The black ram is the darkest of the ram lines, running from smoky charcoal to nearly black. It is newer and less common than the blue or gold, and usually priced above both. It takes a little experience to keep well.
Did you know
Two black rams from one spawn can look like different fish, depending on the tank they end up in. They read almost solid over dark sand and turn gray over a light substrate. That is why shop tanks and online photos rarely agree.
Caring for the black ram
Give a pair of black rams at least 18 gal (70 L), with a fine substrate and cover. They do best in a mature, stable tank rather than a freshly set up one.
Run the tank warm, at 81 to 86°F (27 to 30°C), with soft, acidic water at a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Black rams are sensitive to nitrates and unstable conditions, so hold the water quality steady. Feed micro-pellets and quality flake, plus frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.
Black rams are peaceful and spend most of their time in the lower and middle parts of the tank. They get along with calm tank mates that like the same warmth.
Both sexes go dark at maturity, which mutes the usual color cues for telling them apart. They are substrate spawners that form monogamous pairs and guard their eggs and fry, and breeding them is hard. Darkness is not fully fixed in most stock, so a spawn gives a range and the darkest fish are bred on.
Good to know
The black ram's look is the opposite of the gold line. Dark pigment is increased and spread across the body instead of reduced, so it covers the usual bars and flank spot. Blue sparkle still shows over the dark ground, so the reflective cells are not lost with the change. Depth varies between suppliers and within a batch.
In the wild
The black ram is a recent line, built by darkening ram stock over successive generations rather than by any cross to another species. Breeders in more than one country have worked on it, and no single originator is confirmed. The darkest strain circulates as dark knight, and jet black and black knight cover much the same fish. Nothing black occurs in wild ram populations.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The black ram is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Is a black ram a different species from the blue ram?
No. A black ram is a variety of the blue ram, Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a black ram need?
A black ram needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does a black ram eat?
A black ram eats micro-pellets and quality flake, plus frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.
How big does a black ram get?
An adult black ram reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).
How does a black ram breed?
Black rams are substrate spawners that form monogamous pairs and guard their eggs and fry. Breeding them is hard, and a spawn gives a range, since darkness is not fully fixed in most stock.
3.1 in (8 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
2.4 in (6 cm)14 gal (54 L)77–86°F (25–30°C)
2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)
3.5 in (9 cm)20 gal (75 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)
3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
3.9 in (10 cm)55 gal (210 L)68–82°F (20–28°C)