Looking to add some stunning color and vibrant personality to your tank? Consider the German blue ram cichlid. Sometimes simply known as the blue ram, these colorful cichlids are very closely related to Electric Blue Balloon Longfin Rams and make peaceful additions to the freshwater community tank. While less aggressive than other cichlids, they do have specific tank requirements. Read on to learn more.
Species Snapshot
· Species Name: Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
· Common Names: German blue ram, blue ram, blue ram cichlid
· Size: 2-3 inches
· Lifespan: Up to 3 years
· Native Distribution: South America
Known for their electric blue accents and peaceful temperaments, blue rams are an aquarium hobbyist's dream. These small cichlids are endemic to the Orinoco River basin in Colombia and Venezuela, where they inhabit slow-flowing waterways thick with submerged vegetation.
Though not a fit for combination cichlid tanks, blue rams can be comfortable with many community fish species of similar size, such as ember tetras, green neon tetras, or blue emperor tetras, provided water parameters are carefully maintained.
Here's what you need to know about blue ram cichlids and how to care for them.
Anatomy and Appearance
The German blue ram grows between 2 and 3 inches in length, making it a little smaller than the Bolivian ram cichlid (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus), which is fairly similar in appearance. This species is distinguished by its electric blue markings on the fins and body.
Blue rams have gold or silver bodies with light bellies and dark markings on the head, back, and dorsal fin. Their fins are gold, often turning orange or red at the tips. The electric blue accents for which the species is named appear as spots on the fins and head as well as highlights on the body.
As is true with many cichlids, blue rams exhibit sexual dimorphism that becomes clearer as the fish mature. Male blue rams tend to be larger than females at maturity—they’re also generally more brightly colored. Sexually mature female blue rams do, however, develop a pinkish patch on their bellies.
Ideal Aquarium Setup
In their natural habitat, blue rams are found in warm, slow-moving waters with a slightly acidic pH. This species is widely bred in captivity, which has led to improvements in adaptability, but blue rams are still sensitive to poor husbandry. Here are our recommendations for setting up and maintaining a tank for blue rams:
Tank Size
The minimum recommended tank size for a pair of blue rams is 10 gallons. This tank size is appropriate for breeding, but if you plan to keep your rams with other fish, a 20-gallon tank is recommended. Add an extra 20 gallons to the tank volume for each pair of rams you add to your tank to ensure they have enough space to establish their territory.
Water Parameters
High water quality is crucial for this species, so it’s important to develop a consistent maintenance schedule. Equipping your tank with proper filtration is key, and decorating with live plants will help keep the water oxygenated. Test your tank water at least once a week so you can catch fluctuations early and make the necessary adjustments.
In terms of water chemistry, blue rams prefer soft, acidic water. Aim for a pH of 5.0 to 7.0 and try to keep the water hardness below 10 dGH. If your tap water is too hard, you can try softening it with driftwood or Indian almond leaves.
It’s equally important to maintain your blue ram tank at the proper temperature. Blue rams require higher temperatures than some cichlids—ideally between 72°F and 82°F. If you plan to breed your blue rams, aim for the higher end of the temperature spectrum and adjust the pH level to be slightly less acidic, about 5.5 to 6.5.
Tank Décor
Blue rams prefer planted tanks, but it’s important to find plants that can tolerate higher water temperatures. Hardy species like Java fern and mosses typically do well. These plants also have the benefit of thriving without being rooted in key substrate, since blue rams like to dig around. Just avoid planting your tank too heavily because these fish like having space to swim around.
As you’re setting up your aquascape, be sure to include other natural décor elements in your tank, like driftwood and rocks. Your blue rams will appreciate having places to hide and some kind of territory to defend. Consider including caves or terracotta pots in your tank décor to enable this behavior.
Diet and Feeding
Blue rams tend not to be picky eaters, so you may not need to feed them differently from the other fish in your community tank setup. Offer your rams a staple diet of high-quality fish food like flakes or sinking pellets and supplement it with freeze-dried foods like tubifex worms and bloodworms.
Your rams will also appreciate the occasional treat of live or frozen food like brine shrimp or mysis shrimp.
Temperament and Tank Mates
German blue rams are generally more mild-mannered than other cichlids, but they can be territorial if the tank is too small. You can keep blue rams with peaceful community fish of similar size as long as they can tolerate the same temperature range.
Avoid keeping blue rams with large and aggressive cichlid species or with fast-swimming species that might outcompete them for food.
Breeding Blue Rams
As long as you have a male and female blue ram in a properly maintained tank, the odds are good that they’ll spawn at some point. You can help them along by feeding them high-quality foods and offering an appropriate spawning site, like flat stones or a terracotta saucer.
Adding a clump of Java moss can help provide cover for the fry and become a cultivation site for the infusoria they’ll feed on when they first hatch.
If you want to set up a separate breeding tank for blue rams, a 10-gallon tank will work well. Use a sponge filter for biological filtration and water movement, and consider keeping the tank bare-bottomed for easy maintenance.
It shouldn’t take long for a well-conditioned pair to start spawning. While blue rams may eat their first few batches of eggs, they’ll eventually start taking turns guarding the eggs and the fry after they hatch.
Wrapping up
If you're looking for a colorful, peaceful addition to your freshwater tank, the blue ram is hard to beat. With the right setup and consistent care, these vibrant cichlids can thrive and even breed in a well-maintained aquarium.
At Shrimpy Business, you'll find a variety of compatible nano fish, tank decor, and high-quality fish food to help you create the perfect environment. Give your blue rams what they need, and they’ll reward you with stunning color and lively personality.
Don’t hesitate to contact us anytime if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help!