HelplessNewbie Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 (edited) I have 9 Bolivian rams in quarantine. I intend to keep 2 pairs and sell the rest. How can I tell that they have paired off? Will they exhibit mating behavior even while in quarantine? Wasn't sure if I should ask this in Fish Breeding. Edited March 21 by HelplessNewbie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 (edited) On 3/20/2024 at 10:08 PM, HelplessNewbie said: I have 9 Bolivian rams in quarantine. I intend to keep 2 pairs and sell the rest. How can I tell that they have paired off? Will they exhibit mating behavior even while in quarantine? Wasn't sure if I should ask this in Fish Breeding. You will notice 2 keeping others away by chasing them from their chosen territory or area to spawn. Most cichlid species do what I've described. Edited March 21 by Tlindsey 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 In addition to what @Tlindsey said, they should basically be together the majority of the time. Should be pretty easy to pick the pair(s) out from the rest of the group. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 I’d wait a bit to see if they’re compatible after the eggs hatch. I had 8 rams before and one male has spawned with all four females. One female he fought with when the lights turned off and he ignored another female after the fry were free swimming. There was only one female where he remained bonded with until the last free swimming fry was alive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Thank you for the advice! They just spent their first night in quarantine. Is it normal for them to just be laying on the floor of the quarantine tub? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy36 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 On 3/21/2024 at 8:37 AM, HelplessNewbie said: Thank you for the advice! They just spent their first night in quarantine. Is it normal for them to just be laying on the floor of the quarantine tub? If you mean that they are laying on their side that is not normal. If they are just perched on the bottom of the tank that could be normal. How big is the QT tank? How was it cycled? Posting a picture would be helpful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 On 3/21/2024 at 9:34 AM, macdaddy36 said: How big is the QT tank? How was it cycled? Posting a picture would be helpful. It is a 10g tub, cycled, 6 months old. They are perched, not on their side. I wonder if it might help to have some dither fish? I can add a m/f pair of endlers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy36 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 You can try adding the endlers if you want, but then the endlers would be exposed to whatever the rams have and would need to go through quarantine with the Rams. If you feed them do they come off the bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 On 3/21/2024 at 9:55 AM, macdaddy36 said: If you feed them do they come off the bottom? Not currently eating. I tried Xtreme nano pellets and Bug Bites Tropical flakes. They are frozen in place. I am going to siphon it out and try frozen daphnia, if the food doesn't disappear an hour later. I have a lot of endlers, and I am okay with treating them as well. They are in my plant nursery/quarantine and won't be joining the general population any time soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 Sorry for the bad photos, but these two hang out in or near this jar. I am hoping this might be my first pair. I would hate having to catch them , so I can sex them. They and their other Bolivian are stressed enough as it is. Next time, I will use regular tanks, instead of tubs for quarantine. As @Irene mentioned in one of her entertaining and informative videos, plastic tubs do not provide much in terms of visibility from the sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 (edited) Does anyone have video of Bolivian ram courtship behavior? One of the ones pictured above seems to rock its head from side to side, almost like a twitch or a tick, whenever the other one moves. I am hoping it is not shimmying. Bear in mind, all 9 are still hiding or frozen-perched on the bottom. Though I know at least some are eating because the food disappears, and I did observe 3 eating after I waited 20 minutes sitting still beside the tub. I added yesterday 10 kubotai rasbora and today, floated a bunch of hornwort. I imagine it will be a week for the rasbora to become comfortable themselves, and then I am hoping the rams will feel safer. Edited March 28 by HelplessNewbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlindsey Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 On 3/28/2024 at 7:48 PM, HelplessNewbie said: One of the ones pictured above seems to rock its head from side to side, almost like a twitch or a tick, Most cichlid species do that. Territorial behavior or spawning. That's probably the tank boss cichlids also establish rank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 On 3/29/2024 at 1:32 AM, Tlindsey said: Most cichlid species do that. Territorial behavior or spawning. That's probably the tank boss cichlids also establish rank. Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 (edited) On 3/28/2024 at 4:48 PM, HelplessNewbie said: One of the ones pictured above seems to rock its head from side to side, almost like a twitch or a tick, whenever the other one moves. From my observation with my Bolivian rams, that’s how they start the courtship. It will go from little head twitches to flailing the whole body. I also noticed the females would challenge the males and they tend to pair with the male that won’t back down from them. I’ll try to take a video when the lights turn on later. Edited March 29 by knee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 On 3/29/2024 at 5:20 PM, knee said: From my observation with my Bolivian rams, that’s how they start the courtship. It will go from little head twitches to flailing the whole body. I also noticed the females would challenge the males and they tend to pair with the male that won’t back down from them. I’ll try to take a video when the lights turn on later. Thank you, I am looking forward to the video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 On 3/29/2024 at 3:24 PM, HelplessNewbie said: Thank you, I am looking forward to the video! Couldn’t get a new video but here’s one of my old pairs. You can see the male trying to court the female 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeypoint Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 I was just about to post my own Bolivian Ram question. I added 4 to my tank - a heavily planted 68 gallon about 3.5 weeks ago. Initially, I would see three swimming around. The fourth one stayed hidden for the first 5 days and then joined the others. For the last couple of days, I’m only seeing two of them. They’re very active and one even follows me if I move from the front to the side. I catch the occasional glimpse of a third one - always rising from the same spot behind a rock and a thick forest of plants. I haven’t spotted the fourth one. Is this normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 On 3/30/2024 at 5:33 PM, Monkeypoint said: I haven’t spotted the fourth one. Is this normal? I would also like to know. Chances are I may encounter the same thing. I hope someone can answer your question. I hope he is fine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 I hope these aren't two males.Will someone help me sex them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeaqua Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 In my experience, they will often stay parallel to each other, and facing opposite directions. Moved a pair into a 20, and I always see them like that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 (edited) On 4/9/2024 at 10:20 AM, HelplessNewbie said: I hope these aren't two males.Will someone help me sex them? Top photo I’m 99% sure it’s male. Bottom photo 100% male. If you can get another photo or a video of them swimming around I can confirm. Here’s some photos of my females to compare Left is male and right is female on this photo Edited April 9 by knee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 Oh. man! Both boys? I thought I caught the right ones to place in a holding tank for observation and sexing, but they all scattered in a panic, so I lost track of the partner. Which of the two looks in best health? I will return the other, and hopefully find its mate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knee Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 On 4/9/2024 at 11:38 AM, HelplessNewbie said: Oh. man! Both boys? I thought I caught the right ones to place in a holding tank for observation and sexing, but they all scattered in a panic, so I lost track of the partner. Which of the two looks in best health? I will return the other, and hopefully find its mate... Top photo could be a female. I just need to see the pelvic fins and the shape of the body from the side to confirm. They both look healthy but stressed. The fish in the top photo looks less stressed to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 Thanks, @knee. I will upload more photos later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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