..............................................Ram
Other names:...........Butterfly cichlid, Blue Ram, German Ram, Golden Ram Origin:......................Western Venezuela; Columbia Max size:..................3" PH:............-..............6.4-7.2 Temperature:...........72-79 F. Min tank size:..........25 gallons Food:.........................Flakes, live foods, vegetable matter, pellet food |
This delightful little south American cichlid is a great fish for the
community tank in which it grows to around 10cms. Care should be taken with
water qualities, as Rams are sensitive to
water conditions and do not like changes in the chemical nature of their
water. Best kept with similarly-sized fishes, Rams are non-aggressive Cichlids,
that will not destroy your tank, other fish, or even your bank balance.
Rams are quite difficult to breed, and as for cichlids, they make suprisingly
poor parents. A pair will form when both fishes are between 4-6 cms in
length and will spawn in the open (on a flattened rock, on the gravel, or
on a large leaf) between 80-200 eggs. Often the pair simply disolves and
one of the parents eats the eggs, or both seem to forget they have laid any
eggs at all and another fish eats the unguarded eggs. If a beginner is
interested in breeding rams, Bolivian Rams (M. altispinosa) are much more robust fish, that better care for their fry.
Many thanks to David Migly for this information
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