Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

Blue Rams, Microgeophagus ramirezi, are often difficult to sex. I find the best method is to examine the dark spot on the side of the fish. On males (top fish) the spot is solid black. Females (lower fish) will have one or many iridescent scales scattered on the dark spot.

The Blue Ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, is one of the best know and most popular of all cichlids. It has a host of common names including; the Butterfly Cichlid, the Ram Cichlid, Blue Ram, German Blue Ram and Gold Ram. Although they are rarely referred to as Butterfly Cichlids any more, most of the other names are commonly used. The Gold Ram is a true-breeding color strain that has been in the hobby for many years. Although they are very different in color they are exactly the same fish and easily cross breed with Blue Rams. In 2009 a new color form was introduced to the hobby and the "Electric Blue Ram" is now found in many pet stores.

German Blue Rams?

In most of the United States the name German Blue Ram has become the standard label to apply to any of the farm raised Rams that are commonly available. Typically, these fish are stouter and more robust than wild fish. They are often spectacularly colored but, of course, so are wild Rams!
While some of these fish are raised in hatcheries in Europe, most of them are raised on fish farms in Asia. Here they are mass produced for export and are found in the tanks of many shops and hobbyists.

Rams were first introduced to the hobby in 1947 and were described as Apistogramma ramirezi by Meyers and Harry in 1948. Although it was described as an Apistogramma it quickly became obvious that it was very different from the fish of that genus. In 1958 the name Microgeophagus was first suggested but the use of this name was never widely adopted. In 1960 Wickler suggested using "Apistogramma" in quotes in recognition of its uncertain status. Unfortunately, this suggestion was not followed and the name Pseudogeophagus was suggested in 1969 followed by Pseudoapistogramma in 1971. In 1977 the Swedish ichthyologist Dr. Sven Kullander weighed in with a complete redefinition of the genus and established the name Papiliochromis. Most considered that the name was decided and Papiliochromis was widely, but briefly universally accepted. However, in 1982, the debate began anew as several authors advocated for the adoption of Mikrogeophagus and in 1998 Kullander began to use the name Mikrogeophagus. All of this means that there is now a general agreement that Mikrogeophagus is the correct genus name, however, there is still confusion as to the exact spelling of the name and it is very common to have the name spelled Mikrogeophagus.

Electric Blue Rams

The new brilliantly blue color form of the Blue Ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi appeared on the market in late spring 2009 and there have been large quantities available for import from Asia and Germany. It is most likely that this colorful form is the result of careful breeding. Perhaps it began as a "sport" that appeared in a spawn and has been bred to be a pure color. The other possibility is that they were produced by careful cross breeding of the most colorful fish. Opinions vary widely about this fish as some people love them and others think they look totally artificial. I believe that you just need to make yup your own mind about these fish. They have been marketed under a number of common names including Electric Blue Ram and Neon Blue Rams. Some people have r reported having difficulty in finding females and speculate this is intentional to make breeding more difficult. However, others report fairly even sex rations. All agree that they are tougher to sex than standard Rams. Breeding is exactly the same as for other color forms (see below) but so far I have not found any accounts of successful parent rearing of this strain. This is not surprising as many fish that are artificially reared for many generations lose some of their instinct to parent. I expect that this color strain will become a common fish in the hobby and, although they are initially commanding a premium price, I expect that in the future they will be priced similar to the other forms.

click photo to enlarge

This Gold Ram male attentively guards his day old fry. Gold Rams are a color morph that can be found at time in fish shops. They are brilliantly colored and really brighten up a tank.

    Whatever common or scientific name you use for these fish they are stunning. They are brilliantly colored gems that glisten and sparkle as light hits them. Since they were first introduced they have been a staple of the hobby and remain one of the most highly sought and widely kept dwarf cichlids. In many respects they are a perfect first dwarf cichlid. They remain small with an adult size of no more than 2 inches. They are not picky eaters and are not too aggressive. They can be easily spawned but successfully raising the fry can be a problem. They do best in soft acid water but most of the fish sold today are farm raised and are adaptable to a wide range of water conditions. They do require water temperatures that are higher than the ideal for many other fish and are best maintained at temps of at least 80 degrees F.

