German blue Ram

Description

The blue ram cichlid or otherwise commonly known as the butterfly cichlid is another of the beautiful dwarf cichlids often desired by the aquarist. The Blue Ram Cichlid is a stocky fish with bright grey/blue flanks. Yellow, gold and black with blue are the coloration of the head and chest with a red patch on the belly. A black vertical line runs across the eye and red patch around it. It has a large yellow dorsal fin with black at the front edge and red marking the upper and lower lobes of the tail and dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are mostly red with blue.

These Blue Ram Cichlids come from the rivers of Venezuela, and Columbia. They require a temperature of 78-85°F (26-30°C) with 80-81°F (27-28°C) being the most acceptable and a pH 5.5 – 7.0. Soft water is best for them but it is known for some of them to adapt well to moderately hard water. Aquarists generally find it is not ‘easy’ to keep this fish, as they often die soon after purchase. This is because they need well established water to feel comfortable enough in and they can be picky eaters at first. Introduction to an established tank is essential as they are likely to die if the water is not ‘old’ enough.