Bolivian Ram dilemma

[chris2306]

Hi
I have a 190l corner aquarium that's quite heavily planted that had
- around 20 green neon tetra
- 8 Cherry Barbs
- 1 x male Bolivian Ram
- 1 x Bristlenose pleco
- Assorted shrimp and snails

I bought another Bolivian Ram thinking it was a female. After a few days I'm now 90% sure the second one is male and i'm not sure what to do. The fish shop said I could return it but now the wife has decided they have made friends and doesn't want me to do that...

Does anybody have experience with them and can recommend what to do? Do I just leave them as two males as apart from a little bit of chasing after feeding time, they seem to be getting on fine and there.
Do I get some more to make a bigger group? Although not sure if there's room for many more.
Or do I try to convince my wife to let me swap it for a female?

Thanks in advance

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF.

Regardless of whether the new fish is male or female, there is a greater chance this will not end well. I know from personal experience when I foolishly (back then did not realize what I will say here) added a lovely female to my existing beautiful male.

This fish must select its mate. This is best done from a group in the store tank. It is easy to see the males by their behavio8urs, they will continually "charge" at each other. The females will not do this, but cruise around picking for food from the substrate. If you see a male with a female that he seems to tolerate (= ignore mainly), that is a possible pair. But nothing is guaranteed.

The pair if they accept each other will bond, and this can last long or short. But it has better chances that putting any female in with a male. In my case some years ago, the two spawnded four times before themale decided enough was enough and he killed her. Even in a 5-foot 115g well planted tank she had no escape. Looking back in hindsight, the signs wer there that they were not really going to work out, given the back and forth "squabbling" by the male for several days, then the female for several days, during which they spawned four times.

This species was first imported by Horst Linke and Wolfgang Staeck in 1985, and their reported habitat observations suggest that this species appears to live in solitude (individual fish alone) apart from reproduction periods (Linke & Staeck, 1994). Single fish are therefore good cichlids for a community aquarium. More than one can be housed if the tank provides sufficient floor space for individual territories, and they are introduced at the same time--but peace may not last regardless.

I would return the second fish ASAP. He/she may not last long if there is already discord in their relationship. My male was a real beauty, and lived into his tenth year which is pretty good for a fish with a normal life expectancy of 4-5 years. He owned the 115g tank, and all the other fish, characins and cories, knew it, but he never attacked them, just ran the show.