Bolivian Ram Cichlid: Complete Guide to Care, Breeding, Tank Size and Disease

The Bolivian Ram is a staggeringly fascinating freshwater fish. They are excellent, smooth, and simple to focus on. Therefore, this species has a remarkable ardent continuing in the local aquarium area. The way that they are amusing to watch and agreeable for novices is a major draw. 

Yet, that does not mean you ought to go into possession without the legitimate data. This aide will show you the fundamental components of Bolivian Ram care. You would find out about their suggested tank mates, diet, tank size, and even how to explore the reproducing system.


Information Chart
Bolivian Ram Cichlid
Scientific Name:Mikrogeophagus altispinosus
Family:Cichlid family
Care Level:Moderate 
Temperament:70 – 72 degrees Fahrenheit
Color:Silver with subtle yellow hues
Lifespan:4 years
Size:2.5 to 3.5 inches
Diet:Omnivorous 
Minimum Tank Size:30 gallons
Temperature:70 – 72 degrees Fahrenheit
WaterConditions:pH level: 6.5 (ideal) 
Tank Mate CompatibilityVery compatible

About Bolivian Ram Cichlid: Information

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Appearance

This cichlid is unquestionably brilliant, and completely hued grown-up examples sparkle with every one of the shades of the rainbow. However, huge eyes, a trademark nose suggestive of a parrot’s snout, extended front beams of the dorsal balance, a bruised eye stripe, and a dark spot on the horizontal line are the characteristics that overwhelm the presence of these lovely fish. 

It is also worth realizing that six indistinguishable crossbands show up on the fish’s body in a condition of pressure. During brood car, the yellowish body shade of the female, the bruised eye stripe, and the dark horizontal spot become exceptionally serious.

Lifespan Of Bolivian Ram Cichlid:

The typical lifespan of a Bolivian Ram Cichlid is 4 years. For some other fish, their lifespan is dictated with the aid of using numerous factors. For example, poor water conditions and an insufficient atmosphere can shorten that lifespan significantly. 

If you wish to increase the lifespan of a fish, you are required to modify its habitat accordingly. Top-notch care, water quality, and stress-loose surroundings are key to assisting fish in staying long and satisfying lives.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Size

The typical Bolivian Ram Cichlid grows up to 2.5 inches on the lower end and 3.5 inches for larger specimens. The common Bolivian Ram size is around 3 crawls long when completely developed. They can get marginally bigger and arrive at sizes of about 3.5 inches. 

Then again, female examples ordinarily do not arrive at 3 creeps by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, they frequently stay nearer to 2.5 inches.

Natural Habitat and Origin

Bolivian Ram is a breed of endemic fish to the Amazon River Bay in Bolivia and Brazil. The species is essential for the family Cichlid and subfamily Geophagine. It is a well-known aquarium fish, marketed under the common names Bolivian butterfly, Bolivian slam, ruby crown cichlid, and Bolivian smash cichlid.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Care & Tank Set-Up

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tank Size and Specifications

The most common tank size for Bolivian Ram is around 20 gallons which let you keep a small group well. Nonetheless, we suggest utilizing a 30-gallon tank. These fish love to swim and will be reasonably better with a lot of space to investigate. 

Optimum Tank Size for Bolivian Ram Cichlid

The recommended tank size for Bolivian Ram Cichlid is a 30-gallon tank. However, you ought to expand the tank size if you anticipate keeping a bigger local area tank. 

Tank Shape for Bolivian Ram Cichlid

Cuboidal-shaped tanks are preferred where they can move freely without any congestion.

How Many Bolivian Ram Cichlid In 30-Gallon Tank? 

It has been suggested to keep two pairs of Bolivian Ram fish in the tank if it has a size of 30 gallons. It is required to be a nice bit of decor and some plants to give some safeguard. 

Water Parameters for Bolivian Ram Cichlid

The great issue you may do on your Bolivian Rams is to copy their herbal habitat. This does not simply follow the matters you have for your tank, but also the water conditions. 

