Male Bolivian Ram Agression

[LoachLover!]

I have been adjusting my stock list in my 55 gallon, and I rehomed a large number of fish. Since then for some reason, my bolivian Rams have become really nasty. They were both sold to me as males, and I am sure they are right, but I am not 100% sure. Anyway, since yesterday, they have suddenly started to really fight with each other. They have been fighting with their mouths and chasing each other. I guess this is what they do, but they are also chasing by bleeding heart tetras around as well. They will be fine, and then suddenly chase one away until it is out of sight. If it comes back, it will be chased again, and so on. I don't want the fish to be stressed by some other fish in the tank, and it dosen't look great if you constantly have fish chasing each other.

I am really confused though. Since I have rehomed these other fish, they have become really nippy.

Are they just having territory issues? Is it one of those things that will just stop? They leave my cories, loaches and ottos alone, it's just each other and the bleeding hearts that are affected.

Maybe I am just being overly concerned....I dunno!!

Thanks

 

[MegaZerino]

what were the fish that you removed, because if they were also territorial then it's probably to do with that
Edit:mine did that when my betta died

 

[LoachLover!]

Angelfish, honey gouramis and Rummynose tetras.

That probably makes sense, as the angelfish in particular would have been territorial

Thanks

 

[LoachLover!]

Are they likely to continue to do this, or will they settle down?

 

[MegaZerino]

Well mine settled down after a couple of weeks, but they sometimes fight about once every 1 or 2 weeks, but when they do it's not too bad, its normally just them flaring at eachother and sometimes nipping at eachother. Although my dwarf gourmi normally goes in there and breaks it up so they may be worse if he wasn't there

 

[LoachLover!]

Ok, thanks!

 

[mattlee]

what is the current stocking in the tank?

if you have a decent group of the tetras then 1 shouldnt be picked out and any aggression spread among the group causing much less stress on them. if the rams are getting at each other then this will be a hierachy thing, 1 will be the dominant fish eventually. again to cause less stress on an individual fish maybe adding 2 more rams may help, they are much happier in groups anyway and the dominant fish will have 3 others to chase instead of just 1.

bolivian rams arent known for their aggressivness so i would leave it a while and keep an eye on them until they sort their differences out. its something that happens with all cichlids and many other species so i wouldnt worry too much.

if you can add a few more tetras and a couple more rams and the fish will be less targeted

 

[ZoddyZod]

I agree with Matt. When I used to have 2-3 rams, one was always be singled out for any aggression. Now I have 6 that behaviour is much less noticeable.