Male Bolivian Ram Bully?

[robyngunston]

Hi all!

I have a question I hoped someone could help me with?
I recently (Saturday) bought four bolivian rams (2 male and 2 females). They seem to be doing quite well other than the fact that the one male seems to be bullying the other male.....the other male seems to swim around the top of the filter and if he even thinks about coming down the bully male just chases him back up there? He doesn't seem to be hurting the other male I am just worried this may eventually lead to some sort of stress, as he is made to swim in one place only?
My water stats are fine as I have been testing them every day just to ensure nothing goes wrong.
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 20ppm
PH = 6.8
Temp 28 (I was told by the LFS that they prefer a higher temp)

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[fishwatcher]

Oh, no... you've definitely got a problem going on there. My advice is to either remove one of the males or move them into a larger tank. This will probably continue until one becomes stressed/sick/dies. If the tank is the 12-gal in your signature, then the space is just too small for them both to have territories. I'm not 100% about Bolivian Rams, but you may just want to remove that other pair entirely. I am afraid that even the other female may get pushed around after a while.
Do you have any other tank mates with them?
Sorry for your troubles!

 

[robyngunston]

Oh, no... you've definitely got a problem going on there. My advice is to either remove one of the males or move them into a larger tank. This will probably continue until one becomes stressed/sick/dies. If the tank is the 12-gal in your signature, then the space is just too small for them both to have territories. I'm not 100% about Bolivian Rams, but you may just want to remove that other pair entirely. I am afraid that even the other female may get pushed around after a while.
Do you have any other tank mates with them?
Sorry for your troubles!

Thanks for the advice fishwatcher
They are the first fish I have bought since my tank cycled and they were recommended by the LFS.....it was only after reading some of the posts on here that I saw they would be happier in a bigger tank
No other tank mates just the four of them? The male that is doing the bullying has longer fins and is quite a bit brighter than the other male. I looked in on them this morning and the bullied male seems to be hanging around the surface and seems to be breathing really fast?

 

[Katchan]

a 12ukgallon tank should be more than enough for 2 pair rams,assuming 12uk=14us gallon so about 60cmx30cmx30cm or 2'x1'x1'

the problem is like all cichlids they are territorial, you should see my discus . The idea is to break up their territories, meaning driftwood, fake wood, rocks etc and plants are great for dwarf tanks. If you break up their line of sight, put rocks etc in the way of each other then this will help alot, even if you dont have tank by the dimensions I said above a well done tank will be ok

Andrew

 

[KathyM]

On Cichlid-Forum it recommends 20g for a pair of Bolivian Rams. I have a 60L tank here and there's no way I'd put 4 rams in it having owned them in the past and seen how they like a large amount of space/territory. I would return them all and try other fish more suitable to small tanks.

 

[Katchan]

On Cichlid-Forum it recommends 20g for a pair of Bolivian Rams. I have a 60L tank here and there's no way I'd put 4 rams in it having owned them in the past and seen how they like a large amount of space/territory. I would return them all and try other fish more suitable to small tanks.

Hmmm, we must hang at different cichlid forums/sites, the dwarf cichlid ones I use/visit tend to reccomend 1 square foot of space for a pair or single of rams, but this is as much dependent on tank set up, I've had a single bolivian ram own a 40gallon/3' tank tank almost no plants and 1 piece of driftwood, yet I can have a pair of rams, a trio a cacatuoides and a krib all happily in a 2'x1'x1' 60L tank, that had driftwood, 1/2 logs, flowerpots and medium to well planted.

 

[robyngunston]

On Cichlid-Forum it recommends 20g for a pair of Bolivian Rams. I have a 60L tank here and there's no way I'd put 4 rams in it having owned them in the past and seen how they like a large amount of space/territory. I would return them all and try other fish more suitable to small tanks.

Hmmm, we must hang at different cichlid forums/sites, the dwarf cichlid ones I use/visit tend to reccomend 1 square foot of space for a pair or single of rams, but this is as much dependent on tank set up, I've had a single bolivian ram own a 40gallon/3' tank tank almost no plants and 1 piece of driftwood, yet I can have a pair of rams, a trio a cacatuoides and a krib all happily in a 2'x1'x1' 60L tank, that had driftwood, 1/2 logs, flowerpots and medium to well planted.

Thanks for all the advice guys

Unfortunately my other male died on Saturday, I moved him into a breeding tank as he was just lying there and shortly afterwards he was dead
I returned to the LFS on the Sunday and they said I should get some more fish to convince the remaining male Ram that the tank is not all his. I got some harlequins and some cories......all seem to be doing ok so we'll see?