We will talk about electric blue ram fish care in this blog post.We will also discuss important factors such as their habitat,types,lifespan, tank set-up,water parameters and healthcare, etc.Everything you need to know about electric blue ram fish care will be briefly discussed.
Overview
In this blog
- Key specifications of electric blue ram fish
- Why is electric blue ram fish care important?
- How many electric blue ram fish should you start with as a newcomer?
- Habitat of electric blue ram fish
- Types of electric blue ram fish
- Different strains or colors of electric blue ram fish
- General and physical attributes of electric blue ram fish
- Electric blue ram fish lifespan
- Electric blue ram fish tank set-up
- Electric blue ram fish diet and feeding requirements
- Electric blue ram fish healthcare and health conditions
- Electric blue ram fish daily care and Bi-weekly care tips
- Summary
How to take care of Electric blue ram fish?
Daily care tips for electric rams
- Keep the tanks clean
- Don’t keep them in strong water currents.
- Give them high quality food for better colouration and strong immunity.
- Feed small amounts 2-3 times a day.
- Rotate their diets for better nutrition and colouration.
- Don’t let leftover food settle down in the tank, this is the main reason for organic pollutants like ammonia, nitrite and nitrates.
- Don’t overfeed as they have small stomachs.
- Maintain all the vital parameters to keep them healthy.
- Keep all the aquarium equipment in working conditions and replace them if they are not working properly.
- Monitor their body movements to know if they are keeping well or not.
- Shift sick members to separate tanks to avoid the spread of any kind of infections.
Bi-weekly care tips for electric ram
- 10-20 % Water should be changed every week to maintain pristine water conditions.
- Filters should be washed thoroughly to avoid tank pollution from time to time with a scrub.
- Always quarantine the new fish at least for 15 days before adding them to the main tank in a separate quarantine tank.
Key specifications of electric blue ram fish
| GenusName | MikrogeophagusElectric blue ram fish |
| Family | Cichlidae |
| Habitat | South america (captive bred) |
| Lifespan | Upto 4 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Body sizeBody shapeColorSexual dimorphism | 2-3 inchesOvoid shapedVivid blue colourationYes |
| Another name | Electric blue ram common cichlid |
| Optimum temperatureOptimum pHWater hardness | 78F-85F5.5-7.0 (highly acidic)0-10 KH |
| TemperamentBeginner or experienced | Semi-aggressiveExperienced hobbyist |
| Care level | Moderate |
| Tank size and set-upTank type (Prefered) | 20 gallons (per pair)Planted tankPeaceful community tank |
| Preferred plants/decorations | Dense Plantation |
| Compatibility | Non-aggressive and less active matesSpecifically soft water community fish |
| Number of electric blue ram fish species found | They are found in different tones of blue color. |
| Breeding | Tank bred |
Why is electric blue ram fish care important?
Electric blue ram fish are most vibrant, beautiful and rarest amongst cichlids.They are a great addition to your aquariums because of their vivid blue tones.
They have a short life space so you need to give proper care to them as they are sensitive to organic pollutants and require pristine water conditions to thrive.
How many electric blue ram fish should you start with as a newcomer?
Electric blue rams are schooling fish and love to shoal together.As a newcomer, get one pair (male and female) or just one juvenile (1 inch) from a right distributor.
Keep in mind they have a very short life span and while picking them up you might not be aware of their age and other health conditions.Do a thorough research about them before buying them.
Electric blue rams take little bit time to acclimatize in their new homes so don’t worry.They are best kept in groups of 5/ 8 individuals together
Habitat of electric blue ram fish
Electric blue rams come from South America and are mainly found in Colombia,amazon and Venezuela.
Types of electric blue ram fish
There are different types of ram fish, electric blue ram fish is one among those cichlids and come in vivid blue tones.
Different strains or colors of electric blue ram fish
- Electric blue rams come in different tones of blues.
- Male electric blue ram- Bright blue color
- Female electric blue ram- Pale blue color
- Base color- Gold yellow and orange
General and physical attributes of electric blue ram fish
- Electric blue ram are color morphs of their wild cousins, cichlids
- They are vibrant in appearance and covered with shimmery blue scales.
- Body size-Males are two inches in length and are larger than females.
- Body shape- Ovoid or fusiform shaped.
- Fins- Spiked fins
- Ventral fins- Longer in males
- Dorsal rays-Male electric rams have a dorsal extension while females don’t have such extensions.
- Dorsal fins-Females have rounded and males have pointed and sharper dorsal fins.
- Anal fin-Males have pointed and females have rounded anal fins.
Electric blue ram fish lifespan
Unfortunately these spectacular tank bred fish don’t live longer like puffers.They can live upto 4 years if maintained well by meeting all the required conditions and vital parameters.
