I've been trying to form a pair with my bolivian rams for a couple of months and had no success. So in an attempt to start it I bought some fine sand and a red veined rock (as apparently darker red/brown rocks tend to be an ideal spawning site for rams). So i set it up and made it surrounded by some of my plants to cover it and make it a more secluded area of the tank.

After a couple of days one of my rams decided to claim it as his area not allowing any fish anywhere near him. But i noticed about 3 days ago he was starting to swim side by side with a female. They are now always swimming around the rock together and hardly leave each others side apart from when one of the other rams tries to approach the area. Im hoping this is a good sign for time to come as long as the pairing fully forms.

Just thought i'd share a couple of pictures of them both as well :-p (oh and yes i did realise they are not the best quality of photos as they were taken on my phone so movement was not appreciated lol)

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

Very nice! (Try putting some mood music on for them... maybe some Barry White? Lol).

Good luck and keep us posted! :D

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haha i was thinking perhaps "lets get it on"
or maybe they they prefer something more modern like "when love takes over" lol

I shall certainly keep things updated if anything happens

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

I used some slate from a piece of driftwood(busted it to fit my planting needs) and laid the pieces at substrate level just a smidge above it and I had 3 spawns on it in the past two weeks.

I have some red slate in there and they stay clear of it. I did catch them on my angel/discus spawning slates too. Im not sure if my BR's or GBR's look best in spawn, im leaning towards the BR's

Good Luck with them and future spawns.

If you can get them in their own tank with that rock a small heater and sponge filter you WILL have babies to peddle lol. We breed, GR's GBR's BR's and EBR's as well as other dwarf cichlids in my fish group and 15-20g tank(longs) with a small heater, stone and sponge we supply the chicagoland area quite well. Rams are hard to take care of for anyone who breeds them, the slightest fluctuation in water parameters will shut them right off and they will consume fry,wigglers and/or eggs.

This was the best rock I could find out of several stores i tried. I did want slate but finding it seemed to prove hard but the store i got this had this particular one or lighter (white veined) rocks. So picked the darkest i could get my hands on. I am planning on getting a 25+gl tank at some point when money permits me to lol. My current one is 33gl i believe

I already have a sponge filter ready that is currently being used in a 10 gl tank for some guppies who are dropping fry. As with anything all the setups and preparation take time lol

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

So this is an update im most excited about.
The two rams had certainly paired and have spent days inseparable. So tonight i go to work not even thinking anything (apart from my new addition of a 25gl tank lol)

Well i get in to eat some dinner but quickly check the tank and was looking for my two rams as they weren't on top of the red rock like normal. However i find them close by i white black granite rock that is part of a circle crop around my red rock surrounded by plants.

Anyway to the point they have spawned on the granite rock and guarding it like theres no tomorrow. I never even expected it and im gutted i missed the spawning :(

I have a pic i took on my phone which i will upload soon

Actually excited about this one (even though im aware first spawnings can have high failure)

But still my rams have finally spawned after 3 months of my trying to form a breeding pair

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

Those pics show the area they have chosen as well as them guarding with their lives lol.


First observation is their colours have intensified particularly the black markings. They look amazing right now

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

That is so awesome! (Sorry you missed it and sorry they didn't use your new rock.... maybe next time). But that's so great! I don't know much about these fish - are the babies safe once they hatch or will the parents try to eat them? Are you gonna keep 'em all or sell some?

Very excited for you! (You should turn this into a journal with pics and updates at every stage!)

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The parents look after the fry until the point they spawn again. Once hatched the parents scoop the fry up in their mouths and move them to a depression in the substrate they pre-make before hatching. They stay guard at all times and tend to pick up any fry that wonder to far from the depression and take them back. But once they start spawning again they tend to ignore or sometimes eat the previous fry depending on conditions

I will definitely be keeping things updated on here with every stage i see happening with as any pics as is possible (unfortunately the location they chose is hidden at an angle the camera can barely see.)

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

A quick update on the first spawning of the pair. Its now just reaching approx 64 hours since the pair fertilised the first spawn (as far as research has shown eggs can hatch between 60-72 hours). Just had a look and the eggs are now changing colours with a dark streak showing they are ready to hatch at any point today. So keeping a close eye on them and hopefully won't miss it

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

The eggs hatched

The parents made a little depression in between gravel and sand and made that their first home. The fry look so weird and freaky yet so cute lol

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

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100G->African Cichlids:Kribensis-2,Bumblebee-2,Red Zebra-2,Elec. Yel. Labi.-2, Acei-2, Elec. Blu. Johanni-2,Peacocks-2 / Community: Australian Rainbow-3,Turquoise Rainbow-4,Dalmatian Mollies-2,white molly-1,Dojo Loaches-1/Cleaners:Chinese Algea Eaters-5/Murderers: Dinosaur Bichir-1And lots of other tanks,2-Gourims,6-Rams,1-Arrowanna,6-FW Flounder,1-Farlowella CF, 1-Spiney Eel

haha i know im trying to get a pic but cos they are so small its proving very hard to capture them on camera. I shall try though

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

so pictures didnt work but i quickly put this together

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

Awesome, didn't look like the parents were to happy about you getting all close to the fry.

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100G->African Cichlids:Kribensis-2,Bumblebee-2,Red Zebra-2,Elec. Yel. Labi.-2, Acei-2, Elec. Blu. Johanni-2,Peacocks-2 / Community: Australian Rainbow-3,Turquoise Rainbow-4,Dalmatian Mollies-2,white molly-1,Dojo Loaches-1/Cleaners:Chinese Algea Eaters-5/Murderers: Dinosaur Bichir-1And lots of other tanks,2-Gourims,6-Rams,1-Arrowanna,6-FW Flounder,1-Farlowella CF, 1-Spiney Eel

That's sooo cool! Try to get pics/vids each time you notice the babies growing! (This is turning out to be a great journal!)

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Thanks ill try and update as much as i can with the progression of the fry

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"

Another update the rams moved the fry today to a new depression. They are already making several more depressions as I write this its quite intriguing watching them scoop the sand up in their mouths then spit it out making mounds every where lol

This is the frys current home, no doubt they will be moved by the morning

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AHHH! They are so teeny tiny and cute! (I wonder why the parents keep moving them? Is it a safety thing? Like, in the wild it would help keep the babies safer from predators if they are never in one place for to long?)

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Yeah its really cute how small they are and the parents are super protective not letting anything get within 10inches lol. Not really sure why they do it but they are making a right mess

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"Just Keep Swimming Just Keep Swimming Swimming Swimming"