What Do German Blue Rams Eat?
- In our aquariums, we need to feed our German Blue Rams a varied diet to give them a fully varied and balanced diet..
- Bug Bites by Fluval.
- Vibra Bites by Hikari.
- TetraMin Tropical Flake.
- Xtreme Krill Flakes. In an ideal world, German Blue Rams want to eat from the bottom of the tank, ideally directly off...
Do German Blue Rams eat from the top or bottom?
In an ideal world, German Blue Rams want to eat from the bottom of the tank, ideally directly off the substrate. As such, foods that sink are best for German Blue Rams. As well as feeding my German Blue Rams commercial foods, I also try and feed them lots of live or frozen foods.
How often should I Feed my German Blue Rams?
I aim to feed my German Blue Rams 3 or 4 times a day. I usually give them pellet food in the morning (Vibra Bites is my current go-to) followed by flake food in the afternoon and then live or frozen food in the evening. Sometimes, I will give them more pellets in the evening too.
What fish can I put with my German Blue Rams?
This species does best with other small fish that don’t want to cause any trouble. Any large or aggressive fish should be avoided at all costs. Here are some good tank mates to get you started: German Blue Rams also get along with all types of freshwater aquarium snails. They’ll leave the little critters alone and go about their business!
How do I care for a German Blue Rams?
Warmth is a major key to successfully caring for these fish. When kept below these temperatures German Blue Rams are susceptible to infection from opportunistic diseases like ich and body/fin fungus. They will also eat less and not produce eggs and sperm for breeding. Water chemistry is the second major issue when keeping German Blue Rams happy.
How often should I feed my German blue rams?
How often should I feed my blue rams? Because of their size, it's best to feed rams two to three small meals a day rather than trying to give them one big meal. Their stomachs are tiny, which means they can only digest small amounts of food at a time.
What do you feed blue Ram fry?
During these first few days/weeks, try feeding your Rams meaty, nutrient rich food. Frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms usually do the trick. Live brine shrimp are also a great treat! Once your Rams are eating steadily, slowly introduce them to cichlid flakes or pellets.
How many German blue rams should be kept together?
At least two German blue rams should be kept together in a tank. German blue rams are at their best when living with their mates, so try to keep both males and females. German blue rams are monogamous and mate for life. Buying German blue ram pairs while they're still young is recommended.
How do you feed Electric Blue Ram?
Feeding. The electric blue ram is an omnivore and needs to be kept on a diet of both meaty and green foods. The stress of being moved to a new environment can make the fish lose its appetite, so be prepared to coax it with mosquito larvae or similar foods.
How can I improve my baby's RAM?
11:2518:38How to care for and raise baby rams -- German Blue Rams - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake a new drawing kind of skip that day try to feed a different food source like pelleted foods orMoreMake a new drawing kind of skip that day try to feed a different food source like pelleted foods or crushed up lakes.
How can I increase my RAM fry?
0:2815:06How To Keep RAM FRY Alive: Cleaning the fry box - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo one of the most important steps to raising the ram fry is cleaning their fry box. And for the ramMoreSo one of the most important steps to raising the ram fry is cleaning their fry box. And for the ram breeders out there.
Are blue rams bottom feeders?
Feeding. German blue rams feed on bottom dwelling organisms, and in the home aquarium, they will often be observed sifting through the substrate.
How can you tell the difference between male and female German blue rams?
Gender Differences For some individuals, if you carefully look at the black spots on the side of your German Blue Ram, the males will not have any blue coloration in their black spots, whereas the females will. The males also tend to have an elongated dorsal fin.
Can a German blue ram live alone?
Yes, you can keep German blue rams alone. German blue rams aren't particularly social, so they don't mind being kept alone. As long as you provide them with plenty of environmental enrichment, they can keep themselves entertained. With that said, German blue rams are the happiest when kept in a male-female pair.
How do you take care of a German blue ram?
German blue rams are active fish that require a 20-gallon tank or larger. The water must be kept between 80°F and 86°F and on the acidic side. To simulate the German blue ram's wild habitat, set up various hiding spots throughout the tank with caves, driftwood, and plants, and keep the lighting dim.