The freshwater our bodies inhabit inside the wild is incredibly warm. However, it is slightly acidic and does not have a powerful flow either. So, stick with those parameters, and your fish have to have not no-hassle thriving. 

Water Temperature

The ideal water temperature for Bolivian Ram Cichlid is 72 – 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperature: seventy-two to seventy-nine stages Fahrenheit, pH levels: 6.0 to 7.5 (round 6 five is ideal), and water hardness: 0 to 10 dKH.

pH Level

The perfect water pH level for Bolivian Ram Cichlid is 6.0 – 7.5.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tank Landscape

When it involves tank decor, herbal objects are constantly best. The Amazon River Basin is overflowing with spirit. The water is surrounded by natural flowers, which act as natural hiding spots for Bolivian Rams. 

You can mirror the equal surroundings for your aquarium. Start with a pleasing sandy substrate. Then, you can introduce a few large pebbles into the combination Ture for range, too, in case you want.

Best Plants for Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tanks

Aquatic vegetation like Amazon Swords, Java Fern, Water Wisteria, and greater are all great. They offer a few safe havens while additionally giving your fish a reprieve from light. Introduce a few rocks and driftwood into the combination Ture as well. Like vegetation, driftwood is a superb vicinity to relaxation and hide.

Decorations For Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tanks

To offer them excellent conditions, it is far excellent to mimic their biological environment. The streams, pools, and lagoons wherein you may discover those fish are commonly dense with plant life and feature lots of submerged branches and roots supplying refuge and shade.

Lighting For Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tanks

They select low lights with vulnerable water movements.

Feeding Bolivian Ram Cichlid

Best Diet for Bolivian Ram Cichlid

Shrimp

These fish are omnivores and could quite a whole lot consume something which you deliver them. In the wild, they may sift via the substrate for small organisms. They also can chow down on a few plant materials. In captivity, they do simply excellent on dry meals. 

Because they stick with the lowest and center of the aquarium, stick with sinking pellets. You can supplement a dry weight loss plan with brine shrimp or even some chopped-up earthworms.

How Often Should You Feed Bolivian Ram Cichlid?

Bolivian Ram Cichlid should typically be fed every 2 hours per day. We advise feeding the fish a couple of instances during the day. This avoids overfeeding and might save you big portions of meals from affecting water conditions. In addition, you can easily make them a quick food regimen by giving them occasional toppings of brine shrimp, bloodworm, tubifex, or daphnia. 

Your fish can steadily drain through the substrate for organisms and might even eat your plants. So feed your fish in small quantities more than one instance an afternoon, so they do now no longer overeat, neither is there a large quantity of leftover food.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Behavior and Temperament

Bolivian Rams are very non-violent fish. The most effective time they may display aggression is throughout breeding. Usually, that competitive conduct is most effective toward fish that get too near the breeding area. Aside from that, those fish get at the side of some other non-violent species. 

Are Bolivian Ram Cichlid Lone or Societal in Nature? 

Bolivian Rams are correct to hold collectively in small groups. There is not any proper or incorrect here. They do properly each alone, in a couple or a group.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tank Mates

While they are now no longer a shoaling species, Bolivian Rams do recognize the business enterprise of others. They do exquisite in pairs or large agencies of four to eight fish. Aside from different Bolivian Ram Cichlids, you could introduce different non-violent fish into the aquarium. 

The most effective aspect you are not required to forget is size. Smaller non-violent fish is probably considered as food, so attempt to persist with similarly sized fish.

Ideal Bolivian Ram Cichlid Tank Mates

  • Silver dollar fish: The silver dollar fish is a popular and fascinating freshwater fish that have been an essential deliberation in tanks for a long time. They have an extremely intriguing and engaging appearance, yet that is not by any means the only explanation that makes them an incredible fish to possess.
  • Cherry barbs: The Cherry Barb is an extraordinary freshwater fish that we’ve been suggesting for quite a long time. If you have been in the aquarium scene for some time, there is a decent possibility you realize somebody who’s claimed one.
  • Dwarf Gourami: Dwarf Gourami is one of the most well-known freshwater fishes out there. They look incredible bringing a sprinkle into your aquarium.

