I'm getting a ram! Any advice?

Well, I finally got around to setting this plan in motion. Called my LFS and special ordered a bolivian ram to pick up in a couple weeks. I've always loved the Mikrogeophagus genus and a bolivian would work perfectly in my current setup. Plus, they aren't overbred like the germans are.

I'm stoked to finally be getting one. Does anyone have any particular advice or insight that I wouldn't be able to find on seriouslyfish? I know they like to have a little cave space. What does that look like in your tanks (for those of you who have rams)? I might try rearranging the driftwood slightly and prop some up on rocks to create a larger shadowy hiding space beneath.
I'll probably also pick up some cichlid pellets. Does anyone have any brand recommendations?
How do they do with shrimp? I've been thinking about transferring my amanos to the tank where the ram will be going.
Are they jumpers? I currently don't have a lid on the tank, but I have one I could use if necessary.

The LFS will actually be ordering a few of them. I'd love to be able to get a pair, but I have a feeling the fish will be juveniles, so I wouldn't be able to ensure that I got one female and one male. If there is a reliable way to sex younger fish or those outside of breeding colors, please let me know!

Over the years I’ve had a couple of bolivian rams at different times. 2 males dont get along well in my experience. Just having one is fine though.
BR are my favorite fish.. they have personality and recognize their provider. My BR would generally stay out in the open toward the bottom. they do like some plants and driftwood… it wouldnt hang out in a cave much. BR are pretty active and constantly roam about and sift through the sand (hope you have a sand substrate). Dont feed larger pellets such as the long shrimp pellets as they can choke on it. Smaller sinking pellets or shrimp pellets broken in half would be fine.
You will love your bolivian ram. They’re an awesome fish.

I've had my Bolivian ram for about 4 years now, he's been a great fish.
Sand is definitely a plus for them, they like to sift foods in sand.


Sometimes I go heavy with tannins on this tank sometimes I don't. But the wood pile is just that... a pile of carefully placed wood that forms a lot of nooks and crannies for the plecos mostly, but he enjoys the network of caves and tangles as well.


He did not tolerate a companion though, he actually killed them, so he's been by himself since and never cared. Woulda been nice to have a pair, but he didn't wanna play nice.

Fishmanic said:

BR are pretty active and constantly roam about and sift through the sand (hope you have a sand substrate)

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CassCats said:

Sand is definitely a plus for them, they like to sift foods in sand.

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I do have a sand substrate! It's completely sand with no other substrate types, so the ram will be able to sift to its heart's content, anywhere in the tank. That's my favorite aspect of these fish, actually. I've seen large Geophagus species in zoos and could've watched them sift through the sand for hours, so I'm really excited to have a "mikro" version in my own home. I have to be honest, I'm also excited for the sand sifting behavior because I chronically have cyanobacteria growing on the sand, even with regular removal, so I'm hoping the sifting behavior will help prevent the CB from re-colonizing.

But I'm glad to hear glowing reviews of them. I've heard they have a lot of character, so I'm really looking forward to this addition to my tank.

I'm getting a ram! Any advice?
find a good shearer and when the ram headbutts you too many times, eat it.

Exciting! I adore my Bolivian ram.
You have it, but sand is definitely a must. I don't have any "caves" so to speak but I have an area with loads of cover in the form of driftwood and plants.
Surface plants are helpful. I had salvinia auriculata for a long time but now my vallis is so long I've decided to take out the other floating plants. My ram has no problem being in the large open area with the cover on the surface.
I think having an open sandy area is easiest for the ram to feed from the bottom. Mine eats food from the water column and bits that land on plants, but he eats most of his food pecking it from the bottom then spitting any sand back out. I love watching the puff of sand he spits out.

If you have bottom feeders like corydoras (I do) it's best to have a bigger feeding area where food will land on the bottom. My ram doesn't let the tetras or pencilfish eat from the bottom until he's finished eating. He almost always leaves/ignores the corydoras eating around him. Even eating the food he is. Occasionally he does get in a mood where he won't let even the corys eat in big sandy area for a few minutes. Having more surface area for bottom feeders makes sure they get fed if your ram gets moody during a meal time. He can't be in two places at once.

