Ram Cichlids: Introduction:
The Ram Cichlid is one of many smaller cichlids that are grouped together under the term - Dwarf Cichlid. This is because they stay small ( under 3 inches.) There are many different species with in the common name of Ram Cichlid. It is sometimes referred to in the fish keeping hobby as the Butterfly Cichlid. They are found in the wild in the slower moving rivers of Venezuela and Colombia.
Temperament is typically peaceful but like all Cichlids, they become aggressive if they should spawn. They are sometimes shy so setting up a proper tank environment is critical if you plan on seeing them very often.
Care and Breeding:
Temperature in Fahrenheit, should range from 78-82 and up to 86 for breeding. Ph 6.2-7.2 is good, though they will tolerate higher pH they will not thrive. These fish are hardy but do not tolerate wide chemical variations in tank water. It is important to do small but frequent water changes and to make sure that the substrate is clean.
Diet and Environment:
Diet: These beautiful fish are carnivorous and like live food. They can be taught to accept frozen food, along with pellets and flake but I do not recommend feeding pellets nor flake food to Rams. Live brine shirmp, live tubi-flex worms, Live Ghost shrimp are all good food choices for Ram Cichlids and other dwarf Cichlids. Frozen variations are also excepted. They will graze on live plants too so it is important to keep at least a few live plants in a tank with them.
Environment: The Ram Cichlid needs to have a soft substrate, preferable sand. They also need to have a fairly heavily planted tank but should also have open spaces to roam. A few rocks and perhaps a medium piece of driftwood is advisable. If breeding then provide several small terra-cotta pots for them to choose as a site for depositing eggs. The Ideal Tank Set UP Photo below is a good example of how to create a perfect habitat for them.
Compatible Tank Mates:
As mentioned these are typically peaceful cichlids but they are still cichlids and that should be kept in mind when choosing tank mates.
Tropical fish: Cardinal Tetra, Neon Tetra, Lemon Tetra, Black Ghost Tetra would all make suitable schooling fish and tank mates for Ram Cichlids.
Algae Eaters: Siamese Algae eaters, Otocinclus, Mystery Snail/Apple Snail, would be the only algae eaters I would put with Rams. The reason being is that all of these algae eaters listed are not specifically bottom dwelling fish. The Siamese Algae Eater will rest on plants without eating plants as will the Oto's. The mystery snail and apple snails work well to clean algae off of the aquarium glass and they are very non-invasive and will not bother live plants that are healthy.
Bottom Dweller: Corydoras (cory catfish), Kuhli Loach, Weather loach (maybe)... these would be the only real bottom dwellers I would keep with Rams. Small school of Cory catfish will help keep the bottom clean and the Rams can drive them off if they are spwaning. The Kuhli loach really does not bother anyone and they race along the bottom of the tank making a scene. A Weather loach or a Dojo loach may also work. They tend to burrow and scamper around but can up-root plants. They also love tubi-worms and smaller snails.
Larger fish: Discus, especially the Heckel Discus or even Pigeon Blood Discus may work if the tank is tall enough. The water parameters are nearly identical and Discus are usually peaceful enough that the Rams could bully them if they were so inclined. A male Betta or a school of female Betta would be okay too. The female Betta are good at tending plants and the Male Betta is just obnoxiously adorable in his pomp and circumstance. I would hesitate to include Angelfish with rams solely for the reason that Angels can get aggressive and very aggressive if they start to breed. It is not uncommon to see a pair of breeding Angels in a four foot long tank patrolling 3 feet of empty tank and everything else huddled in the last foot.
Sexing Ram Cichlids:
There are so many different ways that people have told me they use to sex Rams that I almost considered leaving this part of the article blank. The deal with Rams is this... To find a male look at the first set of RAYS on their dorsal fin. These rays are not attached at the top like the rest of the dorsal rays are. If you find a fish with a really tall set of first dorsal fish then you have a male. It would look something like this i!i.... where the .... are other dorsal rays. It takes some looking and of course Rams are not helpful by holding up their dorsal rays. It is best to feed them life brine while trying to check out their rays. Coloration can be an indicator but is not a sure bet... nor is the black line that marks their face and eye. Those are genetic traits that can be amplified through selective breeding. The picture below titled Sexing Rams is a good example of what to look for... this is probably a very young male or a very sub-dominate male.
/davenmidtown.hubpages.com/hub/Ram-Cichlids-Microgeophagus-mirirezi
