Bolivian and Gold Rams?

Question

Im getting ready to put a couple of rams into one of my tanks tomorrow....i have everything set up. I need to know a few things though. One thing i really want to know is how can i tell which is a male and which is a female. I want to get a pair of each Bolivian and Gold rams. I would really like to figure it out that way i could watch them mate and even breed them.

Also in a website that I'm looking at called live aquaria says that I should add peat. "The German Gold Ram is an egg layer that prefers soft to medium hardness, neutral pH, and slightly raised water temperatures (77-82°F). Peat should be added to the water." Is this only when they are about to lay or in general. If anyone could verifiy this for me or if i need to add it right off the bat explain to me how and where i could get it. thanks

Answer 1

Rams prefer water that's soft and a little on the acidic side, so using the peat all the time would be best. You can put it into a mesh bag and keep it inside the filter. This will also give the water a slight brown tint. This is just peat moss from a garden store, but be sure it doesn't have any fertilizer or other chemicals added!

They aren't the easiest fish to breed, but here are two articles on how to go about it: http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/breeding/bluerambreeding.html , http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Zilliox_Microgeophagus_ramirezi.html In males, the front dorsal spines will be longer than the females, and the back tip will be more pointed. This is the easiest to see in younger fish. Once they're mature (around 3 inches), the males will be larger than the females, and the female will get a pink area on the abdomen like a convict. Don't be surprised if the blue and gold crossbreed if you keep them n the same tank.