Seisage said:

I know they like to have a little cave space. What does that look like in your tanks

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I'll take pictures tomorrow, but here are some from the early days of my tank.

Seisage said:

I'll probably also pick up some cichlid pellets. Does anyone have any brand recommendations?

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Fluval bug bites, though check the ingredients before paying extra. My cichlid and schooling fish formulas are identical.
Oase organix is good depending on the "version". The first tub I bought nearly a year ago was made of whole salmon, whole herring, whole shrimp, kelp, wheat germ, wheat flour. The tub with new light coloured packaging is just krill, fish meal, wheat bread flour, wheat germ, wheat feed flour, daphnia, brewers yeast, oils and marigold powder.
I don't think the brand or shape is majorly important if you check the ingredients.

Seisage said:

How do they do with shrimp? I've been thinking about transferring my amanos to the tank where the ram will be going.

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In my experience (1 ram) completely fine. Like all of the fish I've had in tanks that I added shrimp to, he completely ignores them since he couldn't catch them the first few times he tried. These were neocardina, red and "lower grade" clear ones.

Seisage said:

Are they jumpers? I currently don't have a lid on the tank, but I have one I could use if necessary.

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I have never seen my ram make a jump attempt or found him on the floor. If spooked he runs and hides under his driftwood, same with scary gravel vac or water change pump.
I've heard that floating plants can act like a lid/ceiling too.

I've always put a mesh lid (magnetic diy window fly-screen from Amazon) over the tank but I've stopped bothering now as the tank water level is always below the rim and none of my fish try to jump if scared.
The tank is too deep for my cats to catch any fish, but if I ever saw them taking an interest in the fish or on the rim of the tank that mesh lid would be on permanently.

Seisage said:

If there is a reliable way to sex younger fish or those outside of breeding colors, please let me know!

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It depends how young they are. When I got my ram, he was in a tank with other female and male juveniles and the shop owner easily picked him out. I could identify the males too, and could do so more reliably now with more experience and knowledge.
This image is really helpful.





I'm excited for you, you'll love having a ram.
Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors, I'll fix them tomorrow

@rebe This is incredibly helpful, thank you for writing this up!

I don't have any other bottom-feeders, and it's definitely good to know that your ram doesn't let the tetras take food from the bottom. I've been trying to brainstorm ways to get food past the ravenous horde of neons, but it might be that as long as I can get food to the bottom, it'll be fine.

I might end up having to get some new driftwood while I'm there at the shop... I can make a couple small hiding spots with some slight rearrangement, but that spiderwood you've got is so beautiful and complex and full of nooks and crannies—I'm jealous! I WISH I could have a carpet of floating plants... I had a beautiful lush canopy of frogbit but it's almost completely gone now I've tried supplementing with nitrogen and micros, but it doesn't seem to do much. Maybe some additional fish in the mix will help increase nutrient load (I'm getting a few more neons as well), but I may have to get some vallisneria or something.

By the way... Is your substrate 100% sand? If so, how have your planted plants been doing? I tried planting some bacopa in my 6gal with sand substrate and it all rotted from the bottom up, so now I'm afraid to try with other plants. I know people usually do planted substrate underneath sand, but I initially was planning on relying solely on floaters, so didn't add it.

Good to know re: the shrimp and the food. I think if I move the amanos into this tank, I'll have to get them one of those little shrimp caves so the ram and/or tetras don't steal their pellet food.
That sexing guide is really helpful, thank you! I'll just have to wait and see how old this fish are and if they're able to be sexed. Ultimately, I don't care which sex I end up with, but if I am able to sex them, I might be biased and get a male

You're very welcome! I'm always glad to help where I can.
The wood is actually three pieces of mangle wood that I arranged together. It's great stuff.

Seisage said:

I WISH I could have a carpet of floating plants... I had a beautiful lush canopy of frogbit but it's almost completely gone now

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Have you tried any other floating plants? I first tried frogbit and mine all died. I've only had success with the salvinia, and the red root floaters I have are doing fine too.

