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Bolivian Ram

Bolivian Butterfly ~ Ruby Cichlid ~ Ruby Clown Cichlid Family: Cichlidae

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Mikrogeophagus altispinosus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Greg Rothschild

   Since it is one of the easiest of the dwarf cichlids to care for, the pretty Bolivian Ram can be a good choice for a community aquarium!

   The Bolivian Ram is a very beautiful, small, and peaceful cichlid. Though they are said to be a little more aggressive then their more popular Venezuelan cousin, the Ram Cichlid, these fish can be kept in a community tank with fish of a similar temperament. They are also easier to keep and breed than the Ram Cichlid. They are inexpensive yet give an aquarist the same joys as other dwarf cichlids, and they are much easier to acquire. They have a nice personality too. Associating their owner with food, they will be happy to beg for more whenever you approach the tank.

   A community fish, the Bolivian Ram can be kept with non-cichlid fish and other peaceful dwarf cichlids. The Bolivian Ram is 'more bark than bite' and will not do well in an aggressive tank. Providing an environment with rocks, driftwood, and flowerpots for hiding will make them feel comfortable. They will also enjoy several dense plant clusters, but leave some open space for swimming. They can be easy to care for if water changes are performed frequently. If water quality is ignored, as with all cichlids, disease and death can occur. Just a little dedication will reap pleasurable results from this little fish.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Bolivian Ram, also known as Bolivian Butterfly or Ruby Clown Cichlid, was described by Haseman in 1911. They are found in South America in the countries of Bolivia (found there originally) and Brazil. They inhabit the Rio Mamore near the mouth of the Rio Guarpore river at Trinidad, the Guarpore Basin at San Ramone, the mouth of the Igarape river at Guarjara-Mirim, and in Flood plains below Todos Santos. Originally found in Bolivia in a shallow pond.
   This species is correctly identified as Mikrogeophagus altispinosus. Previously it was described as Paplilochromis altispinosus (1977), and was originally described as Crenicara altispinosa (1911). You may come across sources spelling the genus as Microgeophagus and the species name, altispinosus, is occasionally spelled as altispinosa.

Status:
   This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
   The Bolivian Ram is a small colorful fish. The body has an overall solid color that ranges from a dull brown to a grayish blue. They can have a whitish yellow belly. They may have a black spot in the middle of their body below the middle area of the dorsal fin, and may or may not have a crescent vertical black line that runs through their eyes. (Their eyes are not red like the Ram Cichlid.) The tips of the dorsal fin and the edges of the tail fin are orange, and the anal and pectoral fins are orange as well. Males have a more pointed dorsal fin and longer filaments of the tail fin. They can live up to 4 years.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
   This fish grows to a length of about 3” (8 cm).

Care and feeding:
   The Bolivian Ram is primarily a carnivore that can be fed a mix of meaty foods that are live or frozen; such as brine shrimp, blood worms, white worms, chopped earthworms, cyclopeeze, and artemia. Some may eat flakes and pellets, but these should not be the staple of their diet. Feed 2 to 5 small pinches of food a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
   A minimum 20 gallon tank is suggested. They prefer slow to moderate moving water along with good efficient filtration. The aquarium should have a cover and low to moderate lighting. An environment with rocks, driftwood, and flowerpots for hiding are appreciated. They also enjoy several dense plant clusters but leave some open space for swimming. Java Fern, Anubias Nana, Amazon Swordplants, Vallisneria, Wisteria, and other acidic tolerating plants work great. As the Bolivian Ram does not like to breed in bright lighting, some floating plants will help to diffuse lighting if you are encouraging them to spawn. Granite pebbles or plants with wide leaves are good for spawning too. Java Moss is also great as it contains micro organisms such as Infusoria to provide a good beginning food for the fry.
   The Bolivian Ram is a rewarding specimen for the aquarist. They can be easy to care for if water changes are performed frequently to keep the nitrate levels low. A mature tank with a pH of acidic to neutral water is best. Keep track of nitrates. Also, oxygen levels must be maintained for best color and health. When using substrate or rocks, be sure they do not leach into the water and affect the pH. Substrates such as limestone can increase the pH level. You would not use sand that is for marine tanks, but some have suggested pool filter sand. Driftwood is a big help in keeping pH low and contributes to the “tea stained” coloring of the Amazon River. Using Java Moss helps with keeping the pH down too.
   Do water changes of 30% weekly, more or less depending on stocking numbers. If water quality is ignored, as with all cichlids, disease and death can occur. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 6 - 14° dH
   Ph: 6.0 - 7.4
   Temp: 74 - 78° F (23 - 26° C), 85° F (30° C) to induce spawning.

