# Biotope Bolivian Ram (NEW pix)



## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

*Bolivian Ram*
_(Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)_
Other Names:
Ruby Crown Cichlid, Butterfly Ramand Bolivian butterfly ​ 
Within the next 10 -12 month I am planning to build a new tank keeping these fish. I know where they come from. In all likelyhood they (the fish) have never been there and neither have I.

So, could anyone help me with flora (plants) the come from the river basin that these fish live in other fauna (critters) would be great as well -- Rio Mamore near the mouth of the Rio Guarpore River and other areas of distribution.

I would like the National Geographic version if I could please.


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## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

this might help http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope_rio_sucasari.htm


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## msawdey (Apr 6, 2009)

ahhh .. my favorite fish... i love these little guys..

In my ram tank i have 4 bolivians, 6 GBRs, 4 Angels, 8 tetras, cories, SAEs, otos, and busheynose plecs..

I know a few are necessarily naturally found together, but the tank is rather harmonious. check out my tank 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...2843-south-american-stream-pic-heavy-56k.html


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

I just discovered today that I have miss ID’d the tank I have ... It is a 30 Gallon but it is not a breeder, too tall.

Hydrophyte has a thread about a brackish build and has a full shot of his tank and labeled it a 30 breeder it got me to thinking about my tank. 

I confirmed the dimensions with aquadvisor.com and sure enough I was mistaken.


The these fish will be housed in a 30 gallon tank but it's not a breeder style tank as I have previously thought or was otherwise led to believe.

BTW an update here is the current shot of the tank it has been set up sice early March.











Later, after a move, next year or so, it will become the biotope for them.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

nice, plants all look very healthy. when are you gonna post pics of your rams?


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

kamikazi said:


> nice, plants all look very healthy. when are you gonna post pics of your rams?


I don't have the Bolivian Rams yet.

I am however scheduled to pick up 6 at my LFS tomorrow afternoon.

I have a QT tank set up for them that will be their home for the next six weeks or so with daily 50% water changes.

It will take about 4 hours to acclimate them. I use a hopital IV drip and use drip acclimation and put a readdied filter on the water that they came in so there wont be the ammonia build up that almost everyone "screams" about when I say it takes about 4 - 6- hour to acclimate.
That's the problem with Wild caught fish and trying to introduce them into liquid rock ... we have hard water here. I have a long story there too.

Just wanted to let you know more about the fish and why no fish shots yet. Sorry,:icon_cry:

Best wishes,
Wes


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

wespastor said:


> I don't have the Bolivian Rams yet.
> 
> I am however scheduled to pick up 6 at my LFS tomorrow afternoon.
> 
> ...


wow thats a long time....I didn't quarantine mine, just poured them into a bucket and every 10 mins or so took a cup of water from the tank and added to the bucket for maybe 45 min- 1 hour then net them out and put them in. 
but I'm wreckless and we have soft acidic tap water.


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

kamikazi said:


> wow thats a long time....I didn't quarantine mine, just poured them into a bucket and every 10 mins or so took a cup of water from the tank and added to the bucket for maybe 45 min- 1 hour then net them out and put them in.
> but I'm wreckless and we have soft acidic tap water.


 

That's the kicker having soft acidic water ... we don't we have liquid rock with a High PH. I don't recall the numbers right now but the GH/KH is on the order of 6/8 with a PH of nearly 8 as I recall.

and with them being wild caught ... who knows what kind of nasties are coming with them.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

I would recommend you put something in the water to start softening it now before they get in, it may shock them if the change is too large, best of luck with your rams, biotopes are very very fun, also i might add i got a local that would take the little guy in, he is doing pretty good today, eating like a cow. you will love yours they're alot of pep in the tank


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

shrimpNewbie said:


> I would recommend you put something in the water to start softening it now before they get in, it may shock them if the change is too large, best of luck with your rams, biotopes are very very fun, also i might add i got a local that would take the little guy in, he is doing pretty good today, eating like a cow. you will love yours they're alot of pep in the tank


Good to here about that that little guy of yours.

Rights now i've got that water flowing with peat in the filter but it hasn't changed the pH much yet I'm hoping for at least a shift of 1 in pH the I talked to the distibutor he ssaid thaat the water he has them in is 6.8; If I can get mine down to 7 I'd be happy.

And with a 4 -6 hour accliamtion I think I be safe with there osmosis and wont put too much shock to there system. 

At least I wont be moving them twice. When they come in at the LFS I'll just bring them home instead of an acclimation at the store and another at home.

Thank for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Good idea you got there, they should be fine at 7 hopefully it gets down to it, another option is to add almond or oak leaves that are long dead and dry, will help, and add to the look of the tank should you decide to keep the leaves in with them


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

Don't have those IAL's yet but they are on my list to get for the biotope.


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

awesome =] they will thank you for it, i couldn't find plants native to them but i used other amazon and brazillian aquatic plants for my rams


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

I just brought home the Bolivian Rams 6 of them :biggrin: 
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:​
They all look great albeit stressed from their trip.

These are Wild Caught F0 the size is about 1" maybe a little longer. Hard to tell how old they might be.
Any guesses???

My water perams are

pH: 7.2
Nh3/Nh4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 10 ppm I fert for it to this range so this is a normal response for my kit.
KH: 5
GH: 9

This the perams of the water that the fish came in
I only tested for 

Ph: 7.4
GH: 10
KH: 5

So far I have adjusted for temp and dripping my water in at the rate of 10dpm.

