TankBud

Variety of Blue ram

Electric blue ram

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

One of 3 varieties of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi · See all varieties →

Also known as Electric Blue Ram Dwarf Cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Electric blue ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Varieties · Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

See all 3 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
81–86°F
27–30°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
18 gal
70 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae

Overview

The electric blue ram is a solid metallic blue line of the ram, a peaceful dwarf cichlid for a warm community tank. It needs a little experience, and retailers often flag it as expert only. It costs more than a plain blue ram.

Did you know

Nothing was added to make the electric blue ram blue. Standard rams already carry that blue sheen, and this line only loses the yellow and the dark markings that sit over it.

Caring for the electric blue ram

Keep electric blue rams in a mature, stable tank rather than a freshly set up one. A pair needs at least 18 gal (70 L), with a fine substrate and some cover. They spend most of their time in the middle of the tank.

Rams need warm, soft, acidic water, at 81 to 86°F (27 to 30°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. They are sensitive to nitrates and unstable conditions, so keep the water quality steady.

Feed micro pellets and quality flake, plus frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. Electric blue rams are peaceful and get along with calm tank mates that like the same warmth.

The blue color masks the pink belly that sexes a standard ram, so picking a pair out of a shop tank is harder. Rams are substrate spawners that form monogamous pairs and guard their eggs and fry.

Both parents fan the eggs to keep oxygen flowing and pick off any that fungus over. They also herd the fry from spot to spot as they grow. Breeding this line is hard, and low fertility and weak brood care are reported more often than in wild type rams.

Good to know

The electric blue ram is a color line of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, a dwarf cichlid in the family Cichlidae. It has none of the yellow, red or black markings of a standard ram, though a faint eye stripe often survives. Suppliers vary in color intensity and in how much dark speckling shows. Breeders treat the color as recessive, so two electric blues give electric blue fry. A cross to a standard ram gives normal looking carriers. Selection has narrowed the gene pool.

In the wild

The electric blue ram reached the hobby in 2009, and its exact origin is not recorded. The usual account is that an odd fish turned up in a spawn of standard rams. It was bred on from there, mostly in Asian farms. It is a captive line rather than a location variant, so no electric blues live in the wild.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The electric blue 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is an electric blue ram a different species from the blue ram?

No. An electric blue 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 an electric blue ram need?

An electric blue ram needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What does an electric blue ram eat?

An electric blue ram eats micro pellets and quality flake. Give it frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp as well.

How big does an electric blue ram get?

An adult electric blue ram reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

How does an electric blue ram breed?

Electric blue rams are substrate spawners that form pairs, and both parents guard the eggs and fry. Breeding this line is hard, with low fertility and weak brood care reported more often than in wild type rams.

Related species