# Bolivian Rams - South American?



## schnebbles (Feb 1, 2015)

I guess they are an SA cichlid.

I'm new and got 2 of these in a new tank (it's cycled). Have 3 panda cories.

I'd like some apistos, recommendations?

Dither fish are new to me, do I need some? I don't suppose I can just keep the rams and apistos?

thanks!

Right now my water hardness is gH 7, kH 9, pH 8 - might add blackwater extract, not sure if I should. Will continue with RO water changes which should continue to lower these a little.


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

What size is the tank? Bolivians & Apistos will compete for the same area of the tank (the bottom).


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## schnebbles (Feb 1, 2015)

40 breeder, probably not big enough for 2 of those along with the rams I'm thinking. Someone else recommended killifish. I feel bad b/c my husband wanted a tank but he likes these big fish and they won't really fit. He wanted a big electric blue cichlid the other night. Guess he's not into the little fish.


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## Als49 (Jul 11, 2014)

Yes, Bolivian rams are SA cichlids. Panda cories are dither fish, and like Bolivian and Apistos, mostly swim in the middle to bottom area of the tank.

Killifish looks bright and colorful based on the pics on the Internet because I never keep them.

You can add dither fish that swim mostly in the middle to top area such as rummy nose tetra, cardinal tetra, guppy, hatchet fish.
My rummy nose and guppy also swim to the bottom to hunt for food at feeding time though.


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## AlmightyJoshaeus (May 2, 2013)

Killifish are definitely bright and colorful...I happen to have a trio of Aphyosemion striatum killies myself, and the male is easily a match for most african cichlids in color (the females are basically grey with some red dots). However, many killifish (including mine) are very timid and likely would not do well in a tank with cichlids of any sort, even peaceful ones like rams; those that are not extremely shy, such as flagfish, gardneri killifish, and blue gularis, are often very aggressive, and gularis in particular would likely beat the tar out of the rams, being a five or six inch giant of a killifish. Community killies have to be picked quite carefully, though I have heard that many Epiplatys species (which are decidedly top dwelling) work well (avoid E. annulatus, which is too small to work in most communities). Most of the North American fundulid killifish would also work as long as the water is not acidic (and there are some that would still work well in soft, acidic water), but these tend to be less spectacular.


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## schnebbles (Feb 1, 2015)

some of the Epiplatys are pretty!


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