Bolivian Ram aggression

[Caitiepi]

Hey all! Everybody has been so helpful answering my questions that I've come seeking answers to another.
I have a 46 gal bow front aquarium, and lately I've noticed that my Bolivian ram is attacking my Kribensis Cichlid as soon as he sees her. I know that cichlids set up a hierarchy and obviously there is gonna be one alpha and one not so lucky omega but is there a way to cut down on the ram's aggression? I assumed it was a territory issue, as the only real hiding spot big enough for either is a large piece of driftwood in the tank so I bought a second hidey-hole hoping the krib would gravitate to it. She did, but still when the ram sees her, he chases her and if he catches her then he attacks. The sides of the aquarium are where the larger fake plants are and the middle is more open and only has a few smaller plants and some decorative bridges. Would it make a difference if I moved the plants around to cut the line of sight? Any suggestions are most welcome!

Thanks!

[anotherfishkeeper]

Hi Caitiepi,

Do you have both male and female Rams? This could be the reason there is so much aggression.

Also, if the water temperature is above normal this can increase the fish aggression, so lowering the temperature may help.

I have noticed with my Cichlids, when I feed them blood worms or Brine shrimp they tend to get more aggressive compared to if I feed flakes and pellets.

Hope this helps

Take care.

[Caitiepi]

Hello!
I have a single male ram and a single female Kribensis- my only two cichlids. My tank temp is kept around 77-78 as a few of the other fish in the tank require a bit higher temperature. And there doesn't seem to be any connection between food and the aggression either- the chasing and attacking happens when there is no food around. It seemed territory driven at first but the ram chased/attacked the krib when it was no longer under the driftwood.
I moved around all my decor as well as getting the krib a hiding spot, and removed the ram for a half hour and returned him- since I've only seen him chase the krib if she goes into his territory.

[anotherfishkeeper]

Could just be a territorial dispute then. Regardless of the species, fish just have their own personalities.

[Kelly]

I have 6 Bolivian Rams in my 55 with Green Tiger Barbs and Bosemani Rainbows. They don't show any aggression towards other fish but they do towards each other when food is intrduced. I'm pretty sure I have 2 females and 4 males. They've laid eggs 5 times and only the last batch hatched about 50 - 60 of which I was able to save 2. I have them in a breeder tank inside my 55, they're almost ready to release into the tank, they are about 8 - 9 weeks. The parents were super protective over the fry but couldn't save them once they started to swim, it turned into a feeding fest for the Barbs and Rainbows.

[Caitiepi]

I would have to agree about it being primarily territorial aggression. It's definitely better than it was before I moved around the decor. The Krib still spends a lot of time hidden, but I don't see the Ram actively seeking it. Also hoping to upgrade to a larger tank in the future where they'll have more space.
That's definitely a quirk that I find interesting! The Ram leaves all my Rainbows alone like it's not even aware of them. :p

[Kelly]

Hi, a pair of my Rams laid eggs today, about 100 to 120/130. I hope to have more survivors this time if they hatch. They look like they knew what they were doing so I think they were fertilized and I should see some fry. Just trying to figure out how to post photo's on this forum, anyone know how?