The Latin name for the Ram Cichlid is Mikrogeophagus Ramirezi and it has several common names such as: Blue Ram, Golden Ram, German Ram, Dwarf Butterfly Cichlid and Ramirez's Dwarf Cichlid.
The Ram Cichlid is native to South America and is found in the marshy areas of the Orinoco River Basin in Colombia and Venezuela.
Traits of the Ram Cichlid
The Ram Cichlid’s body is a mixture of yellow and blue-green with blue dots on its fins. The wild-caught species have several dark vertical stripes on its body and a dark band in the eye area. Rams that have been bred in captivity may have fainter stripes or dark dots.
The adult size of a male is three inches and the female is slightly smaller. It is a non-aggressive fish and care must be taken to not put it in an aquarium with larger or aggressive fish or other cichlids; otherwise it will get bullied.
The aquarium environment must be kept calm. Ideal tank mates are Discus or small species of Tetras.
Aquarium Conditions for the Ram Cichlid
The Ram Cichlid should be kept in an aquarium no smaller than 20 gallons. The water PH value should be between 6.0 and 7.0. The ideal water temperature should be 75 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. To encourage spawning, the PH value should be lowered to 5.0 and the water temperature raised to 85 degrees.
The water conditions for the Ram Cichlid must be kept stable because it is sensitive to pollutants in the water. A 15% water change should be done bi-weekly and the filter has to be cleaned frequently.
The aquarium should be well planted and have rockery or driftwood for hiding places. There should also be an open area available for swimming.
The Ram Cichlid can be fed flake or pellet or freeze dried food in addition to a supplement of brine shrimp or white worms. It should also have snacks of vegetables such as lettuce to nibble on.
Breeding the Ram Cichlid
The Ram Cichlid is an egg layer and will spawn on rocks, driftwood and plant leaves. The female is capable of depositing 200 and they hatch in 72 hours. The fry are free swimming after hatching and their egg sacks disappear in about eight days.
The fry can be fed ground up flake food or newly hatched baby brine shrimp for approximately four weeks. Then the young fish can be fed the same food as the adult Ram Cichlid.
The parents offer great care to the fry so the babies do not need to be moved to another tank.
The biggest challenge in keeping a Ram Cichlid is maintaining clean water and selecting compatible fish for a community tank. This fish will become sick in poor water conditions and will not survive in an aquarium where there is any type of aggression.
 |
 |