Seisage said:

Is your substrate 100% sand? If so, how have your planted plants been doing?

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Yup. In any tanks that have bottom dwellers even temporarily (so my 75 gallon with the ram, and QT) the substrate is 100% play sand. If there are any plants that grow roots into the substrate I always use root tabs. Seachem is my favourite, and API. Seachem is more expensive but lasts way longer.
Most plants have done really well for me, and a couple have died off over time.


(Ps. @fishman120 you can see the sponge over the spray bar here. Usually it's submerged, or partially out of the water when it's been a week and I need to do a water change. Makes no difference at all.)

rebe said:

Have you tried any other floating plants? I first tried frogbit and mine all died. I've only had success with the salvinia, and the red root floaters I have are doing fine too.

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I've tried water lettuce (Pistia) and it's gone the same way as my frogbit... I'll try some salvinia though! I've heard it's less finicky.

rebe said:

If there are any plants that grow roots into the substrate I always use root tabs. Seachem is my favourite, and API. Seachem is more expensive but lasts way longer.
Most plants have done really well for me, and a couple have died off over time.

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Hmm, good to know. If I pick up some vallisneria I'll make sure to get some root tabs too. I didn't bother with the bacopa because it's a stem plant, but maybe I was mistaken in not providing substrate nutrition too. Thanks for the tips!

Let me know how you get on if you try those plants. My vallis took so long to get going but once it was established it grew like wild fire. I've removed several whole vallis plants that came from the originals.

I've tried sessiliflora with and without substrate nutrition, it grew faster and healthier with nutrition in the substrate.

rebe said:

Let me know how you get on if you try those plants

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Will do! I actually just got some Salvinia earlier this afternoon lol. It was serendipitous to find a seller on FB in the "nearby" city (still 1hr drive away...) that I was planning on traveling to today anyway. So I got a whole container full for only $3. Meanwhile it's being sold on Etsy, $5 for 3 little plants... Anyway, I'll stick them all in my tank tomorrow and cross my fingers. Funnily enough, I mentioned my frogbit failure to the seller and it turns out she also couldn't keep frogbit happy. Seems like frogbit just doesn't love aquaria long-term. Hopefully the salvinia does well in my tank because I do really miss having canopy cover and I'm sure my fish do too.

Well, I got the ram today! But I'm rather worried about it...

I just put it in a quarantine tank and I can tell it's extremely stressed. I floated the bag for 15 min, as usual. Once the temps were the same, I dumped the water/fish out into a net and released it into the tank. It settled on one spot on the bottom and hasn't moved since. I can barely tell whether it's breathing, but I think it is? I have the room lights pretty dim to help reduce stress, so I can't see too well into the tank.

I'm pretty sure it's not dead because it's still upright, but I'm just really worried about this little guy. Honestly not sure if I'll be able to sleep much tonight I really hope this guy makes it through the night. I would hate to lose a fish to the simple stress of transporting and being put in a new tank. Someone with rams please tell me this stress response is normal...

Edit: JUST checked on it, and it has changed positions slightly! Not uncrossing my fingers yet, but at least now I know it's still alive
Edit 2: Okay, phew, it's starting to lose its stress spotting and is moving around more now, so I'm feeling a bit better about things. It's also obviously breathing now! Probably at a slightly higher rate than I'd like, actually, but hopefully that'll settle out as it gets more comfortable, or maybe they just have a naturally higher respiration rate.


(The picture is brighter than the room actually is. Also, there is a cave in the tank, but the fish hasn't chosen to hide in it)

He looks great and I think he’ll be just fine. He’s just acclimating to the tank. In a day or two he’ll be happily roaming about.

Picture showing the entire tank?
There doesn't appear to be any plants or hiding places and you have white sand with a bright light. The fish is stressed because of this.

If you don't have live plants in the tank, turn the light off.

White sand sort of reflects light. I’m no Ram expert but do they live in white sand areas irl?