    Rams are found in the savanna areas of the central and lower Orinoco River in Venezuela as well as similar areas in Columbia. These savanna areas or Llanos are not at all the type of habitat that the jungle living Apistogrammas are found in. This area is a vast dry plain that is used primarily for cattle ranching. Spread throughout the dry grasslands are a number of natural and man made ponds where the Rams are found. These pools are often very shallow and exposed to the direct sun in sweltering hot conditions. Consequently the waters may get very warm and collectors have discussed catching fish in water as warm as 88 degrees F and it is generally assumed that they inhabit waters much warmer at times. In their native habitats the waters are very soft with low pH. Most describe pH values between 5 and 6.5 but there accounts as low as 4.6 and as high as 7.3.

    Rams are omnivores, eating both vegetable and animal foods. They take any sort of small live food and will eat most prepared foods with few problems. When kept over a sand substrate they spend hours sifting the sand through their gills filtering out any food bits they find. Follow the general directions provided in our Good Habitat section and you won't go wrong. Although they are generally peaceful to other fishes, Rams can be very aggressive to others of their species. Parental Rams, like most cichlids, are fierce protectors of their fry and will often bully fishes much larger than themselves.

Breeding Rams

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi female laying eggs

Photographed in the middle of laying a row of eggs, this female Mikrogeophagus ramirezi manages to create a solid dense plaque of eggs. It is remarkable how tightly together they are packed.

Many hobbyists have a hard time successfully breeding rams. In truth, many people have spawned the fish but few have successfully raised fry. First, you must meet the water demands of the fish - very warm, 82 - 84 F, very soft and acid - pH 5.5 - 6.2. Many fish will spawn in water that does not meet these standards but the eggs do not develop properly and no fry are produced.

The next problem is often that the parent fish are not good parents. Many of the Rams sold in pet stores today are raised in large farms in Asia where they have been artificially reared for many generations. These fish are extremely colorful but are often very poor parents. It is often been speculated that hormones and special food additives are fed these fish to enhance their colors and that these additives make the fish sterile. I don't believe this because wild Rams are so spectacularly colored that there is no need to enhance their colors artificially. However, I agree that it can often be very hard to get Asian Rams to reproduce. I find that they are often very poor parents and rarely will allow their spawns to fully develop before they eat them as either eggs or fry. Wild Rams, on the other hand, are usually easier to spawn, although, they are much more demanding of water conditions.

click photo to expand

This female Mikrogeophagus ramirezi has just finished laying her eggs and stands guard above them. Her blunt ovipositor is still visitable but will quickly be reduced in size.

Another problem that many people have with Rams is that they are not very effective at protecting their school of fry. It is not an absence of desire, ferocity or concern. Rather, they do not have the ability to keep the fry in a tight school that will drop to the bottom on command the way Apistogrammas do. Instead the fry make a large loose cloud swarming around the parents. The swarm can be very large because the these small fish can produce a very large spawn often totaling two to three hundred fry. Within a day or two it becomes impossible for the parents to guard the school as the fry are increasingly independent. It makes me believe that, in their natural habitat, Rams inhabit waters that are empty of other fishes.

As you might expect, Ram fry are quite small and you must be prepared to feed them with a quality food that they find easy to eat. I approach this in a couple of ways. First, I try to make sure that I have a very well established tank. This typically means that it has a good growth of algae on many surfaces. This algae provides a rich source of live microbes, more of which are found on the prolific plants that I also stock the tank with. If you can provide these rich surfaces for the babies to graze on it will really jump start their growth.

click photo to enlarge

On the first day they are free swimming ram fry are very small. It is helpful if you have a lush growth of plants and algae for them to pick microorganisms off of. This photo is somewhat blurred and off color because of the layer of green algae on the glass. Note also the snail eggs on the glass. The tiny fry form a loose cloud around the parents but often wander away.

