Brazilian ram

Mikrogeophagus maculicauda

Also known as Tailspot ram, Guapore ram

FreshwaterFish

Brazilian ram (Mikrogeophagus maculicauda) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–86°F (25–30°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Guaporé basin, Brazil
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is the third and newest ram, a small, warm-water dwarf cichlid kept much like a Bolivian ram. Keep a bonded pair, or a small group in a larger tank from which a pair will form, over soft sand with gentle tankmates. It stays near the bottom, holds a small territory, and is peaceful but will defend a spawning site. It is a substrate spawner, and a pair will clean a flat stone or leaf and guard the eggs and fry together. Feed small foods: quality flake and micro pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, and daphnia. A tank of around 54 liters or more, planted and softly filtered, suits a pair.

In the wild

Mikrogeophagus maculicauda comes from the upper Rio Guapore in Brazil, in warm, clear, slow tributaries over sand with wood and leaf litter. Recreate that with a soft sand floor, driftwood, some plants, and gentle flow. The water is warm and soft to neutral, so hold 25 to 30 C and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0; the upper end of that temperature range suits it well.

Good to know

Mikrogeophagus maculicauda belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 6 centimeters. It was described only in 2022 and is the third species in its genus, alongside the Bolivian ram and the common ram. Its name means spotted tail, for the dark blotch at the base of the tail that, with a green body sheen, separates it from its two relatives. It is a substrate-spawning dwarf of medium breeding difficulty.

Did you know

For more than seventy years the ram genus held only two species, the common ram and the Bolivian ram. The Brazilian ram, formally named in 2022, was the first new member added to the group in all that time.