New Bolivian Ram

eileen

Here are some pictures of my new Bolivian Ram I got today.

http://s738.photobucket.com/albums/x...view=slideshow

iamntbatman

Hmm...that looks more like a Blue Ram than a Bolivian Ram to me.

willow

he's gorgous.
i can't keep them for love nor money.

eileen

I really like the Bolivian Ram. He's doing great with all the fish in my tank. My friend told me I should get another one. I don't want to breed them and don't want tons of fry. My Guppy momma in that tank had over 119 fry. I was able to rehome all but 30 on criagslist. I read up on the Bolivian Ram and they are sensitive to Nitrate. You must do water changes once a week and get them used to your water conditions slowly.This is not a Blue Ram as they were in another tank close by and were completely blue but looked like this one without the yellow,purple,blue coloring. The guy getting the fish told me this was a wild Bolivian Ram and that's what it said on the tank. The one is peaceful. If I get 2 I might get a fighting problem with males. My tank is well planted and does not have alot of fish so it might be ok. I guess I could return it in a day or two if I have a problem if I got 2 of them. I love Cheethas and this fish looks like a cheetha fish with it's line under it's eye.

Byron

If you knew the number of times I have argued with fish store owners about mislabeled fish...I don't have a degree in biology or ichthyology, but I do know something about Amazonian fish and even when I have taken photos with me I feel like that former actor fellow Rodney--I get no respect.

Anyway, I must say the fish store is in this case incorrect in labeling this fish a Bolivian Ram. In my humble opinion, this is a Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, and quite possibly the wild form if it is as they claim wild-caught. The fish is still a bit pale but as it settles in and colours up there will be more blue in the individual scales on the side of the fish--though not to the extent of the hybrid "Blue Ram" that the hobby developed from wild fish. There are no distinct blue scales on M. altispinosus, just a pale bluish sheen in the fins and the gray body colouration.

A caution though, if this is indeed a wild-caught M. ramirezi, it will require very specific water.

Byron.

eileen

I went back to the LFS today and bought another one as my friend told me to go get another one before the one I got yesterday establishes territory in my tank. I looked at the label and it is my mistake as it's a Wild Columbian Ram. A dwarf variety that does not get big and is peaceful for a community tank. Males are 3.5" and females max out at 2.5" when full grown.

aunt kymmie

Eileen- Did they not have Bolivians? Wild caught Columbians are not going to do well, long term, in our hard San Diego water. As much as I'd like to keep them I know I wouldn't be able house them properly due to the water requirements they need and must have.

eileen

Byron was right I looked on-line and they look like the Mikrgeophagus Ramirezi. I took a sample of the water they were in at Pet Kingdom and the waters Ph was the same as what I have in my tanks. The guy I talked to there said that all the tanks had the San Diego water so I'm good.

Here are the new pictures:

Attached Images

Wild Columbian Ram female.jpg (99.2 KB, 46 views)

Byron

The issue with this species [Mikrogeophagus ramirezi] and water parameters is dependant upon the origin of the fish.

Assuming the store was correct in these being wild caught, I can all but guarantee they will not live long in basic hard water. Maybe a couple months, that's it. Wild-caught rams absolutely need very soft, acidic water. Their habitat water is so low in mineral the hardness can scarcely be measured with electronic instruments, and the pH is 4-5.5 max. Hard water clogs their kidneys with calcium and other internal issues, so the hardness is as critical or perhaps moreso than the pH.

On the other hand, if the rams are not wild but were raised in relatively basic hard water, they will probably be OK. Dawn has personal experience of this. My experience with this species has only been wild-caught fish.

Byron.

aunt kymmie

I'm familiar with the LFS that Eileen purchased these rams from and since they were labeled as "wild" I'm sure that's exactly what they are. Hopefully they can be returned for some captive bred Bolivians. I purchased my captive bred Bolivians from this very same LFS and they've been "bullet proof". I would think that even captive bred Columbians would be hard to raise in our local water, since it's nearly as hard as concrete is.