# Bolivian Rams



## sian (Feb 4, 2011)

Hi I'm new to keeping cichlids....And with lots of reading and googling we decided on Bolivian rams. Which we had two weeks ago, I bought three as where I bought them said better get three see who will pair up etc. Two paired up and bullied the third little, but the next day while I was at work I came home to find the third one dead..  . Now the other two thinking they had paired are now on opposite side of the tank to each other, and when they do see each other they circle each other and ram the tail and then lip lock.. I am now thinking they are actually the same sex.. If anyone has had the same experience, do you know if this is fighting or displaying/flirting? 
A friend of mine is a an oscar breeder he said lip locking is a sign of a mating pair, But he's not sure about the circling part..

I have a 70gallon tank with-
2 Bolivian rams
3 Angels
3 corys
1 pleco
5 mollies..
so far.......Any ideas of what else I could put in my tank would be welcome!!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

lip locking can be a sign for a couple of different things.

Same sex lip locking occurs when two fish are fighting for dominance. Similar to two male rams butting heads. Unfortunately, often the losers becomes a victim and can waste away untill it dies or is continually harassed until it dies from stress. Other times the loser is relegated to a small corner of the tank.

Opposite sex lip locking can often lead to a pair bonding and spawning. It is believed to be a way for two fish to size each other up and decide if they are compatible, as in is the female strong enough for the male and vice verca.

As for Bolivian rams, they are a social species, and often do better in a group rather than as a pair. In a 70 gallon tank I would look to have atleast 5 or 6. This way aggression will be spread amongst the group, and if a pair forms, they will pick a spawning site and defend a territory around this site.


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## marvo (Nov 24, 2010)

not sure rams should b in that tank DeadFishFloating
gave you good advise


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## sian (Feb 4, 2011)

DeadFishFloating said:


> lip locking can be a sign for a couple of different things.
> 
> Same sex lip locking occurs when two fish are fighting for dominance. Similar to two male rams butting heads. Unfortunately, often the losers becomes a victim and can waste away untill it dies or is continually harassed until it dies from stress. Other times the loser is relegated to a small corner of the tank.
> 
> ...


Thanks....I had someone from an aquarium shop to have a look he advised me getting another 2 or 4 rams or wait till the two I have are older.. When he tried to have a look both rams disappeard..Thats when he said get more to even out the aggression...Similar to what you have said..


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## sian (Feb 4, 2011)

marvo said:


> not sure rams should b in that tank
> 
> Can I ask why???


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## sian (Feb 4, 2011)

http://s356.photobucket.com/albums/oo9/ ... er%20fish/

Here are some pics of my fish! They are a blurred my camers doesn't work so I used my phone which is useless! ( It is the phone camera honestly  )


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## sian (Feb 4, 2011)

I have added two more rams as thats all they had at my LFS, they did fight a fair bit for half a week so I changed the setting of the tank, and now the four seem pretty happy with each other..As it turns out I now have two males and two females and so far they are ok!......The new rams a bigger and browner than my older rams, And someone told me there are different bolivian rams to be had....Thats the first I've heard about that,..

I know I seem don't know what I'm doing lol, But I have been keeping fish for years cold water mainly!.. :fish: :fish:


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2011)

i have a male and female bolivian ram in a tank with a whole bunch of otehr stuff... german blue rams and electric blue rams, rainbows, corries, plecos, and a bunch of "sharks" and the bolivian rams are fine and show no aggression.. i am going to get a bunch more thou when i trade in some africans females i dont want/need


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