How do you keep German blue rams alive?
0:593:23How to Keep German Blue Rams Alive! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo. Number one is salt water okay German blue Rams have to have soft water I get a soft waterMoreSo. Number one is salt water okay German blue Rams have to have soft water I get a soft water through an RO di unit. I remineralize. It I put my buffers back in there. And.
How fast do German blue rams grow?
German blue rams can grow to full size within 4–6 months. Like many other cichlids, German blue rams reach maturity fairly quickly, within the first four to six months of their lives. By then, they grow to be around two to three inches long. At that age, they're also ready to spawn with their mate.
How do you feed Hikari first bite?
Soak in a cup of aquarium water before feeding. This will cause the food to sink more rapidly providing these fry ready access to the nutrition. They can consume Hikari First Bites right after birth. They utilize their yolk sack for nutrition right after birth.
How do you use Liquifry No 1?
Add 1 drop per 4 litres (1 gallon) or 2-4 times per day. You'll notice the water becomes slightly cloudy due to the Liquifry food particles. Liquifry is a sterile product and will not cause disease or contamination.
What do German blue rams eat?
Feeding. German blue rams feed on bottom dwelling organisms, and in the home aquarium, they will often be observed sifting through the substrate. They take large mouthfuls of the substrate, searching for anything edible in it, then spit out the unwanted material through their mouths and gills.
What is the best filter for German blue rams?
When choosing a filter, a hang-on-back filter is usually the best choice for an aquarium containing German blue rams. But care should be taken not to over filter the aquarium, as these fish don’t thrive in a strong water current.
How long does it take for a German blue ram to become free?
Until the eggs hatch, the parents will fan water over them. The fry will become free swimming after five days and until then, they will feed on the egg sack. German blue rams are usually poor parents during the first few spawnings and will often eat their fry.
How long do German blue rams live?
The average lifespan for German blue rams should be around three years, but due to poor breeding practices in the far east, the use of hormones to brighten their colors, and possibly due to some them being artificially dyed, they rarely live much longer than 18 months.
Can fry be fed infusoria?
Once the fry are free swimming, they will be escorted by one of their parents to find food in a tight school. The fry can be fed infusoria, microworms, or any of the other commercially available fry foods.
How important is it to care for German blue rams?
One of the most important parts of German Blue Ram care is maintaining the water. While this might seem like something that applies to all fish, this species can be especially affected by subpar water conditions.
Where can I find German blue rams?
The German Blue Ram ( Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) is a type of cichlid that can be found in Columbia and Venezuela. Within this region, the entire species is located within the Orinoco River basin. There have been some reports floating around that claim these fish have been found in other areas of South America.
What is a German blue ram cichlid?
The German Blue Ram Cichlid is one of the most underrated freshwater species you can find. They’re absolutely beautiful, peaceful, and compatible with a number of different tank mates. We’ve been a fan of this fish for years and always encourage other aquarists to give this species a shot! But because this fish is under ...
What diseases do German blue rams have?
Common Possible Diseases. The most serious health issue that German Blue Rams have a tendency to develop is fish tuberculosis, which can be rather unpleasant. A lot of newer aquarists don’t even know this exists since it’s not as common as a disease like Ich (which they can get as well).
How long do German blue rams live?
Lifespan. The average lifespan of a German Blue Ram is around 3-4 years. This assumes that you’re providing them with excellent care and an optimal habitat. Author Note: These are one of the easiest cichlids to maximize lifespan. Their size, temperament, and base care requirements are all very manageable.
Can German blue rams get dropsy?
The most common are a loss of weight and size as well as sores on their bodies (these can get rather nasty if left untreated). In some cases, your German Blue Ram might develop dropsy as well. Treating fish TB requires the antibiotics that you’ll need to get from a vet.
Do German blue rams have dark spots?
German Blue Rams won’t have these dark patches on the back half of their body. This area will be rather pristine and unassuming compared to all the action going on in the front. There will often be some dots/spots on their fins (with the exception of the ventral fins) too.
What are German blue rams?
