German blue ram care
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi · Orinoco basin savanna rivers, Venezuela and Colombia
Rams are small, peaceful dwarf cichlids that need warm (78 to 85 °F), soft, clean water in a mature 20 gallon or larger tank with sand and plants.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 78 to 85 °F (26 to 29 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 3 in
- pH
- 5 to 7
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 6 dGH
- Lifespan
- 2 to 4 years
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Care level
- Demanding
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep German blue rams
Rams are small, peaceful dwarf cichlids that need warm (78 to 85 °F), soft, clean water in a mature 20 gallon or larger tank with sand and plants. Keep one, or a pair, with calm tetras or rasboras. They are not a fish for a brand-new tank.
Diet: Omnivore: small pellets, frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
German blue ram tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Betta
3 in · 5+ gal · 76–82 °F
Dwarf neon rainbowfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 75–81 °F
Black skirt tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Congo tetra
3 in · 29+ gal · 73–81 °F
Glass catfish
3 in · 29+ gal · 75–82 °F
Buenos Aires tetra
3 in · 29+ gal · 64–82 °F
GloFish tetra
3 in · 20+ gal · 72–82 °F
Red eye tetra
2.8 in · 29+ gal · 73–82 °F
Keep apart
Zebra danio: No shared temperature: German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F, zebra danios 64 to 77 °F.
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Panda corydoras: No shared temperature: German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F, panda corydoras 68 to 77 °F.
Reticulated hillstream loach: No shared temperature: German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F, reticulated hillstream loaches 68 to 75 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
What a German blue ram tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon German blue ram tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon German blue ram tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
German blue rams need 78 to 85 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding German blue rams.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 78 to 85 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common German blue ram problems
- Sudden deaths in new or poorly kept tanks are common; they need stable warmth and very low nitrate.
- Two males in a small tank fight.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Betta ivabalk (Pixabay), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf neon rainbowfish Leo-nie-weh-oh; cropped by Der Regenbogenfisch, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black skirt tetra emptyvi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Congo tetra 7TP (Krzysztof Bartosik), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glass catfish Martin Fisch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Buenos Aires tetra Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- GloFish tetra Bobby823Sk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red eye tetra Jhartshorn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra danio Roundish, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Panda corydoras Chronotopian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Reticulated hillstream loach Spiketooth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kribensis André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
,_2017.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}