Bolivian ram got a taste for neos

[TOtrees]

I have a 40 breeder with about a dozen cherry shrimp culls from my various Bloody Mary colonies.

Around three months ago, I added a lone male Bolivian ram, he came in at around 1.5” or so. He’s grown a bit since that time and seems to have now reached the size where hunting adult cherry shrimp is right up his alley. 

I’m neither surprised nor disappointed about that, but I am surprised at how his color has changed in the past 48 hours, which is when I’ve noticed this hunting behaviour change. This is the first and only Bolivian ram I’ve owned, but I’ve never seen a picture of one with quite so much orange or red color. I assume it’s from his new diet. 

FYI, I can only find one shrimp today. 

Edited January 30, 2023 by TOtrees

[NanotankBank]

On 1/29/2023 at 8:07 PM, TOtrees said:

I have a 40 breeder with about a dozen cherry shrimp culls from my various Bloody Mary colonies.

Around three months ago, I added a lone male Bolivian ram, he came in at around 1.5” or so. He’s grown a bit since that time and seems to have now reached the size where hunting adult cherry shrimp is right up his alley. 

I’m neither surprised nor disappointed about that, but I am surprised at how his color has changed in the past 48 hours, which is when I’ve noticed this hunting behaviour change. This is the first and only Bolivian ram I’ve owned, but I’ve never seen a picture of one with quite so much orange or red color. I assume it’s from his new diet. 

FYI, I can only find one shrimp today. 

I was about to comment, I’ve never seen a Bolivian this color. I wish my boy Billy Jr would be orange 😅

[JettsPapa]

On 1/29/2023 at 8:07 PM, TOtrees said:

. . . but I am surprised at how his color has changed in the past 48 hours, which is when I’ve noticed this hunting behaviour change. This is the first and only Bolivian ram I’ve owned, but I’ve never seen a picture of one with quite so much orange or red color. I assume it’s from his new diet. 

You're probably correct about the color change coming from diet, though I'm surprised it changed that quickly.  It's a saltwater fish, but when black drum reach a certain size their diet changes from shrimp and small fish to mostly crabs, and their color goes from grayish black to gold.