A lot of people adore German Blue Rams for their likable characteristics and beauty. These fish are relatively small but they still display vibrant blues and yellows and pink. Along with sharp black lines. Coloration varies slightly depending on gender but more on that later. Rams are unique also because once they form a pair, their bond is very strong. Paired Rams will stay together throughout their life, they’ll occupy the same territory together so a pair of Rams will require roughly the same amount of territory as a single Ram. This pair will share parenting duties and fiercely protect their territory and their young together.
Do German blue rams breed?
While this is a general overview of German Blue Rams, not a breeding guide, we’ll briefly touch on breeding. Paired Rams will breed in soft, acidic water with temperatures in the low to mid 80’s. Sometimes these fish will spawn in less-than-ideal water conditions but rarely, if ever, will any fry hatch unless the above conditions are met. Being a species of chiclid, Rams have unique personalities and some Rams that have been bred in Asian farms for generations are terrible parents and often have a very difficult time keeping their young alive. Other Rams will make much better parents and will be able to successfully parent their fry, especially wild caught examples. Attempting to breed German Blue Rams in a community tank greatly reduces the chances of any fry surviving and typically only the very best parents will be able to raise any amount of fry in the community environment. Even with great parents this still requires a great deal of luck.
Is a German blue ram hardy?
The German Blue Ram fish has a bad reputation of being an extremely delicate and difficult fish to keep and often times that scares people away just from the aquarium, like a german shepherd dog. In reality that’s not entirely true, there is a problem with the quality of some German Blue Rams though. They are often inbred to achieve the brightest colors but by doing so the breeders weaken the gene pool. Some fish are even injected or grown with hormones to increase the vibrancy of the fish’s color. What this ultimately leads to is a very fragile fish which is prone to illness. If you get your German Blue Ram from a reputable source they are actually quite hardy fish, provided your water is clean.
Species Summary
Appearance
Average Size
- The average size of a German Blue Ram is around 2 to 3 inches in lengthwhen fully grown. Theis size can be impacted by a number of factors, but the main two are how they were bred and their diet when growing up. Author Note:This is quite small for a cichlid, making them a very approachable species if you don’t have a lot of room. Many beginners are nervous about the pro…
German Blue Ram Care
- German Blue Ram care is nothing to be intimidated by. These fish are low maintenance and easy to keep due to their hardy nature and peaceful temperament. But that still means you should pay attention to their basic needs. There has been a fair amount of misinformation being passed around on forums when it comes to this species, so it’s important to understand their baseline r…
Food & Diet
- Feeding German Blue Rams is not very challenging. These fish are omnivores and are not very picky! It’s a good idea to use some kind of pellet or flake food as the base of their diet. Any products from a high-quality seller will do fine. In addition to this, you’ll want to give them some protein-rich foods as well. Brine shrimp, tubifex, and bloodw...
Behavior & Temperament
- One of the great things about German Blue Rams is their peaceful nature. These fish are very mellow and just want to do their own thing. This makes them great for community tanks since there’s a long list of potential tank mates you can keep them with (more on that in the next section). You’ll often see these fish hiding out among the plants, or digging through the substrat…
Tank Mates
- The list of potential German Blue Ram tank mates is quite long thanks to the peaceful nature of this fish. They’ll get along with pretty much anyone! The general rule to follow when thinking about tank mates is size and temperament. This species does best with other small fish that don’t want to cause any trouble. Any large or aggressive fish should be avoided at all costs. Here are some …
German Blue Ram Breeding
- Breeding German Blue Rams is very simple. There are a number of advantages this species has when it comes to being bred in captivity. If you want to maximize your chances, get some juveniles and let them become a mating pair. This isn’t 100% necessary, but it makes things a whole lot easier. These fish will become sexually mature at a very young age as well. After abou…
Closing Thoughts
- We hope this guide ion German Blue Ram care has shown you what a wonderful fish this species can be. When other aquarists flock to the more popular freshwater creatures, they’re missing out on all the amazing things this fish has to offer! We plan on keeping these fish for quite a while. Once you get used to them, the thought of a species that’s less colorful (and not as easy to care …