# Bolivian Ram struggles?



## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

I've had Bolvian Rams before and once they settle I love them...except that they can't seem to share even 4 foot tanks with smaller less dominant males. I remember losing several last time, but I believed it was from bullying. I purchased what looked like a happy young pair from a very reputable LFS. They took some time to settle... then one was dead. So I picked up 2 more... both looked good. Now 2 have paired off and one of the new ones is breathing heavy and laying on a piece of driftwood and has long stringy white poop and a thin belly. I'm not comfortable treating the whole tank for something given the plants and other fish although this is the initial stocking. No problems with the Emporer Tetras and I added a trio of blue eye rainbows. I'm hard pressed to believe it is the stores stock as they are very impressive. In honesty I accidently tossed my master test kit a couple weeks ago. The filter material is from my heavily stocked 150 African tank so I seriously doubt I had any cycle. Bolivians have a reputation as being hardy. I'm thinking I will cease the stocking until I have the Rams settled. I'm hoping to introduce some Apisto Caucatoides, but these Rams have me rethinking anything that I would have to order... 
Has anyone else experienced this trouble with Bolivian Rams? Even the "sick" one has beautiful color already


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

You need to test your water first. Next, you need more driftwood or some tall plants to break up sight lines, plus some fake logs to be used as hiding places. I've kept as many as 5 Bolivians is a 90 gallon tank with no problems.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Well... You were right. I foolishly believed that adding 2 cycled filters would instantly cycle the tank. It did not. I added a few new additions since the cycle finished and they are doing awesome. Also set up a reactor and going to pressurized CO2.


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

I asked the LFS to order triple reds and they got the gold ones in. Unfortunately what was sold to me as a pair is 2 males.


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## mambee (Apr 13, 2003)

Nice looking tank.


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## CeeJay (Aug 16, 2016)

I bought 5 and add them to 120 gallon 48" tank. After 4 weeks I have two left and they are a pair. The male ran everyone off the bottom and the rest just seemed to just fade away. Males for there size are very aggressive my tank is even more full of plant from top to bottom and still chased every other fish away. I'm happy for the pair there breeding now and the fry made it four days before they were meals for the other 70 fish in the tank. My problem is I would love to move them to there own tank but would have to total reset and that would just be more then I would want to do. I have several different ideas to try and get some of the fry out of the tank but will have to wait until they breed again.


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## dalto (Aug 20, 2006)

The Dude315 said:


> I asked the LFS to order triple reds and they got the gold ones in. Unfortunately what was sold to me as a pair is 2 males.


It can be difficult to sex the line-bred forms of Apistogramma when they are small. Because of the line breeding the females often show some male traits. Have you confirmed they are both males?


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## The Dude315 (May 19, 2015)

Yes they're both males.. I ended up moving both to the lower 75 gallon and adding a Triple Red Pair to the top one. I'm either going to add a second pair to the top tank or perhaps another Apisto pair. I'm also going to do another Apisto in the bottom tank with the 2 males.


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