Ram Question

[peathenster]

Well I bought a "pair" of bolivian rams yesterday from my LFS. They told me one was male because it had longer tip at the posterior end of its dorsal fin. It wasn't a mark, to my knowledge, to sex rams - the "spikes" at the anterior end of the dorsal fin would be a better mark, which by the way look the same on the two fish. Their coloration also looked a bit different, with the one with shorter tip having a more obvious black dot/patch on its side.

In any event, I thought they were definitely different, so I took them home. The one with a short tip immediately started bullying the other one. After some more research I now believe that they are both males, but the one with a shorter tip is a German Blue Ram (GBR) and the other one is a Bolivian Ram. I'm planning to call my LFS and see what they say.

So here is my question - has anybody mixed males of GBR and BR? Are GRBs more aggressive? I have some baby severums in the tank and the GBR isn't very nice to them either. I have to decide which one to return if they let me.

THANKS!

 

[minxfishy]

What size tank are they in?
Have you got plenty of cover for them, plants etc to break up any line of sight issues?
How on earth an LFS can mistake a GBR for a boliv is beyond me

Ive had 2 male Bolivs and 2 male GBR in the same tank with no problems whatsoever.

 

[peathenster]

They are in a 120g with plenty of cover. The GBR took over the central 1/2 (a large piece of driftwood) and constantly chases the Bolivian to a corner

I guess I just don't want to keep two males of different species together, especially when they don't get along. GBR is definitely prettier, but I'm kinda sympathetic with the Bolivian. Tough decision...

About my lfs - I agree....but at least they thought they were different...

 

[minxfishy]

definately different.

Well sounds like they have plenty of room, so no reason for them to be fighting, maybe you just have a moody GBR.

My choice would be to keep the more peaceful or as you have plenty of room add another GBR, preferably female (see pink belly) and another bolivian.

 

[peathenster]

Very interesting! I wonder if I can experiment with them a little - add a female bolivian and see if they team up to fight back, or add a female GBR to see if the male light up, or add two females ......

Now the question becomes where to get the females...

 

[minxfishy]

Clearly not from where you got the other two