The first supplemental food I provide is live micro worms. These tiny worms are the perfect size for the baby Rams. They eat them easily and they are a great food source as uneaten worms will live on the bottom for hours until they are consumed. After just a couple of days they fry will begin to take newly hatched brine shrimp and growth is quick after that. Of course, as with any fry, you must make sure to provide frequent water changes combined with good food.

Rams are typical cichlids and as such they are all unique individuals. Some make excellent and caring parents that will raise successive batches of fry while others never get the hang of parenting and repeatedly eat their eggs. If you have a pair that just won't raise their fry you must decide if you want to try and artificially hatch the eggs. This can be a great way to ensure that you get fry but lacks the charm of a breeding pair. Your other option is to break up the pair and try to introduce a new partner. While Rams form fairly strong pair bonds it is possible to force a pairing. However, if you want to do this I suggest that you give the fish several weeks of separation before you introduce the prospective new mate.

click photo to enlarge

Microgeophagus ramirezi pair with fry, male above and female below. Note the three shiny iridescent spots at the top of the black side spot on the female. Female Rams will normally have several of these bright spots on each side while males do not have them.

    A couple of final suggestions. If you want to parent raise the fish I strongly urge you to keep them in a species tank with no other fish of any sort. The tiny Ram fry seem to be eagerly eaten by almost every other fish and it is very rare that fry are raised in a mixed species tank. Also, Rams can be slow to spawn. If your fish just don't seem to want to spawn try giving them high quality live food for several weeks followed by a large water change and raise the temperature a couple of degrees. This will often stimulate a spawn.

    One nice thing for the average home breeder of this fish is that there is usually a steady demand for Rams at the local fish store. This means that you can usually trade some of your fish and they will be happy to take them. Although you will never make much of a profit it is nice to have an outlet for your fish.

    In summary, there is a good reason why Blue Rams are one of the all time favorite dwarf cichlids. They are beautiful, they make great community fish, they get along with most other fish and they present an interesting breeding challenge to the more advanced hobbyist. If you have never kept these gems give them a try and if you are an experienced dwarf cichlid keeper who considers them to be a beginner's fish take another look. Rams are a great addition to any fish room.

