Pairing And Breeding Bolivian Rams In A Community Tank

[Masami]

I picked up two Bolivian rams around a month ago, I'm pretty sure one is male and one female but they don't want to pair up in my community tank and do quite a bit of fighting at feeding time with occasional lip locking.

I was wondering if its worth while trying to swap out one at a time with the store or another local owner or if to give it a bit more time, how likely am I to be able to pair a couple up in my community tank.

125 ltr planted tank

6 X-ray
9 neon
1 betta
4 corydoras melini
1 bristle nose
4 mollies
2 bolivian rams

 

[thereverendturtle]

What are the dimensions of your tank? If its 36" I would recommend adding another pair.

 

[Masami]

My tank is a Roma 125 approx 32" wide, will adding more stop the fighting as well or just more likely to end up with a pair and two to rehome elsewhere?

 

[Masami]

Added video, for second opinion of sex of my fish (used iPad, next time will do video in landscape mode - doh!)

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5ay_iIu4Mk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Essjay]

Based on what I can see in the video -

The video shows the fish on the right of the tank, then the one on the left, then back to the one on the right.
The fish on the left looks to have a female shaped breeding tube. The one on the right, the second time, maybe shows a hint of a female breeding tube, but it is difficult to see clearly.

You can see them both in the flesh; if their breeding tubes look the same, they are the same sex.

 

[Masami]

Or seems to have a slightly smaller less pointy breeding tube than the other,

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC4vVvXdqsg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Masami]

Still trying with pictures etc, I picked up a 3rd ram from lfs and now have a three way territorial war on my hands

Heres photos of my original pair

Ram 1

Ram 2

 

[Essjay]

The pic labelled ram 1 is female. The pic labelled ram 2 is male. The third pic, no label, is male (is that the same fish as pic 2?)

My experience with bolivian rams in a 125 litre tank -
I got 2 fish hoping they were a male and female as I got the two most different ones in the tank. I posted on here to be told I had 2 males. Four months later I found some more in another shop, and these were big enough to sex by their vents, so I got 2 females. The shop said they would take back one of the females and also one of the males from the first shop if I had problems with four rams.
The two males had lived peacefully together with only a tiny bit of nipping - until I put the females in the tank, then they attacked each other. It was so bad I had to put one male in the newly vacated QT. Over the next few days, the remaining male would spend a few hours with one female at one side of the tank, then a few hours with the other at the opposite end. After four days of this, he paired up with one female and they both attacked the other. I ended up putting the victim in the QT with the male. A week after I put the females in the 125 litre, I took the pair from the QT to the second shop, and got home to find the pair I'd kept had spawned while I was out.

I know people say you can keep a group of bolivian rams, but I mine wouldn't live together in a group of 2m 2f. Maybe the footprint of my tank is too small for more than a pair (it's a rio 125). It is obviously too small for 2 male's territories with females present, and my male wouldn't even tolerate a spare female.

 

[Masami]

Once i get a couple which seem to pair I will rehome any others I have, I am hoping for a spawn and to raise the fry in my fry tank.

I'll get a photo of the 3rd as soon as possible, but im pretty sure thats a male, so maybe i should take it back and trade for a female.

 

[Joshwainwright]

So pretty

I want some, I'm just stuck with my silly Gold Gouramis

 

[mattlee]

get as many as you can fit in comfortably. i have a group of 7 in 1 of my tanks and they are great in a bigger group and there isnt a single fish that gets bullied as there are so many of them to spread the aggression out. very active and wonderfull colouration on them because of this too and they come and feed from the surface.

 

[Masami]

Would happily put more in but it would overcrowd my tank unless I was to remove some other species, had some progress overnight though with my pairing. Since the majority of agression came from my original pair and particularly my original male, I took that back to the lfs and swapped for another which I believe is a female, strangely this one is without spot on its side but seemed to get along with the male I picked up on Friday in the lfs tank. When I added the new one last night the three squabbled a lot, but after a night of lights out my original female and the male I bought Friday is happily wondering around the tank together even during feeding time. However, they seem to have an enemy of my enemy is my friend relationship and I worry that if I were to take back the outcast to the fish store they will regress to fighting with each other, but if I don't the bullied fish may come to an early demise.

Still I'm happy to have pair that can tolerate each other so will ride out the week and see how things progress.

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=svhsKcZ3fBQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Joshwainwright]

Looking good, and your tank is immaculate!

 

[Masami]

Looking good, and your tank is immaculate!

Thanks it takes more work than I expected particularly the plants which have probably took more looking after than the fish!

I've been working my way up in tank size each month (since xmas) finding my way with the mixing fish and building up stock ready for a larger custom tank and storage unit, not sure where I will source the final tank from yet but they have some nice ones at wharf aquatics nr me for around but prices start at around four figures. I'll probably move to the Roma 200 before I take the final plunge with the super tanks.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I wish I'd have got a Roma 200 rather than the 125 I have a the minute. Such a great tank, just not as big as I'd like it to be!