Social Behaviors:
   This is a community fish that can be kept with non-cichlid fish and other peaceful dwarf cichlids. The Bolivian Ram is 'more bark than bite' and will not do well in an aggressive tank. They are just a little more aggressive than the Ram Cichlid, but not at all aggressive by cichlid standards. Some acceptable peaceful tank mates include the Silver Dollar, Dwarf Gourami, Dwarf Rainbowfish (Neon), Synodontis catfish and plecostomus, to name a few. They do tend to eat tetras.
   They can be kept alone or in pairs. More than one male may be kept if the aquarium is large. Just buying a male and female does not necessarily mean they will pair up. It is better to get a group of juveniles and allow a pair to bond. A pair will swim close together, and at that point you can put them in their own tank.

Sexual Differences:
   Males are slimmer and less stocky than females. Males have a more pointed dorsal fin and longer filaments on their lyre-shaped tail fin than the females. Unlike the Ram Cichlid, females do not have a pink belly.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Bolivian Rams are cave spawners. They appreciate smooth pebbles or wide leaves to spawn on, a temperature of 85° F (30° C), and low light. Starting out with about 6 juveniles and allowing a pair to bond, then putting them in their own tank is your best bet. The bonded pair will spend a lot of time cleaning the top of pebbles before they spawn. The female will pass over the spawning site several times, laying eggs each time while the male stands guard. The female will lay 75 to 100 gray oval eggs. Then the male will pass over them several times to externally fertilize them. The female will fan the eggs with the male guarding the area. The male will fan the eggs at times too, though the female does most of the work.
(This is probably one of the reasons their genus was changed from Apistogramma to Mikrogeophagus, since the Apisto males do not care for the eggs.)
  Within about 60 hours the eggs will hatch. The parents will move the “wigglers” to a pit in a different area of the tank. In about 7 more days the fry are free swimming. The parents will continue to move the fry, by mouth, to several locations for the next few weeks.
   If your fish are in a community tank it will be necessary to grow out the fry in their own tank so they don't get eaten. Do water changes of 30% daily in the fry tank as they are very sensitive to nitrates. Do not crowd the fry either, they will not grow out as much if there are to many in one tank. See more about cichlid breeding in: Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Buy Bolivian Ram From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Bolivian Rams, also known as Bolivian Butterfly or Ruby Clown Cichlid, are readily available both online and in fish stores and will run about $4.00 to $12.00 USD. For a viable female, you may need to acquire them from a breeder or obtain wild caught specimens.

Author: Carrie McBirney
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS

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Latest Comments
I had a nice male Bolivian Ram, who lives in a community tank and is a very beautiful fish. Yesterday I added in a female, and once she settled in their colours came out brilliantly. Definitely have two, as it makes the already great fish, even more brilliant. Alex Poyntz 2009-05-03
I picked up two bolivian rams last week and they settled in nicely in a few days, they really are beautiful fish and most pictures don't do them justice! They're peaceful too, don't even blink at my neon tetras. I love these guys!They are a little bit jumpy if a door suddenly slams shut or something though. All in all a great fish! Kamperoni 2009-01-23
I love my Bolivian Ram :) Easy to take care of and he adds a lot to my community tank. C. A, Pappas: Try Pruess Pets in Lansing, MI. I got mine there and they take wonderful care of their animals. Anonymous 2008-11-18
I had a wonderful Bolivian Ram Cichlid in my community tank for a couple years. While not aggressive, he did keep some annoying Red Glass Barbs in line and became the peace keeper of the tank. He was one of the nicest fish in my tank. Unfortunately, I lost him when the filter in my tank malfunctioned and although I would love to replace him, I have not been able to find any wet pet stores in my area (Genesee County, Michigan) who carry Bolivian Rams. C. A, Pappas 2008-08-28

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