Bad Tank Mates for Bolivian Ram Cichlid

  • Killifish: Killifish are yearly fish, which means they live for around a year. This is because, in the wild, their living space comprises brief pools. 

Breeding Bolivian Ram Cichlid

Breeding Bolivian Rams are quite a straightforward process. They can reproduce more often and very comfortably when there is a lot of space for them to move and there is no congestion. You do not always need to separate the fish for breeding. However, we propose it. 

Separating the fish from others will save you competitive conduct and raise the survival c chances of the fish. Mikrogeophagus altispinosus lay the eggs. Nonetheless, they showcase a few particular aspects. You can start with the aid of setting a bonded pair right into a big tank. 

If there is no bonded pair, you can also bring in a group of stripling fish and let them pair up naturally. You will recognize that the fish have paired off because the women and men will stick together.

The ladyfish will normally begin breeding by seeking pleasing flat gravel or a cave to put her eggs. Once the female Bolivian Ram lays eggs, then the male Bolivian Ram will swim over for fertilization. After that, both the fish would defend that region where the eggs are. It takes around 3-4 days to hatch the eggs. The dad and mom are pretty shielding of the child fish. 

They will be positioned in their mouths to move them to different regions of the tank. They can also even try and camouflage the babies. Finally, when their babies are approximately 7 days old, they can swim freely. 

At this point, the dad and mom will lead the fry in huge corporations to move to locate food. Then, when they are approximately two months old, they will be large sufficient to feed with well-known dry food.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Breeding Level

Easy

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Sexual Dimorphism?

To distinguish between male and female Bolivian Ram Cichlid, we look at the pelvic fins and length. It is difficult to discover the male Bolivian Ram and female Bolivian Ram, and the nicest method to recognize is to peer their spawn. Nonetheless, there are some versions primarily based on anecdotal and generalized data. 

Males are substantially lighter and feature a tapered back, while females’ factor is downwards extra prominently and are enormously large. You can also see a variant within the pelvic fins’ duration and look, which may be an indicator.

Bolivian Ram Cichlid Common Diseases and Their Treatment

Disease

One of the most common diseases in Bolivian Ram fish is Ich. If you do not care about your fish, food, and tanks’ condition, all these things will result in itching. 

Also, Bolivian Rams are at great risk of illnesses similar to any other fish. At the same time, they are not at hazard for any serious illness. You are required to deal with widespread illnesses such as Ich, and you have not been given proper care.

It happens due to an uninhabitable atmosphere and the poor condition of the water. There are many fish who can face the problem of Ich if they share their tanks with an attacker. Numerous strategies can solve the problem of Ich. 

Some people prefer to boost water temperature to approximately 86 stages for a piece to look if the fish heal. If that does not work, copper-primarily based drugs are to be had as well. Ich is noticeably contagious, so it is essential to quarantine any unwell fish which you see.

Facts About Bolivian Ram Cichlid

How many Bolivian Rams exist within the nation today? 

Till now, not even a single survey has been performed to recognize the precise number of breeds. 

Where do Bolivian Rams live? 

Mostly the Bolivian Rams are seen in Brazil and Bolivia. However, Bolivian Ram Cichlids’ breeds have also been found in Bolivia’s top Rio Madeira catchment region. Bolivian Rams always live in are frequently located in small, sandy oceans with eighty-one degrees Fahrenheit temperature of the water.

What is a Bolivian ram’s habitat? 

After much research, we have not gotten anything about the Bolivian Ram-specific habitat. However, it is understood that they stay in superficial waters with large plants and free areas with gently streaming water. 

At the time of their breeding season, they opt for the regions with steady gravels and natural tunnels. Thus, their biological environment comprises especially sandy floors with some soft flat gravels thrown in for appropriate measure. 

Nearly four hundred separate fish breeds inhabit those comparable environments, and Bolivian Rams are used to being withinside the presence of different fish so long as there may be sufficient room to cover and swim. 

