# Bolivian Ram won't eat



## Henry Di Cristofan (Aug 30, 2008)

I've had a BR for a month. It's about 1 inch long. The first week it ate well, but hasn't eaten since then, unless it's eating when the lights are out. It seems healthy, is not being bullied. It's in a 12 gal tank with a blue gourami, honey gourami, bristlenose pleco, and two white skirted tetras. I've tried flake food, blood worms, micro pellets, and frozen brine shrimp. Water parameters test good. Tank has live plants, driftwood, and a rock. Any suggestions? Does it need another BR in order to eat?


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

Bolivians do best in small groups of 5 or more or as a pair just like their big relatives Geophagus. You can find an awful lot of info in the BRC treat abouth the care they need. The foods and tankmates are OK. Mine do like discus pellets and frozen the best. Maybe the fish is ill or stressed after all. Can you post a pic and give some more info on the water parameters? Does it show small black dots all over? If so he is definitely stressed.


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## Henry Di Cristofan (Aug 30, 2008)

Sorry, I don't know how to send pictures via the internet, but the ram does not have black dots or any other sign of illness. In fact, it looks quite well. The fins are clear and not clamped, and the color seems good. Water parameters are: Nitrate 20; Nitrite 0; Hardness 75; Chlorine 0; Alkalinity 120; PH 7.2; Ammonia 0. Food justs floats past it, it won't eat. It must be eating something, though, to have survived this long.


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

They can survive a long time without eating. However, if it doesn't start eating--it will die. This happened to one of my BRs and I lost it. I wonder if I had treated it sooner whether it would of lived.

This is an interesting article on treatment for internal parasites that often cause a fish to stop eating.
http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/FlubendazoleTreatment.pdf


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## Henry Di Cristofan (Aug 30, 2008)

Thank you. I did treat the tank with Jungle Clear Parasite a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't make a difference. I wonder if it just needs another BR for company? Another respondent asked me if the fish had black dots all over it - I thought he meant ich. Now that I look, it's stripes are very evident - is that stress?


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## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

Sounds like stress, really you need to get a picture up to help with this.

The other thing worth bringing up is that loner Bolivians have a different way of eating - they don't always rush up like you'd expect from other fish, instead they prefer to let it drop down and then at their own pace they drift around occasionally pecking at a bit of food - individuals do this a lot, when kept in groups the competition will naturally drive them to really go for the food and you will find them much more voracious eaters.

Do you have a sand substrate? I really recommend sand because of the way these fish like to eat - it means the pellets stay on the surface and don't get lost and unseen in the gravel, so they are then able to eat at their relaxed pace, otherwise if they miss it and it hits the gravel they're likely to miss a lot.

Basically, if its an individual it's likely that he is eating but just very relaxed about getting it (with the time frame considered it would have a sunken gut without food by now). You need to spend a good while just watching him drift around and see if he dunks his head into the substrate at all - picking up edibles.

To post pictures:

www.photobucket.com

Register, it's free.

At the upper mid of the screen once logged in is an area to upload your files, then you simply browse to the folder where the pics are and select the ones for upload. Click open/ok and it'll do it for you.

Once uploaded each image thumbnail has three lines under it, a link, a direct html and an IMG "tag".

Copy the IMG tag section, paste it here and your pic should show up.

:thumb:


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## Henry Di Cristofan (Aug 30, 2008)

Thanks, I'll work on the picture. It doesn't have a sunken gut, so I guess that's good. I don't have sand - just gravel. Can I add sand over the gravel? Afraid it will clog my filter system. Today I added Melafix (antibacterial medicine). Already treated for parasites a couple of weeks ago, so I'll see if this does any good. Can one keep a Bolivian Ram alone in a community tank? Do I need to buy another one for company?


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Henry Di Cristofan said:


> I've had a BR for a month. It's about 1 inch long. The first week it ate well, but hasn't eaten since then, unless it's eating when the lights are out. It seems healthy, is not being bullied. It's in a 12 gal tank with a blue gourami, honey gourami, bristlenose pleco, and two white skirted tetras. I've tried flake food, blood worms, micro pellets, and frozen brine shrimp. Water parameters test good. Tank has live plants, driftwood, and a rock. Any suggestions? Does it need another BR in order to eat?


I would venture your Ram is stressed due to the tank size and not having enough territory. The high Nitrates would also be a contributing factor. Just my humble opinion.


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