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It has a host of common names including; the Butterfly Cichlid, the Ram Cichlid, Blue Ram, German Blue Ram and Gold Ram. Although they are rarely referred to as Butterfly Cichlids any more, most of the other names are commonly used. The Gold Ram is a true-breeding color strain that has been in the hobby for many years. Although they are very different in color they are exactly the same fish and easily cross breed with Blue Rams. In 2009 a new color form was introduced to the hobby and the "Electric Blue Ram" is now found in many pet stores. German Blue Rams? In most of the United States the name German Blue Ram has become the standard label to apply to any of the farm raised Rams that are commonly available. Typically, these fish are stouter and more robust than wild fish. They are often spectacularly colored but, of course, so are wild Rams! While some of these fish are raised in hatcheries in Europe, most of them are raised on fish farms in Asia. Here they are mass produced for export and are found in the tanks of many shops and hobbyists. Rams were first introduced to the hobby in 1947 and were described as Apistogramma ramirezi by Meyers and Harry in 1948. Although it was described as an Apistogramma it quickly became obvious that it was very different from the fish of that genus. In 1958 the name Microgeophagus was first suggested but the use of this name was never widely adopted. In 1960 Wickler suggested using "Apistogramma" in quotes in recognition of its uncertain status. Unfortunately, this suggestion was not followed and the name Pseudogeophagus was suggested in 1969 followed by Pseudoapistogramma in 1971. In 1977 the Swedish ichthyologist Dr. Sven Kullander weighed in with a complete redefinition of the genus and established the name Papiliochromis. Most considered that the name was decided and Papiliochromis was widely, but briefly universally accepted. However, in 1982, the debate began anew as several authors advocated for the adoption of Mikrogeophagus and in 1998 Kullander began to use the name Mikrogeophagus. All of this means that there is now a general agreement that Mikrogeophagus is the correct genus name, however, there is still confusion as to the exact spelling of the name and it is very common to have the name spelled Mikrogeophagus. Electric Blue Rams The new brilliantly blue color form of the Blue Ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi appeared on the market in late spring 2009 and there have been large quantities available for import from Asia and Germany. It is most likely that this colorful form is the result of careful breeding. Perhaps it began as a "sport" that appeared in a spawn and has been bred to be a pure color. The other possibility is that they were produced by careful cross breeding of the most colorful fish. Opinions vary widely about this fish as some people love them and others think they look totally artificial. I believe that you just need to make yup your own mind about these fish. They have been marketed under a number of common names including Electric Blue Ram and Neon Blue Rams. Some people have r reported having difficulty in finding females and speculate this is intentional to make breeding more difficult. However, others report fairly even sex rations. All agree that they are tougher to sex than standard Rams. Breeding is exactly the same as for other color forms (see below) but so far I have not found any accounts of successful parent rearing of this strain. This is not surprising as many fish that are artificially reared for many generations lose some of their instinct to parent. I expect that this color strain will become a common fish in the hobby and, although they are initially commanding a premium price, I expect that in the future they will be priced similar to the other forms. click photo to enlarge This Gold Ram male attentively guards his day old fry. Gold Rams are a color morph that can be found at time in fish shops. They are brilliantly colored and really brighten up a tank. Whatever common or scientific name you use for these fish they are stunning. They are brilliantly colored gems that glisten and sparkle as light hits them. Since they were first introduced they have been a staple of the hobby and remain one of the most highly sought and widely kept dwarf cichlids. In many respects they are a perfect first dwarf cichlid. They remain small with an adult size of no more than 2 inches. They are not picky eaters and are not too aggressive. They can be easily spawned but successfully raising the fry can be a problem. They do best in soft acid water but most of the fish sold today are farm raised and are adaptable to a wide range of water conditions. They do require water temperatures that are higher than the ideal for many other fish and are best maintained at temps of at least 80 degrees F. Rams are found in the savanna areas of the central and lower Orinoco River in Venezuela as well as similar areas in Columbia. These savanna areas or Llanos are not at all the type of habitat that the jungle living Apistogrammas are found in. This area is a vast dry plain that is used primarily for cattle ranching. Spread throughout the dry grasslands are a number of natural and man made ponds where the Rams are found. These pools are often very shallow and exposed to the direct sun in sweltering hot conditions. Consequently the waters may get very warm and collectors have discussed catching fish in water as warm as 88 degrees F and it is generally assumed that they inhabit waters much warmer at times. In their native habitats the waters are very soft with low pH. Most describe pH values between 5 and 6.5 but there accounts as low as 4.6 and as high as 7.3. Rams are omnivores, eating both vegetable and animal foods. They take any sort of small live food and will eat most prepared foods with few problems. When kept over a sand substrate they spend hours sifting the sand through their gills filtering out any food bits they find. Follow the general directions provided in our Good Habitat section and you won't go wrong. Although they are generally peaceful to other fishes, Rams can be very aggressive to others of their species. Parental Rams, like most cichlids, are fierce protectors of their fry and will often bully fishes much larger than themselves. Breeding Rams Photographed in the middle of laying a row of eggs, this female Mikrogeophagus ramirezi manages to create a solid dense plaque of eggs. It is remarkable how tightly together they are