To whom would Bolivian Rams prefer to keep up? 

Bolivian rams would not have any problem gathering in small groups. However, they mostly prefer to live with Cherry Barbs and Silver dollar fish.

They can be kept individually, in pairs, and in groups. However, if you need to reproduce those fishes, it is great to accumulate a collection of 4 to 8 and permit them to pair off earlier than setting apart the couples. 

What is the lifespan of a Bolivian Ram Cichlids? 

Normally, the lifespan of a Bolivian Ram is near four years. Like that of another fish, their longevity is decided via way of means of a whole lot of factors. Their lifespan may be reduced extensively due to an inadequate environment or the poor quality of water.  

If you wish that your Bolivian Ram has a long and satisfactory life, you are required to provide them with incredible treatment, freshwater, and a stress-unfastened environment.

How do Bolivian Rams reproduce? 

Till now, not even a single data has been found regarding the reproduction of the Bolivian Ran Cichlids. Still, in captivity, courtship is taken into consideration to encompass head tossing, quivering, and the practice of duplicate sites. 

These behaviors are frequently performed via way of means of male Bolivian Ram cichlids and might ultimately round forty-eight hours. Following courtship, female Bolivian Rams lay among 220 and 340 ovoid, brown-colored eggs at the favored surface, often a flattened stone. 

Once the female Bolivian Ram has laid the eggs, the male Bolivian Rams are required to fertilize the eggs. The lady then directly to the subsequent line, and so on, until all the eggs had been laid. Finally, parents deliver newly hatched fry of their mouths to location them in shallow pits dug via way of means of the male in the course of courtship. 

Fry are transferred among those pits frequently. After seven days, the fry begins to turn out to be unfastened swimming, and they are then observed round via way of means of their mother and father in a thick faculty to forage for food. 

What is their conservation popularity? 

Bolivian Ram’s popularity of conversations is indexed as Least Concern.

Is Bolivian Ram Cichlid Right for You?

As you all are aware of the necessities of Bolivian Ram care, now the time has come to obtain a bit for yourself. Bolivian Ram Cichlid is incredibly pleasant. Hence, anyone can easily keep these fish, whether the person has experience or not.

Most people think that Bolivian Ram Cichlid is one of the most delightful breeds to spectate. Between their dazzling magnificence and particular peculiarities, you will not experience difficulty breathing easy checking out your tank. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How Many Bolivian Rams Can Be Kept Together in A Tank?

Bolivian Rams are not always training or shoaling fish. That said, they do excellent with a collection of six to 8 different Bolivian rams withinside the tank. For large network tanks, you may preserve Bolivian rams with different non-violent fish of comparable size.

How Often Do They Lay Eggs?

Female Bolivian Rams lay their eggs on gravels, and they lay around 200-300 eggs at the time of breeding. Both the male and the female Bolivian raise their young ones, keeping their eggs in their mouths to keep them safe.

Can Two Male Bolivian Rams Be Kept in The Same Tank?

Yes, men tend to be greater competitive. However, Bolivian rams are in all likelihood one of the maximum non-violent cichlids. Without females, they may not surely have a whole lot to combat for. A pair of rams might be in reality paintings too. They do not get mainly competitive while breeding, besides toward different cichlids.

How Do They Communicate? 

There is no sufficient proof of how Bolivian Rams communicate, apart from some unusual place behaviors that can be seen in maximum fish species. 

Where Are They Mostly Found?

The Bolivian Ram may be discovered broadly unfold throughout the amazon river basin from Brazil to Bolivia in their herbal habitat. You can spot them within side the slower shifting waters with smooth sandy or frequently muddy substrate.

Conclusion

Bolivian Ram Cichlid is sincerely a fantastic extension to the tank of any fish keeper. They fee around $five according to fish; however, bear in mind that they experience being saved in groups. 

You are required to keep maintaining the tank, its cleanliness, and the conditions of water because this helps increase the fish’s lifespan, and your Bolivian Ram would be able to live for long years happily.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.