Electric blue ram fish tank set-up
| Tank sizeLight intensitySubstrateWater parametersTemperatureTank plantsTank mates |
Tank size for electric blue ram fish
- Medium sized tanks are best for these cichlids.
- Adult size in market-5 to 10 cm (40 liter tank size)
- Juveniles- 1 inches in length.
- Minimum tank size for them-10 gallons.
- Tank size for single pair-20 gallons.
- Tank size for two pairs -40 gallons.
- Give them swimming space and hiding spots.
- Electric blue rams need at least one open area for swimming.
- Electric blue rams don’t jump out of the tanks, so a lid is not required.
Light intensity for electric blue ram fish
- Not an important parameter in electric blue ram tanks.
- Subdued lighting is preferred.
- Artificial or indirect sunlight would be ok for them.
Ask the pet shop owner too what kind of light effects they add to their aquariums.
Substrate/Decorations for electric blue ram fish
- Sand,gravels or mixed kinds of substrate can be used in electric blue ram tanks.
- Substrate cleaning should be down from time to time to avoid tank pollutants.
- Provide caves like structure in the tank for them to hide and feel safe when they are stressed and frightened.
- Rocks and driftwood for more hiding spots.
- Never keep sharp items in aquariums, this can hurt your fish.
Water parameters for electric blue ram fish
Most important parameter for aquarists to start an aquarium is the right water parameters.
Adjust water parameters according to the source where they come from.The main problem starts with bad water conditions overall.
- Cycle the tank fully before adding electric blue rams.
- They sustain well in clean water conditions,so keep the water quality high and stable.
- Slow water movement in the tank is preferred.
- Highly sensitive to organic waste
- Chemical, biological and mechanical filtration is recommended to remove organic pollutants from the tank.
- Canister filters can be used to remove the tank pollutants and other waste materials.
- Ammonia level- Zero (toxic)
- Nitrite level-Zero (highly toxic)
- Nitrate level- low
- Nitrogen cycle should be maintained.
- They thrive well in soft and acidic water.
- Optimum pH- 5.5-7.0
- Water should be monitored for organic pollutants and filtrations and changes should be done from time to time to maintain the pristine water conditions.
- Make sure there are no oxygen problems in the tanks.
Temperature for electric blue ram fish
Electric blue ram need higher temperature among the cichlid family.
- Electric blue ram are tropical fish so maintain the temperature well for their right metabolism.
- Optimum temperature- 78F-85F
- If the temperature is not maintained well then they might get sick and won’t survive in an aquarium setting.
Tank plants for electric blue ram fish
- Almond leaves- It maintains the required pH well
- Carpet plants- Monte carlo
- Broadleaf plants- Amazon sword plants.
- Plant branches
- Aquatic plants- guppy grass, perfect for their aquarium as they require zero to no maintenance.
Tank mates for electric blue ram fish
Never keep electric blue ram with large aggressive and hyperactive tank mates as they outcompete each other for food resources.Add tank mates who can adjust in acidic and soft water conditions.
Avoid livebearers and dwarf cichlids.Add peaceful and docile fish in their tanks.Try not to overcrowd the tank, it can stress them.
Compatible tank mates for electric blue ram:
- Chocolate,dwarf and honey gouramis
- Gold,rummy and cardinal tetras,
- Clown and kuhli loaches,
- Nerite snails, apple snails,
- Others- Celestial pearl danio,killifish,female bettas
Electric blue ram fish diet and feeding requirements
A newly bought electric ram will lose their appetite after shifting from pet shop to your home aquarium and they take time to acclimatize with the surroundings and start accepting the food.
Electric rams need both plant based food and high quality meaty food for their good health and better colouration,once they are adjusted to their new homes they readily accept all kinds of food.
Feed them small amounts 2-3 times a day.
- High quality frozen food – white mosquito larvae, bloodworms
- Vitamin packed food – daphnia, brine shrimp
- Commercially processed micro pellets and flakes – omega tropical flakes
- Plant based flake- fluval flake
Electric blue ram fish healthcare and health conditions
- Fin rot
- Body fungus
- ich
Summary
- Electric blue ram are fairly rare and costlier among ram cichlids.
- Not recommended for beginners,but it is not very difficult to keep either.
- Electric blue ram are sensitive to fluctuating water parameters.
- Filtrations practices should be followed to remove tank waste.
- Truly beautiful fish and with best care you will get many years of love from your aquatic friend electric blue ram.
- Watching them swim in the aquarium gives a good eye therapy and calming effect.
- As per some electric blue ram owners, they are peaceful and mind their own business in their hiding spots.
Frequently asked questions on electric blue ram fish care
Can we keep them with fast and active tank mates?
A big no, since they eat slowly and if kept with fast and energetic fish they might outcompete them for food resources.
What are they sensitive to in their tanks?
They are sensitive to organic pollutants, to avoid them use good quality biological filters and follow filtration practices religiously.
