Gold Ram Care Guide
The Gold Ram is a xanthistic selectively bred form of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi with a golden-yellow body, needing warm, soft, clean water.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Gold Ram is a selectively bred xanthistic form of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, a dwarf cichlid endemic to the Orinoco River basin in the savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia. It shows a bright golden-yellow body. Care is the same as for the wild ram.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Mikrogeophagus
- Scientific name: Mikrogeophagus ramirezi "Gold"
- Base species: Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Habitat
The wild ram inhabits the Orinoco llanos, a region of tropical savannah and seasonally flooded plains and forests. Its natural waters are warm and acidic with very low dissolved mineral content.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 26-30 °C (79-86 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 1-8 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 2-4 years
Clean, stable water is important, as the ram is a poor competitor sensitive to declining conditions. A sand substrate suits its substrate-sifting feeding behaviour.
Diet
Naturally benthophagic, the ram sifts the substrate for food. It is an omnivore in the aquarium and accepts live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Artemia and Daphnia alongside quality sinking prepared foods, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
A peaceful, mid-water dwarf cichlid forming monogamous pairs; males are intolerant of other males. It suits planted community tanks with small tetras, corydoras and otocinclus, and should be kept away from tiger barbs, angelfish and aggressive cichlids.
Breeding
M. ramirezi is a biparental substrate spawner. Adhesive eggs are laid on flat surfaces and both parents guard the brood; clutches of roughly 150-300 eggs hatch in about 40 hours near 29 °C, with larvae free-swimming after around five days. Breeding difficulty is intermediate.
Breeding German Blue Ram
Overview
The German Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) is a biparental substrate-spawning dwarf cichlid of intermediate breeding difficulty. Once mature, the fish form monogamous pairs prior to spawning, and males do not tolerate other males.
Sexing
Males grow larger than females, possess slightly more-extended fins and are more intensely coloured. Females typically display a pink or red blush on the abdomen, often with a blue sheen over the lateral spot below the dorsal fin, which is absent in males.
Conditioning the Breeders
The recommended approach is to begin with a group of young fish and allow pairs to form naturally, separating them as they do so. The species is best bred in a dedicated tank without other fish.
Breeding Setup & Spawning
Eggs are normally laid on a solid surface such as a flat rock, driftwood, a broad plant leaf or the aquarium glass, or directly into small depressions dug in the gravel. The female lays one or more rows of small, adhesive eggs (about 0.9-1.5 mm) before the male moves in to fertilise them, repeated numerous times. A typical clutch is 150-300 eggs, with clutches up to 500 reported.
Egg & Fry Care
Both parents tend the eggs and defend the territory, fanning water over the clutch. Eggs hatch in about 40 hours at 29 °C; the larvae remain largely immobile for a further five days, requiring no supplementary food, after which they are escorted in a dense school. First foods are microscopic, progressing to Artemia nauplii.
Common Challenges
Inexperienced pairs may eat their brood but often get things right after a few attempts. Commercially produced stock can be of poor quality, sometimes failing to fertilise or repeatedly eating eggs, and pristine water is needed to avoid egg fungus.