Cichlid Rams – Sunshine Ram Imported (Microgeophagus ramirezi) 3cm

The Sunshine Ram is a selectively bred variant of The Ram Cichlid which is found in the Orinoco River basin of South America in the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia. The “Llanos” is what is called the savannah grasslands in the central Orinoco drainage. They occur in streams as well as pools and ponds that are often very shallow, with sandy or muddy bottoms and some vegetation. They will feed by sifting the fine substrate for plant material and small organisms. They will also feed on organisms in the water and sometimes at the surface.

The Ram Cichlid is known as being one of the best “beginner” cichlids in the hobby due to its ease of maintenance, beautiful colours, and peaceful nature. They are easy eaters and will readily accept almost anything fed to them. They do not have very stringent water condition requirements and mostly just require routine water changes, but are sensitive to sudden changes in water conditions. Though they are generally easy to breed, the fry themselves can be fairly hard to keep alive.

The Ram Cichlid is an omnivore. In the aquarium, it can be fed a mix of meaty foods that are frozen; such as brine shrimp and blood worms. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods so some quality flakes and pellets should be a staple of their diet. Feed 2 to 5 small pinches of food a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time.

• Species – Microgeophagus ramirezi
• Common Name – Sunshine Ram
• Origin – South America
• Diet – Omnivore
• PH Range – 6 – 7.5
• Temperature – Tropical 25°c – 30°c
• Breed Type – Egg Layer
• Current Size – approximately 3.5cm (Grows to approximately 5cm)
• Sex – Un-sexed