This fish changes binomial nomenclature more often than I change my pants, having once gone under Apistogramma ramirezi, Microgeophagus ramirezi, Papiliochromis ramirezi, Pseudoapistogramma ramirezi and Pseudogeophagus ramirezi; it seems the taxonomists just can't decide where to put the poor thing! The Ram ranks up there with discus in overall beauty, and really gives you a sense of the amazing colors that can be found in the cichlid families. Though its care isn't for beginners, it offers moderately simple care and a decent chance of breeding, making it a rewarding charge for those willing to meet its needs.

Geographic Distribution

The main area of distribution for the Ram is the Orinoco River Basin, in Venezuela and Colombia. Here the water stays in the 75-88ºF range, and is soft and acidic with a pH value around 5.0-5.5. The water is typically dark due to leached tannins from leaves and wood, and moves slowly, offering them plenty of plant cover for security.



Physical Attributes

A stocky, short little fish, the Ram can reach almost 3" in length for the males and slightly smaller for the females. They have a round, somewhat dumpy body for their size. The coloration is difficult to describe in words; pictures work much better!




Setting up their aquarium

Setting up an aquarium for Rams is not a difficult task so long as you keep in mind where they're from in nature. As mentioned before, their preferred waters are dark, soft and acidic with an abundance of plant cover. Using newer driftwood will aid in keeping the water dark and soft, and will help bring the pH down. Plants should be arranged in dense groups, with plenty of open swimming space around them.

Rams should be kept in pairs, and although you can successfully maintain a pair in a 20 gallon aquarium, a larger one would be much better. For a pair you'd need at the very least a 30 gallon aquarium. The larger the aquarium you can use the better, as it will keep water quality stable; Rams are sensitive to nitrate and other dissolved organic wastes, and keeping the water quality stable and pristine goes a very long way towards keeping them alive and healthy.

Rams can be kept with other species of fish, provided you avoid the following:

• Aggressive fish; these will either attack the rams or out-compete them for food
• Other dwarf cichlids (Apistogramma etc.); this will cause undue aggression between the species

Peaceful, brave species will help your Rams feel safe in their environment; I've found that Serpae Tetras work really well, and add even more color to an aquarium. Rams are not by their nature particularly aggressive, but when breeding they can become very protective of their eggs, so keep that in mind.

Water Parameters

Rams should be placed into seasoned, properly-cycled aquariums; they are far too sensitive to survive the cycling process. Water should have the following parameters:

pH: 5.0-6.5
Temp: 75-84ºF (the upper range is better)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate 0 (or as close as you can get/keep it)

Keep the water soft; a blackwater extract will work, and so does filtration with peat.

Additional Info

Rams are easy to feed; they'll take flake and pellet foods, and relish live food (as do all fish). Feed them a broad range of foods to help keep them healthy and happy, and include a little plant material in their diet as well (spirulina flakes or spirulina-enriched brine shrimp).

I won't touch on breeding, as I don't have extensive enough experience with it to offer good advice. Rest assured though, that even if you never breed your Rams, you'll enjoy years of interesting behavior and beautiful colors from them.

Ratings
(Ratings based on a 5-point system, with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best)

Color: 5
Behavior: 4
Size: 4
Price: 2
Ease of Care: 3