The Bolivian Ram is a small colorful fish with an elongated oval shaped body and pointed fins and tail. Mature males have a more pointed dorsal fin and longer filaments on the tail fin than the females. The males are also larger, growing to about 3 1/2 inches (8.9 cm) in length while females only reach about 2 1/2 inches (6 cm). They have a lifespan of about 4 years.
The body has an overall solid color that ranges from a dull brown to a grayish blue. They can be yellow on the front half and have a whitish yellow belly. They may have a black spot in the middle of their body below the middle area of the dorsal fin, and may or may not have a crescent vertical black line that runs through their eyes (their eyes are not red like the Ram Cichlid). The tips of the dorsal fin and the edges of the tail fin are orange, and the anal and pectoral fins are orange as well.
Synonyms | Crenicara altispinosa, Microgeophagus altispinosus, Papiliochromis altispinosus |
Distribution | Bolivia and Brazil. |
Sexual Dimorphism | Difficult to sex. Mature males are usually slightly larger, slimmer, and sometimes with longer finnage. |
Maximum Size | 8cm (3.15”) |
Water Parameters | Will acclimatise to a wide range of conditions. pH: 6.0-7.5, dH: up to 15 degrees. |
Temperature | 23-28 deg C (73-82 deg F) |
Compatibility | Community |
Lighting | No special requirements |
Environment
Bolivian Rams are a hardy, peaceful species, ideally suited to a community aquarium. The aquarium should be at least 30” long for a pair, and much larger if housing a group as groups will become a little territorial towards one another. The tank itself should have a dark substrate, with shady hiding areas amongst bogwood and dense areas of planting. Bolivian Rams can be kept alongside other small peaceable fish, and as with many other dwarf cichlids species, they will only tend to show any real aggression when breeding.
Whats for Lunch?
Bolivian rams are omnivorous – they will eat more or less anything however a balanced diet will consist of both flake / pellets and frozen foods.
Breeding
In order to minimise aggression towards other fish, a separate aquarium is recommended, this has the added benefit of producing a larger brood due to no predation. Water should be soft and acidic-neutral with flat surfaces available – usually a flat rock or slate is known to be used. When ready to spawn the fish will clean the selected spawn site and the female will deposit upto 200 eggs on the rock. After fertilisation has occured the female will then protect the eggs and can be seen fanning them with their fins while the male will guard the perimiter for predators. Once the fry reach free swiming the parents will then carry them to depressions in the substrate or other suitable hiding spots in the aquarium.