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Hi,

I'm looking for some advice. I have a 130L community tropical tank and decided that I would like a pair of Bolivian Rams to complete the community. I had bought a female ram a few weeks back and this afternoon got a male.

With in 2 minutes of being in the tank the original Bolivian Ram attacked the new one - fins are now nipped and torn and locked lips with it. I think I've sexed my first Bolivian Ram wrongly and it is in fact a male.

So I am wondering what is the best course of action, would the addition of 2 females calm things down (the aggression is all one-way)? Or would it be better to added 3+?

Also is a 130L aquarium big enough to house 2 territorial males (with or without females) in the first instance, or would there not be enough space to diffuse the tension between them?

Thinking that in addition to adding 2 females I will buy a few more plants and try to create more visual blocks and hiding places.

The fish shop I got the second ram from is about 35 miles away, I am going to a shop closer to home tomorrow due to lack of time. If they do not have any female rams available would it be ok to use a fry trap to separate one of the males (the aggressive one) from the rest of the tank temporarily?

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

Jencat23.

34 gal should be enough tbh, especially if the orientation if the tank is long, but youll need lots of plants.Getting a female each might well solve the problem, but a cichlid is a cichlid, and even among fairly even tempered and shy fish like bolivian rams you will find the odd hyper-territorial male. So basically youll have to make a judgement call on how aggressive you really think he is. If he seems really aggressive bearing in mind unless theres other aggressive fish around making them behave a bit OTT, 2 male rams in 30 odd gals is usually doable, you might be better off swapping the aggressive male directly for a female. An abnormally aggressive ram will just attack any other ram, often irrelevant of sex, so its worth looking at how the tank is structured and set up, and what the other cagemates are and see if something is triggering his aggression especially, or if hes just a nasty little fish.

Pics of the tank setup and a full stocking list might help.

Hi longhairedgit,

Thanks for your reply. I will get 2 females and lots more plants. Will also have a word with the lfs when I am there to see if they will take back the aggressive male if the addition if females and more plants do not prove a success.

Thanks again,
Jencat23.

Hi there, I've had a little experience with the Dwarf Blue Ram and they too can give a good run for their money in this way.
It's probably too late, (your've already been out and bought the two females), I would definitely place the poor beleagured fellow in the safety of a breeding net so that they are still in the same tank, but one is safe from the other. Because if the original is aggressive to the point nipping etc, then he could well continue until death.

Not that rams do too well in breeding nets, they are an easily stressed fish, if youve got an unusually violent one, (and that will occassionally happen considering rams are rarely outbred, and in captivity often the most aggressive fish get to breed and dominate, thusly aggression is likely to become a genetic imperative) the best thing is to move him on to someone who has fish that can handle him as if hes insignificant, or take him back to the shop. A close confinement for a ram can be hell, and most will be unlikely to survive, most will stress out and die. Think of the net, white, the fish cant use its colouraion for cover or hide amongst plants and has to be kept near the surface. A ram wont be liking that, and it will be very stressed.