packed. Many hobbyists have a hard time successfully breeding rams. In truth, many people have spawned the fish but few have successfully raised fry. First, you must meet the water demands of the fish - very warm, 82 - 84 F, very soft and acid - pH 5.5 - 6.2. Many fish will spawn in water that does not meet these standards but the eggs do not develop properly and no fry are produced. The next problem is often that the parent fish are not good parents. Many of the Rams sold in pet stores today are raised in large farms in Asia where they have been artificially reared for many generations. These fish are extremely colorful but are often very poor parents. It is often been speculated that hormones and special food additives are fed these fish to enhance their colors and that these additives make the fish sterile. I don't believe this because wild Rams are so spectacularly colored that there is no need to enhance their colors artificially. However, I agree that it can often be very hard to get Asian Rams to reproduce. I find that they are often very poor parents and rarely will allow their spawns to fully develop before they eat them as either eggs or fry. Wild Rams, on the other hand, are usually easier to spawn, although, they are much more demanding of water conditions. click photo to expand This female Mikrogeophagus ramirezi has just finished laying her eggs and stands guard above them. Her blunt ovipositor is still visitable but will quickly be reduced in size. Another problem that many people have with Rams is that they are not very effective at protecting their school of fry. It is not an absence of desire, ferocity or concern. Rather, they do not have the ability to keep the fry in a tight school that will drop to the bottom on command the way Apistogrammas do. Instead the fry make a large loose cloud swarming around the parents. The swarm can be very large because the these small fish can produce a very large spawn often totaling two to three hundred fry. Within a day or two it becomes impossible for the parents to guard the school as the fry are increasingly independent. It makes me believe that, in their natural habitat, Rams inhabit waters that are empty of other fishes. As you might expect, Ram fry are quite small and you must be prepared to feed them with a quality food that they find easy to eat. I approach this in a couple of ways. First, I try to make sure that I have a very well established tank. This typically means that it has a good growth of algae on many surfaces. This algae provides a rich source of live microbes, more of which are found on the prolific plants that I also stock the tank with. If you can provide these rich surfaces for the babies to graze on it will really jump start their growth. click photo to enlarge On the first day they are free swimming ram fry are very small. It is helpful if you have a lush growth of plants and algae for them to pick microorganisms off of. This photo is somewhat blurred and off color because of the layer of green algae on the glass. Note also the snail eggs on the glass. The tiny fry form a loose cloud around the parents but often wander away. The first supplemental food I provide is live micro worms. These tiny worms are the perfect size for the baby Rams. They eat them easily and they are a great food source as uneaten worms will live on the bottom for hours until they are consumed. After just a couple of days they fry will begin to take newly hatched brine shrimp and growth is quick after that. Of course, as with any fry, you must make sure to provide frequent water changes combined with good food. Rams are typical cichlids and as such they are all unique individuals. Some make excellent and caring parents that will raise successive batches of fry while others never get the hang of parenting and repeatedly eat their eggs. If you have a pair that just won't raise their fry you must decide if you want to try and artificially hatch the eggs. This can be a great way to ensure that you get fry but lacks the charm of a breeding pair. Your other option is to break up the pair and try to introduce a new partner. While Rams form fairly strong pair bonds it is possible to force a pairing. However, if you want to do this I suggest that you give the fish several weeks of separation before you introduce the prospective new mate. click photo to enlarge Microgeophagus ramirezi pair with fry, male above and female below. Note the three shiny iridescent spots at the top of the black side spot on the female. Female Rams will normally have several of these bright spots on each side while males do not have them. A couple of final suggestions. If you want to parent raise the fish I strongly urge you to keep them in a species tank with no other fish of any sort. The tiny Ram fry seem to be eagerly eaten by almost every other fish and it is very rare that fry are raised in a mixed species tank. Also, Rams can be slow to spawn. If your fish just don't seem to want to spawn try giving them high quality live food for several weeks followed by a large water change and raise the temperature a couple of degrees. This will often stimulate a spawn. One nice thing for the average home breeder of this fish is that there is usually a steady demand for Rams at the local fish store. This means that you can usually trade some of your fish and they will be happy to take them. Although you will never make much of a profit it is nice to have an outlet for your fish. In summary, there is a good reason why Blue Rams are one of the all time favorite dwarf cichlids. They are beautiful, they make great community fish, they get along with most other fish and they present an interesting breeding challenge to the more advanced hobbyist. If you have never kept these gems give them a try and if you are an experienced dwarf cichlid keeper who considers them to be a beginner's fish take another look. Rams are a great addition to any fish room. Copyright This website and all contents and design, including images, are protected under U.S. Copyright © 2006 by Montana Exotic Tropicals. All rights reserved worldwide. Dwarfcichlid.com is for your personal and noncommercial use. No one may modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, or publish any materials contained in dwarf cichlid.com without prior written permission. dwarf cichlid.com is a registered service mark and may not be used without permission.

Practical Information About Keeping, Breeding and Buying Dwarf Cichlids

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

Breeding Rams