water

I have hard water.

Edited August 7, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Fish Folk]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea You may be able to soften your wat by inserting peat moss in a mesh bag in your filter. I also add a load of botanicals - Catalpa leaves, etc - which help soften water as well. I've seen with many species of fish that light substrate = lighter colorations; darker substrate = darker colors. I'd say this applies less with vibrant fish like Discus or African cichlids, but applies more with New World Cichlids. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:23 AM, Fish Folk said:

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea You may be able to soften your wat by inserting peat moss in a mesh bag in your filter. I also add a load of botanicals - Catalpa leaves, etc - which help soften water as well. I've seen with many species of fish that light substrate = lighter colorations; darker substrate = darker colors. I'd say this applies less with vibrant fish like Discus or African cichlids, but applies more with New World Cichlids. 

I don’t know that I’d want to soften it @Fish Folk. The tetras and the snails in there are benefitting from hard water.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I added a filter baffle to the tank, and the Bolivian ram settled in for a good night’s sleep at the back of the tank. She’s usually always in the front. I’m glad to see she is now more comfortable using other tank space.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

The ram is carting off the squash I put in there for the snails! 😂

@nabokovfan87

Edited August 12, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[redfish]

I saw these two today.  They looked healthy.  I think that's an electric blue ram that snuck into the pic too.

 

[redfish]

Have you tried keeping these Bolivian rams with a community of livebearers ?

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/14/2022 at 9:07 AM, redfish said:

Have you tried keeping these Bolivian rams with a community of livebearers ?

I have not. All my fish are egg scatterers.

[redfish]

I think I’m going to try a community tank and see how they do together.   Will be in  a little while though. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/14/2022 at 3:58 PM, redfish said:

I think I’m going to try a community tank and see how they do together.   Will be in  a little while though. 

Cool!  Let us know how it goes!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Today the ram finished off the asparagus that the snails left behind.

@Guppysnail

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Looking pretty at breakfast time. She even fed at the surface today with the school (but she still received deposits at her cave entrance. Shh..  And she know that, and gets them afterwards.)

 

@nabokovfan87

Edited August 27, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

That's just some beautiful photos of a gorgeous fish!

[redfish]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea what pellets/food do you feed your Ram?  I might have done a thing today 😬

On 7/1/2022 at 7:39 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I give her Hikari gold cichlid mini pellet, and I don't think there is a version smaller than that (in that brand).

I see it now. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@redfish LOL!  Congrats on your new ram! You will love the little personality! Sometimes they swim backwards too which is fun.

 I actually alternate between 3 main foods:

Hikari cichlid gold “sinking” mini pellet (if pellet too big for ram’s mouth, crush it) - someone said there is one called micro pellet. Get that one if you can. But definitely sinking, they are scavengers.

Frozen brine shrimp

Xtreme krill flakes

(and then she takes it upon herself to “help” the snails eat their food - squash, asparagus, and Soilent green Repashy.)

@Fish Folk says foods with carotenoids bring out their color.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/7/2022 at 7:23 AM, Fish Folk said:

I've seen with many species of fish that light substrate = lighter colorations; darker substrate = darker colors.

I’d agree with this @Fish Folk. I realize I might not get the full effect with my light pool filter sand. Scroll up to the photos from yesterday though. Pretty good, eh?

Edited August 27, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Good morning.

 

[redfish]

Our Rams got out of quarantine today.  Hopefully they don’t start fighting again. Had to separate them in quarantine once I introduced food. One got aggressive. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 9/8/2022 at 6:06 PM, redfish said:

Our Rams got out of quarantine today.  Hopefully they don’t start fighting again. Had to separate them in quarantine once I introduced food. One got aggressive. 

Really? How many do you have? Sometimes they “spar”. It can be either a breeding or a territorial behavior.

https://youtu.be/yh66CXYsEH0

[redfish]

Just 2. They are hanging together now.  Sorry, it’s hard to get them to hold still for a clear pic.

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Aw cute!  They should do better now that there is decor in their habitat.