Open spawner: eggs are laid on a solid surface such as a flat rock, driftwood or a broad leaf, and both parents guard the eggs and fry.
Buy a group of 6 and let pairs form. Hardier than German blue rams.
A 20 gallon (75 L) planted tank with flat stones, 24-27 C and soft water.
Warm, clean water and live foods.
About 100-200 eggs per clutch; they hatch in 2-3 days (about 60 hours at 27°C), and fry stay mostly still for another 5-8 days before swimming.
Feed baby brine shrimp and microworms. Parents guard the fry; remove other fish.
One breeding tank for the bolivian ram, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 24–27 °C · pH 6–7.5 · soft water
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 8 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A 120 cm rack for breeding the bolivian ram in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 375 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.
Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.
Tip: Fin length
From the checked notes: “Adult males grow larger than females, have slightly longer fin extensions and stronger colour; differences are slight.” Numbers sit on the part of the body each difference is about. Tap a picture to see it bigger.
Typical for open substrate spawners
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
The pair cleans the stone and lays rows of eggs. Both guard them.
Wrigglers hatch in 2–4 days and are moved to pits by the parents.
Feed baby brine shrimp several times a day. Parents often herd the fry.
Move fry to a grow-out tank before the parents spawn again.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.