When the volume doubles I remove half. this will continue until I have changed the bage 6 times.

Then into the quarentine tank for 45 days or more until I am certain that all nasties are out of their system.

I'll post pick from their QT tank.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

Here are the first shots of my New Bolivian Rams in QT after only about 2 hours. They are begining to color up nicely. These of are only a few of the 6 of them ... could keep them still. I was taking the shots on a tripod in low light. I have the lights dim to reduce stress on them. I'll keep it that way for several days.











































































































Thanks for lookin'



Best wishes,

Wes


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

These are beauties. Looking like that already, I can't wait to see them colored up! Such great looking fish.


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

sewingalot said:


> These are beauties. Looking like that already, I can't wait to see them colored up! Such great looking fish.


I am told these are (F-0's) wild cuaght; as a result I would like to wait at least six weeks before putting them into the display tank.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Nice!!!


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

All six fish fair well over night.

50% water change.

They all had their first feeding of frozen Cyclops. All ate eagerly.

Much fin flaring. The colors have come back with a vengeance. 

I'll get some more pix later.

Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

I took a few more shots of my newly aquired Bolivian Rams; 55 in all. I trashed quited a few. Here's today's top five (No Particular Order):


















































Thanks for lookin'.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

hopefully a few of those will be female


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

kamikazi said:


> hopefully a few of those will be female


That's the idea ... "Wink" :icon_roll


Thanks for lookin'

Best wishes,
Wes


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

That first shot is amazing. Those guys are coloring up already and are looking even more gorgeous.


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

I fell in love with this fish when I fist saw it.

Here’s the rest of the story …

About a tear ago or so I came across this 30 Gallon tank.
I got it for $10 figuring I'll use it for something for sure.

I began looking around at what to put in it.

Someone suggested cichlids but they seemed so common place, like everyone here has some so I passed.

I almost had some axolotls for in it back in march which is the reason I set it up to begin with. When I lost out on the purchase I went back to fish hunting.

Cichlid came popping back up so I searched around for the unusual these were among the first cichlid to be kept in the hobby and here at least they seem hard to come by. Everyone wants Africans. 

And so now I have them; hopefully I can get a pair out of these 6 and raise the fry. And have them available sometime next year.

Thanks for lookin'.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

*Fish Age???*

Does anyone have any idea the approximate age of the fish? … They are about a 1-1/2” snout to caudal fin.

Here is a couple of pictures for reference



















That’s a filter up take tube from a 5-15 filter.

Thanks for lookin’.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

So, I have an age estimation of between 6 months and 1 year old.

Hopefully in few months we can have a pair sorted out and have fry on the way. 

Best wishes,
Wes


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## loveflying (May 18, 2011)

Not sure how old your rams are but they are definitely nice looking fish. I hope you get some pairs out of this batch!


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## kalosbios (Aug 10, 2011)

*nice!*

Great looking fish, Wes. . . I'll be following along on the biotype as it develops. Nice to hear about quarantining them--requires patience, but really pays off in the long run.

Have fun,

Gordon


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

kalosbios said:


> Great looking fish, Wes. . . I'll be following along on the biotype as it develops. Nice to hear about quarantining them--requires patience, but really pays off in the long run.
> 
> Have fun,
> 
> Gordon


The tank I will eventually house them in already has some Corys and Ottos. Why ruin the whole works trying to hurry.

Been QT'g for years. It's a religious practice almost.  

I learned a lot from my Dad.  He didn't 
... many fish went to their doom :eek5:

That is to say, I learned how not to do it. I tell him all the time I learned a lot from him ... I just never tell him the rest of the story.

Thanks for lookin'.

Best wishes,
wes


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

wespastor said:


> The tank I will eventually house them in already has some Corys and Ottos. Why ruin the whole works trying to hurry.
> 
> Been QT'g for years. It's a religious practice almost.
> 
> ...


Hey, where did you buy these particular Bolivians? I think they look great. Was it from a website? Or someone who ships them? Thanks!


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

DrewWoodside said:


> Hey, where did you buy these particular Bolivians? I think they look great. Was it from a website? Or someone who ships them? Thanks!


I had a newly discover LFS order them in for me. That store was less than 10 miles away and I didn't even know it was there. They have been in business for 25 years. A family owned business. I don't know if they do web sales or not. The name of the store is "Pet's General Store" Lakewood, OH. They are not necessarily wheelchair accessible but they bend over backward to help me get what I need.

Thanks for lookin'.

Best wishes,
Wes


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## wespastor (Dec 20, 2009)

You'd think I have Kissing Gouramis they these Rams fight over the food? Or that I never feed them, when in fact I feed them 2 times each day. They even start getting active about the time I would normally feed them. It's like they see the clock and can tell time.

All six are doing very well. I am seeing some color differences and could have three pair. But, it's too so to tell for sure and there really isn't enough room in the tank for them to claim territory or at least enough territory with always having a fight. 

There seems to be at least one dominant male or at least I believe it to be a male. He seems to have the lion's share of the tank with the others away from him. He's quite aggressive, so much so that I’m thinking about separating him to his own QT tank. But then I don’t want to separate him from prospective females with other males in the tank. It’s really a tough decision … tougher than having patience to keep them in QT for 6 weeks (I do this with all new fish).

Thanks for lookin’.

Best wishes,
Wes


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