From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
German Blue Ram
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
- Temperature
- 27–30 °C
- pH
- 4 – 7
- Min. tank size
- 75 L
- Lifespan
- 3 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- difficult
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Mikrogeophagus ramirezi |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Origin: | South America (Orinoco basin savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | difficult |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 5.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | 2+ together |
| Varieties: | Several cultivated strains, and this is a species where the strain question has real consequences for the fish. The standard German blue ram is itself a commercially line-bred form of the wild fish. Electric blue rams are an almost solid blue strain with the pattern largely bred out. Gold or golden rams are yellow-bodied with reduced markings. Long-finned or veiltail versions of both exist, and there are black and "Bolivian butterfly" trade names attached to various crosses. The balloon ram is a shortened-spine deformity strain, and it is specifically singled out by specialists as problematic — the compressed body brings swim bladder and organ problems with it. The general rule holds firmly here: commercially produced variants tend to be genetically weak, susceptible to disease, shorter-lived and poorer breeders than the wild form. Some are raised on carotenoid-heavy diets to force colour, and hormone use is suspected in parts of the trade. Wild-caught Mikrogeophagus ramirezi are occasionally available. They are genetically far better fish and more demanding to keep — a species for experienced aquarists rather than a first ram. The Bolivian ram (M. altispinosus) is a separate species: larger, plainer, hardier and tolerant of cooler water. For many tanks it is the better choice. |
| Lifespan: | 3 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Low
- Min Tank:75 L
- Substrate:Soft sand; planted with caves/flat stones and cover
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe
- Filtration:Moderate (clean, gentle flow)
German Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to South America (Orinoco basin savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia). The ram is one of the most beautiful fish in freshwater and one of the most commonly killed by the tank it is sold into. It comes from the Orinoco basin savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia — warm, still, soft, acidic water over sand and leaf litter. It reaches only about 4 cm standard length, and it is a full cichlid in miniature: it sifts mouthfuls of substrate, holds territory, forms pairs and raises its own young. The colour is genuinely striking — a gold and blue body scattered with iridescent spangles, a black eye stripe, a red-orange belly and a black blotch on the flank. Two things separate a ram that lives from one that does not. It needs unusually warm water, 27–30 °C (81–86 °F), warmer than most community tanks are run. And it needs a biologically mature tank: put one in a new setup and you get the head and lateral line erosion that follows poor conditions.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Groups of 2+
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to German Blue Ram
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